Joe Biden Bombs Debate: Triggering New Conversations
Joe Biden and Donald Trump debated on Thursday night. The stakes were high for both candidates, with Biden looking mainly to appear upbeat and capable and Trump looking to appear controlled and methodical. Neither man was able to achieve their goal, but Joe Biden’s debate performance ended up being so shocking that post-debate analysts from all ends of the spectrum immediately started calling for him to step down.
During the debate, Biden stumbled over his words repeatedly, at one point triggering a response from Donald Trump, “I don’t really know what he just said… I don’t think he knows what he just said.” Biden repeatedly ended timed answer slots on undesirable notes, at one point unexpectedly proclaiming, “When we beat Medicare…,” as a closing statement to a question on insulin prices.
This result is especially noteworthy considering the Biden campaign has been pushing for this debate for months, hoping that an environment widely seen as friendly for Joe Biden, including muted mics, no live audience, and moderators from CNN, would help him reignite his struggling reelection bid.
The fall-out in the days following has been significant. The New York Times editorial board, New York Post editorial board, and notable Democratic commentators like podcaster Ezra Klein have all issued statements asking Biden to step aside for a younger candidate.
Biden is refusing to fold to pressure just yet. He held a rally on Friday in North Carolina where he gave a speech preaching a message of “[getting] back up” from the poor performance. However, NBC News reported today that Biden will meet at Camp David with family members to discuss his future on Sunday.
