Democrats concerned after Biden’s debate performance as Trump gets away with lies and deflections – live
Biden’s raspy voice, tendency to meander and difficulty finishing his answers have his allies deeply worried about his ability to beat Trump
Democrats lament 'really disappointing' Biden debate – reports
The reviews from Democrats of Joe Biden’s debate performance against Donald Trump are in, and they are not good.
The president’s raspy voice, tendency to meander and difficulty finishing his answers have his allies deeply worried about his ability to beat Trump in the November elections, multiple media outlets have reported.
Here’s how his former communications director Kate Bedingfield put it:
The Hill received an ominous text from a swing state Democrat:
Hoo boy. From one House Dem who hails from a swing state:
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) June 28, 2024
“This was a disaster. Biden’s team needs to convince him to withdraw and have an open convention.”
Former top Barack Obama strategist David Axlerod said Democrats are so worried they may wonder if Biden should continue his campaign:
Four key takeaways from the debate
Rachel Leingang
Here are four key takaways from tonight:
One: Biden did badly
The president joked about the rightwing conspiracies that he would take some kind of performance-enhancing drugs before the debate, posting a link to a can of water for sale on his campaign website called “Dark Brandon’s Secret Sauce”.
But his low-energy, muted and garbled performance didn’t live up to expectations. And keep in mind: Biden challenged the former president to the debate, which looks like a strategic error in retrospect.
Voters regularly say they are concerned about Biden’s age and fitness for office. This debate will not assuage their fears.
Two: Trump lied, again and again:
Trump repeatedly tried to sell falsehoods and half-truths to voters.
When questions were posed that would require tough answers, like one about the January 6 insurrection, he deflected and talked about something he could attack Biden on.
CNN’s moderators did not factcheck statements live. At times, when he avoided the question, they would reiterate it – sometimes successfully getting Trump to answer.
He falsely claimed Democrats want abortions up until and after birth. He said without evidence that Nancy Pelosi refused his offer for national guard troops on 6 January 2021 to respond to an insurrection he encouraged. He said his administration had the “best environmental numbers”, whatever that means.
Three: the candidates see America very differently
The two men showed the distinctions of the two Americas in which they live.
Trump repeatedly talked about how the US had failed, how Biden was the worst president in the country’s history and how the world views the country dismally now.
Biden disagreed, offering an optimistic view of the US on the world stage.
Four: ‘I didn’t have sex with a porn star.’
Trump’s convictions and varied court cases didn’t come up in the debate until it was well underway, a missed opportunity from Biden to hammer on one of Trump’s key liabilities.
When the issue finally surfaced, Biden hit at Trump for having sex with an adult film actor while his wife was pregnant, referring to Stormy Daniels and the hush-money trial that concluded in 34 felonies for Trump.
“You have the morals of an alley cat,” Biden quipped at Trump.
Trump responded with a line that surely has not been uttered at presidential debates in decades past: “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”
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