President Joe Biden forcefully tried on Friday to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady showing in his debate with former President Donald Trump, as elected members of his party closed ranks around him in an effort to shut down talk of replacing him atop the ticket.
Biden's halting delivery and meandering comments, particularly early in the debate, fueled concerns from even members of his own party that at age 81 he's not up for the task of leading the country for another four years.
Even before the debate, Biden's age had been a liability with voters, and Thursday night’s faceoff appeared to reinforce the public’s deep-seated concerns before perhaps the largest audience he will garner before ballots are cast.
Biden appeared to acknowledge the criticism during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying ”I don't debate as well as I used to." But he added, “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.” Speaking for 18 minutes, Biden repeatedly appeared far more animated than his showing the night before, and he excoriated Trump for his “lies” and campaign aimed at “revenge and retribution.”
“The choice in this election is simple," Biden said. "Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it."
Democratic lawmakers on Friday acknowledged Biden's poor showing, but tried to stop talk of replacing him as their standard-bearer, and instead tried to shift the focus onto Trump's attacks and falsehoods that they hoped would remind voters of the daily turbulence of his presidency.
“Well, the president didn’t have a good night, but neither did Donald Trump with lie after lie and his dark vision for America,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told The Associated Press on Friday, hours before he introduced the president in Raleigh. “We cannot send Donald Trump back to the White House. He’s an existential threat to our nation."
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries answered with a flat “no” when asked Friday if Biden should step aside. But the New York lawmaker added that he’s eager to see how Biden would address his performance at his Friday rally.
“I’m looking forward to hearing from President Biden," he said. "And until he articulates a way forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment, other than to say I stand behind the ticket.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, Democrat of New York, said, “Since performance last night, I had to take a few more antidepressants than usual.”
“People have asked me, ‘Do I feel comfortable with the debate?’ You know, a Donald Trump presidency would cause me far greater discomfort than a Joe Biden debate performance.”
Biden's campaign billed the Raleigh event as the largest-yet rally of his reelection bid in the state Trump carried by the narrowest margin in 2020. He'll then travel to New York for a weekend of big-dollar fundraisers that his campaign now needs more than ever, as it looks to stave off Trump.
Biden's campaign announced that it raised $14 million on debate day and the morning after, while Trump's campaign said it raised more than $8 million from the start of the debate through the end of the night.
Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the Biden campaign sent out to defend his performance, was set to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada. She told CNN hours after the debate, “There was a slow start, but it was a strong finish."
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said he could hardly sleep because of the number of telephone calls he got after Biden performed “horribly” in the debate.
“People were just concerned. And I told everybody being concerned is healthy, overreacting is dangerous,” Cleaver said. “And I think I wouldn’t advise anybody to make rash decisions right now.”
Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who was formerly a longtime fixture in House Democratic leadership, said he would likely speak to Biden later Friday and his message would be simple: “Stay the course.”
Biden and his allies were looking to brush aside concerns about his delivery to keep the focus on the choice for voters this November. They seized on Trump’s equivocations on whether he would accept the will of voters this time around, his refusal to condemn the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden, and his embrace of the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade that had legalized abortion nationwide.
Trump's comments, Biden's team insisted, are out of step with the majority of voters and will serve as fodder for the barrage of ads that they will see through Election Day.
But Democrats faulted Biden for fumbling his chance to press those Trump on those issues.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who was the chairman of the House Jan. 6 committee, said that while everything Trump said about the attack that day was wrong, Biden flubbed the moment. “The president missed a golden opportunity, to correct the record, in the debate. That was a missed opportunity.”
Biden also fumbled on abortion rights, one of the most important issues for Democrats in this year’s election. He was unable to explain Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. A conservative Supreme Court with three justices nominated by Trump overturned Roe two years ago.
As elected Democrats united behind Biden publicly, donors and party operatives shared panicked text messages and phone calls Thursday night and into Friday expressing their concern that Biden’s performance was so bad that he may be unelectable this fall.
But there were no immediate signs of organized efforts among donors, his campaign leadership or the Democratic National Committee to convince the president to step aside, according to interviews with several people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive conversations.
Still, morale was poor among some Biden campaign staffers across the country, who had been encouraged by top campaign officials in Delaware to organize hundreds of debate watch parties to get as many eyes as possible on the Biden-Trump showdown. The morning after, some embarrassed lower-level campaign staffers privately expressed their desire for Biden to quit the race.
It was the same among some top Democratic donors, who talked up the need to embrace a Biden replacement during a series of text chains. There were informal conversations between donors and those close to potential Biden alternatives to gauge their willingness to step into the race. But there was no sense that a sitting governor or member of Congress would be willing to risk the political fallout that might come with a public break from the Democratic president.
Others donors skittish about Biden's performance faced determined outreach from his campaign warning that without their resources they risked handing the election to Trump.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat frequently mentioned as a 2028 contender and speculated about as a potential replacement for Biden on the ticket should he step aside, released a statement backing him on Friday.
“The difference between Joe Biden’s vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trump’s dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November,” she said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also dismissed questions on whether he would consider stepping in for Biden, telling reporters after the debate, “I will never turn my back on him.”
Under current Democratic Party rules, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace Biden as the party’s nominee without his cooperation or without party officials being willing to rewrite the rules at the August national convention.
Trump, meanwhile, flew to his golf club in Virginia, a onetime battleground that has shifted toward Democrats in recent years but that his aides believe can flip toward the Republican in November. He was set to hold at rally in Chesapeake Friday afternoon.
© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
126 Comments
falseflagsteve
Time to go Mr Biden. Relax, spend time with your friends and family and let someone else take the helm.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Better someone with language problems than a traitor.
falseflagsteve
Taiwan
You interested in the job then?
TaiwanIsNotChina
I could do a better job than Trump because I can successfully identify America's enemies.
falseflagsteve
Tawian
Go for it and good luck
JeffLee
The Democratic Party's executive and other organizations should have half-expected this. He is far too old to be president. Even healthy people in their 80s tend to lose certain cognitive abilities. They need to get a replacement ASAP.
FizzBit
Really JT, give up now. These ridiculous headlines, meanwhile Little Z has canceled elections and CNN won't allow RFK onto the debate stage.
TaiwanIsNotChina
RFK is only there as a spoiler and Zelenskyy has bigger problems winning the war that was forced upon him.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Ok. I guess good luck to you too in your endeavors...
dagon
Biden may stay or be replaced but this is a good takeaway.
I hope the Democratic party leadership comes to an awakening that they should have had with Bernie Sanders that American's do not like to be presented with a Hobson's choice in politics and go for real "radical' change.
Dog knows they get called that enough in the dumb MAGA rhetoric , why not show them what radical really looks like, radically oriented for working Americans.
Never liked Biden, thought he was a neo-liberal watcher for Obama and his selection one of the first signs of his turn in that direction.
Biden turned his state into a tax haven, pushed 3 strike laws and bankruptcy changes all hurting working Americans.
He has been changed somewhat though and even diminished is preferable to Trump, Bannon, Miller, MTG and the MAGA gang of crooks in our duopolistic choice.
bass4funk
Yeah, ok….anyway, for now the Dems are stuck with a mess they made.
Kuku
The most amazing conclusion was made by your beloved Ukrainians after the presidential debates. It turned out that everything that they were told from rare adequate sources about Biden’s shaky physical condition is not Kremlin propaganda!
Jill Biden made the greatest impression on me. The most amazing, most faithful wife in the world. Jill won the debate :)
nishikat
Trump is legally a rapist (declared by a court) and is a felon. How about just change from Trump and we can go from there?
bass4funk
Oh, yeah?
They get Bernie, Trump wins in a landslide.
We know, no one wants Bernie, he’s a nice guy, would like to have a beer with him, I’m sure he loves his country, after all, the system he hates so must made him rich.
Ok, now we can both agree on something.
True
Hardly, not even remotely close to reality.
BertieWooster
Biden is not up to any kind of position of responsibility NOW, let alone for the next four years. Why do US presidents have to be some kind of court jester? Bush's inability to put together a grammatically correct sentence kept us rolling in the aisles and Trump's gaffe's were a laugh a minute. Biden made yesterday's "debate" like watching a rerun of Dad's Army!
TaiwanIsNotChina
Counterpoint not found. You could have just not said anything.
John-San
I realise that there is a large % of USA expats readship on this site. This needed to be said. Remember when Trump labled some countries $&@?holes. Those countries along with rest of the world are now watching a circus in real time. Do you know how much world public suppoart and respect the USA has lost in recent times. This once well oiled Democracy has only themselves to blame when these entities like BRICS take hold.
marc laden
WHO IS SAYING BIDEN LOST THE DEBATE???????
Shut up. in that debate Biden was the winner. As we were hearing from all the main stream media Biden is young and energetic... He is the best president in our American history. Look at how much our country has progressed under biden.........
And his performance was the greatest performance in the US history of elections....
Here is the data... TRUMP lost the debate... Yes MAGA people lost the coming election in front of the energetic Biden. Trump was a disaster ... Trump was struggling to speak. Trump's mental and physical strength is so weak and Biden was performing like a JET ENGINE....
Now Biden's poll numbers and popularity sky rocketed ....
Only MAGA people say Biden should be replaced .... Biden win the DEBATE and already he won the election too...
YES BIDEN WON and TRUMP lost in the deabte.... yes yes yes....
I trust the Lef:t media..... And I will trust lef:t media.... because was made to believe to what they feed me..
bass4funk
It doesn’t matter whether a person can speak well or not, look at Obama, spoke well, but domestically horrible President, what matters are the results in the end.
It was definitely bad.
bass4funk
It’s a public forum, not private you seem to be forgetting this.
marc laden
Even though CNN has given the questions in a week advance to Biden... And the moderators coriographed the debate to ridicule Trump as the order of questions and the content of questions.. Biden has the answers written paper on the table. He was reading that...
60 professionals was training Biden for a week 24/7... Just before the debate
Even with the CNN set up... the biased moderators , the rigged debate...
STILL THEY COULD NOT BEAT TRUMP
What a tragedy !!!!!
This is the TRUE REALITY OF NATION ...RIGHT NOW.
nishikat
You are taking a big chance with Trump. He should be changed. He would be legally a rapist in the WH. Also, convicted with dozens of felonies. That's the legal fact.
tora
Yeah, it always takes a little time for the effects of the coffee to kick in. He should have taken it and hour earlier than he did.
marc laden
I can't stop crying ..
HELLO
Please call NANCY Pelosi back .. ONLY she can save us..
Please ask China to make another virus...
Please start our mail voting strategy as we did in 2020..
Please find 10 more hush money cases.. and find a way to put Trump in to jail...
OTHER WISE HE IS GOING TO WIN cry cry cry .
I am lef*t ist ......
I could not sleep now..
cry ...
Our strong media and tech companies.. wake and write more bad about TRUMP .. please please please ..
CRY
JboneInTheZone
I don’t care what other countries think. I’m not a highschool girl who’s self worth is determined solely by the opinion of others
BRICS copers like you always make me laugh. Just 2 more weeks before BRICS becomes a world power right?
dagon
Bernie is hardly rich, and making a good living through lectures and writing is honest, unlike bankrupt fraudster doesn't pay his contractors , racist gentrifier Trump.
Anyway Bernie seems to have ruled himself out so not suggesting him but there is a reason why Democrats have a deep bench of young progressives who are media savvy.
quercetum
Just watch they’ll replace Biden. No way they keep him.
stormcrow
Biden never tried to overthrow the government. Biden never raped anybody. Biden never threatened to abandon NATO. Biden never said Putin was more trustworthy than our own intelligence agencies. Biden never suggested injecting bleach to fight Covid.
Biden still looks far better than Trump.
bass4funk
What? The guys net-worth is $3 million, not too shabby for a committed Socialist.
So why doesn’t the socialist donate all of his earnings to the poor,
What racist? Trump has a real estate empire, built buildings, parks, resorts
Thank God!
And they keep going that route they will all lose with their socialist, Marxist toxic agendas.
Neither did Trump.
Trump never allowed NATO to take him for a chump
Because Biden is part of the establishment, cabal, so why would he?
Trump never said, if you don’t vote for me you’re not black.
Looking at all of the newspapers domestically and globally, they all don’t seem to think so.
JboneInTheZone
He’s worth 3 million dollars and owns 3 homes. How is that “hardly rich”?
bass4funk
Anyway, I don’t think none of this is funny, I felt bad for Biden, but I blame more his wife and for her not protecting her husband at this late stage in his life and pushes this guy to continue, this is literally elderly abuse.
Express sister
Citation needed
dagon
Yeah..., the US has been deeply propagandized in anti-communism, through force and persuasion.
See Trump's Svengali Roy Cohn, McCarthyism, Oppenheimer, red-baiting.
Trump has tapped into this and fundamentalism to fuel his campaign of mendacity and meaningless word salad.
The Democrats in their choice of Biden keep themselves on their heels and when he falters are left in confusion.
It is time to lean into this and show the American people that universal health care, affordable education and health care that many other Western nations enjoy is achievable in the US and is only held back by greedy corporate oligarchs and their puppets like Trump.
WoodyLee
Yesterday was the worst debate ever in the history of the Democratic party.
Pres. Biden crumbled, I honestly felt like I needed a NAP while listening to him, it was a disaster.
dagon
Tried living in a major American city recently and split time between DC and a constituency?
And the contrast was between making a good living through lectures and writing is , unlike a bankrupt fraudster that doesn't pay his contractors , racist gentrifier .
bass4funk
Force? All you need to do is look at its history of disasters
What? Anyway…
I think you’re just speculating as usual, relax
Who’s going to pay for such a faulty and dysfunctional system?
You mean Democrats and the swamp, there I fixed that for you. If the Dems really want to get people’s attention, how about lowering taxes, securing the border or backing our police force for starters?
WoodyLee
If America goes to war God Forbid, and Pres. Biden is still the commander and chief!? don't expect a reasonable outcome.
Dear Sir, step aside please if you love America.
itsonlyrocknroll
First lady Jill Biden, is the overriding influence behind husband Joe Biden Presidency.
I suggest Jill Biden is obsessed with the power of Presidency.
Joe Biden rarely could string coherent sentences together.
Confused, mouth open, mumbling, sometimes unaware of his surroundings. The preposterous playground political silliness squabble over golf handicaps was toe curling.
To insist the US people should be subjected to four more years of this grotesque masquerade of a senior citizen in throws of a visible loss of cognitive functioning, to be persuaded to remain in high office is abusive.
Joe Biden should be enjoying his twilight year in retirement.
dagon
Your rhetorical 'Whaaa?' is a good impression of age related cognitive debility like Biden.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/roy-cohn-donald-trump-trial-b2548168.html
So Nordic style affordable universal health care, education and social safety is faulty and dysfunctional ?
I thought Trump said that America today ,with none of these things, is a hellhole that he is going to save us from?
Oh, just more boilerplate word salad with no relation to reality, just like Trump in the debate last night.
PTownsend
It could be that Trump has learned (doubtful) that his attempt at an insurrection failed, and this time he'll listen to different advisers, some already setting up a post-constitution USA, about a different way to overthrow an election, and if that fails he must know he's got the corrupt Supreme Court to back him and others preferring blatant corporatocracy to historical justice to back him up. Plus the previous guys's support from authoritarian regimes around the world to bail him out, perhaps pay him even more than they had in dark money and gifts. The Supreme Court recently ruled that what had been considered bribery is now not 'really a problem. Curious they did this after allegations some justices have been accepting special favors from billionaires, some as small as tickets to a music concert, still a potential bribe in advance from my perspective, some accepting multi-million dollar trips outside the US in addition to lavish gifts. How much will Trump, if he gets back in office (dogs forbid), charge for pardons this time. The Jan.6 criminals are already probably starting fundraisers to get the money to pay Trump and his minders.
finally rich
I dont take any sides here.
But watching the debate yesterday gave me a deep sorrow.
Biden entering the stage and pointing to his podium as if asking if that was the right place, silently watching Trump speak, mouth half opened, good Lord, no one deserves to commit a whole life to work for this.
I don't care about his arrogance, political past nor even his inappropriate acts toward children anymore.
Set this man free and let him be surrounded by his family and have a nurse full time. Let him stay home and watch TV. Anything else.
There is still time to bring someone who can "save America from Trump".
The only possible reason for all this is they don’t want Kamala at the helm. So they keep him standing.
Republicans, Democrats, former presidents, everyone will sit completely silent when Biden drops dead from 'karoushi'.
It will be a sad day for America and politics in general.
dagon
Falsehoods, like Trump, as usual.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/mike-kelly/2020/01/24/donald-trump-still-owes-money-to-contractors-who-built-taj-mahal-atlantic-city/4547037002/
bass4funk
You think?
These are democratic nations that are Capitalists, but they do have a more progressive socialist healthcare system, that works for them, but they pay an extraordinary amount in taxes, plus they are also much smaller nations, they don’t mind paying high taxes, most Americans don’t want that, not to mention, there is no way the U.S. can pay for 300 plus million people and give them quality healthcare, that is just pure delusional. The Federal government can’t even make a Highspeed rail system, and they can make a great healthcare system?? Will never happen if ACA has taught us anything.
It is a hellhole, but that’s because of the Democrats toxic policies that put the nation into that situation.
You are trying so hard aren’t you? Lol! Just keeping it real.
More leftist one-sided speculation
Yrral
Only insecure foreigner worried about Biden, Biden is victim of his own insecurities,he was not elected to support loser causes in Ukraine and Israel
bass4funk
They should be released, thank God for the Supreme Court and a blow to Garland and his Constitutional overreach.
itsonlyrocknroll
Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the Biden campaign sent out to defend his performance, was set to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada. She told CNN hours after the debate, “There was a slow start, but it was a strong finish."
Really!!??
Biden's Closing Remarks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gu0OD9XIC8
It is mumbo jumbo......
marc laden
PTownsendToday 08:13 am JST
After reading your comment I heard that republican party is looking for a different candidate to replace Trump.
Yes Trump is so bad and evil I can not stop believing it.... because MSNBC was saying it for 8 years.. so do some in this comment box.... ( 8 years of verbal exercise)
RichardPearce
Somebody who has signed off on the overthrow of as many democracies as he has years saying he'll protect democracy. Biden's giving Trump a run for 'most whoppers told'
finally rich
85-year-old Emperor Akihito abdicated from his throne, and thats not even a decision making position or anything close to the US-presidency.
I dont even mock, blame or ridicularize Biden anymore.
A look to his face is enough to make me really sad.
No one deserves to work an entire life for this.
Imagine what he wouldnt give to be able to stay home, eat well, talk to friends, take care of his health.
owzer
Efforts to dispel worries about Biden's mental acuity and physical stamina remind me of the Wizard of Oz declaring, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" Biden and his inner circle will say and do anything to convince the public of his competence. But the game is up. Now, there are only those who recognize the truth and those who recognize it but choose to deny it.
PTownsend
Trump and his MAGAs hate the US, want to destroy it and replace it with a system benefitting primarily the wealthiest, a system which they now have, but that will tilt farther right with their corrupt Supreme Court tearing down environmental protections, worker and consume rights, in their quest to further entrench socialism for the wealthy led by their cult leader Kaiser Don
TaiwanIsNotChina
The only feared the only country to be unscathed by WW2. Now they also have China to fear.
TaiwanIsNotChina
There is our patriot again. Pro-tip: a country doesn't just become a hellhole from one presidency without sixty votes in Congress.
N. Knight
Brainwashed madness
deanzaZZR
We have now entered the predictable rally around Joe phase. As some writers have pointed out today some Democrat bigwigs need to talk some sense into Jill. That's the only way.
marc laden
Biden is more energetic now...after the debate . NO one can defeat Biden
Watch here
https://youtu.be/LOvwaOiW2kI
N. Knight
Biden is way to old. He's having multiple "senior moments", needs step down now and to be in a nursing home receiving care.
Trump is getting way too old, he's having his own "senior moments" is a liar, rapist, grifter, treasonist & convicted felon who needs to be in jail.
Basically need two decent candidates to run for president because these two are a compete embarrassment.
America is falling apart because of lunatics on both the left and the right.
bass4funk
OC is not Beverly Hills, very different.
You didn’t pay attention, I said, Hollywood is just a small part of California, but the rest of the state is a huge breadbasket. The garlic they sell at Costco in those giant bags are from Gilroy, California and most of those people don’t vote Democrat.
I am always honest, that’s my problem.
elephant200
As a national of P.R.C., I want to say me and the 1.4 billion people were strongly supporting Mr.Biden's campaign to be the next POTUS. Because we saw his cognitive condition is good for us if he is re-elected !
Antiquesaving
Here we go again!
OK I don't like either choice, best would be if somehow both parties could replace their candidates.
But Trump is about the only person Biden would have the best chance of winning against and he obviously isn't up to the task but the Democratic party is again letting their felling run the show.
I am not going to debate the importance of this issue but I will point out it is not important in this election.
Sorry but just because it is important to certain democrats doesn't make it important in the general election.
Democrat voters will vote democrat regardless, set Republicans will vote republican but with Trump as a candidate there is a small chance to get a small number to vote democrat.
It is the swing voters that both sides need and abortion is the lowest issue on the American voters list of important things.
Depending on the poll the top 3 are inflation, the economy, immigration.
Next are government spending, social security/medicare, healthcare, guns, crime, climate change and the last is abortion!
The top 3 may change a bit as do some of the other depending of the poll but in all cases abortion is the last!
Why focus on something that is only important to your base when you need the swing voters and it is not even close to an important issue for them?
bass4funk
No, make America great again. It was great up until 2009
They don’t need to, the wealthiest will always come on top regardless of who the President is, they just want to tax people less.
Corrupt for following the Constitution??? Yeah, ok…
Over the lives of the human race, they should if that’s the case.
Like taxing tips?
Not sure what that nonsense rant meant, but Capitalism will always be the model for betterment and prosperity.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Again that totally unconnected date of the first black president.
geronimo2006
Sadly, Biden is like an elderly driver who doesn't understand he is past it. He needs to be stopped because his ego and self image won't.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Because driving out the base is more important than the mythical swing voter these days. Otherwise Trump would not take a blowtorch to all sane policy and still have a shot.
bass4funk
Has nothing to do with the color of the man’s skin, but it had everything to do with his toxic policies.
wallace
bass4funk
You are saying America wasn't great during Trump's office.
rcch
N. KnightToday 08:50 am JST “ Biden is way to old. He's having multiple "senior moments", needs step down now and to be in a nursing home receiving care.
Trump is getting way too old, he's having his own "senior moments" is a liar, rapist, grifter, treasonist & convicted felon who needs to be in jail.
Basically need two decent candidates to run for president because these two are a compete embarrassment.
America is falling apart because of lunatics on both the left and the right. “
Hmm, interesting…; … a few days ago, Biden was our savior and the orange man was a threat to our existence. I mean, be honest, you knew it was gonna be bad… you just didn’t know it was gonna be a train wreck.
wallace
Biden has early Parkinson's Disease. California Governor Gavin Newsom or Michelle Obama should step up to the plate.
u_s__reamer
The right-wing DNC and other party bigwigs thought establishment career politician, G-Joe, would be safe hands keeping out the "left" by leaving Bernie Sanders out in the cold, a man who even today is still mentally fit for the presidency and could clean Trump's smirking clock in any debate. Four years ago they made the wrong choice with Biden and doubling down on their superannuated candidate for a second run has backfired in their faces. As I predicted last year, Biden will probably suddenly drop out when his declining faculties can no longer be hidden. Hubris exacts a heavy price and we will soon see it cruelly play out for both of these flaky contenders.
finally rich
Even the ultra left NY Times is asking for Biden to step down.
Its actually mind-boggling watching all the left media/supporters acting all surprised and disappointed.
Biden's job isnt debating Trump. It's running the country.
This is the figure running your country right now.
And all the sudden you realize the man is way too old to do the job after watching him debate after 4 years in?
You should be worried and disappointed by Biden's performance from day 1!
wallace
Biden might have lost the debate but Trump didn't win it either.
bass4funk
Started to get better.
Well, I’m not going to argue with you on the prognosis, but neither Newsom or Michelle will take over for Biden, as the day is long, that will not happen.
He absolutely won that debate.
https://x.com/endwokeness/status/1806539745863852444?s=46&t=YGWP_lcRZjddiWlx4QxURQ
john b
Rep. Ritchie Torres, Democrat of New York, said, “Since performance last night, I had to take a few more antidepressants than usual.”
wallace
Trump's debate was a very tall pyramid of lies.
Hervé L'Eisa
Biden did as well he could (which was abysmal). He looked like a cadaver.
elephant200
When I heard Trump denied he ever had sex with porn star. I shook my head and I cannot believe as the former POTUS is such a liar telling lies to the whole world, he is very calm and kept carry-on his attack to Biden.
If you have children, do not let them watching this debate, Trump is educating your son and daughter how to be a balant liar
bass4funk
Biden’s were extensive and this is what we find..
"Suckers and losers" lie
"Hitler did good things" lie
"Fine people" lie
"My son died in Iraq" lie
"I capped insulin at $15" lie
"I capped Medicaid drug expenses at $200" lie
"Retaliation" lie
"Trump said he would be a dictator" lie
"No soldiers died on my watch" lie
"Border crossings fewer than Trump" lie
"Unemployment was 15% under Trump" lie
"Trump wants to get rid of Social Security" lie
"Billionaires pay 8.2% in taxes" lie
"Trump said inject bleach" lie
"Border patrol endorsed me" lieBlacklabel
Much democracy would benefit by the elderly man with a poor memory stepping aside.
but he won’t, Jill won’t let him. Joe, you answered all the questions!
that was after 7 days of rest and dedicated preparation. How bad is he when its 5 minutes to prepare on his normal all weekends off rest?
It’s horrifying to think.
JJE
Joe is taking them into the danger zone.
Antiquesaving
Interesting!
It seems the facts and Data say differently!
Biden won because he took most of the 6 important swing states with the most swing voters, he took 5 out of the 6 with 3 only by less than 1% (0.23% to 0.75%) one by 2.4% the other he did great 7% but Hillary one got 1.3% meaning the swing voter in that state is high!
But hey what to the experts know, they all predicted the swing voters would decide 2020 and we'll they did, but I guess you must know something they don't!
kohakuebisu
Both candidates are terrible and are too old for the job. Comparing their mental capacities is, to use the Japanese expression, "comparing the heights of acorns".
Even if both men were twenty years' younger, they would still only know the rich bubble of privilege and influence they exist in and have no idea what life is like for an ordinary Americans. Both are also more likely to place the interests of the military-industrial complex and a foreign government, yes Israel's, above the needs of ordinary Americans and the American national interest when viewed in a global context.
plasticmonkey
Virtually everything that came out of his filthy sewer was a lie or a fib.
Let me ask you. Did Trump lower the cost of insulin? Are illegal immigrants bankrupting Social Security? Did Biden encourage Putin to invade Ukraine to deflect attention from Afghanistan? Did Biden allow "millions of people to come in here from prisons, jails and mental institutions"? Do Democrats “take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth”?
Lying that much doesn’t qualify as winning. Except in MAGA world.
dagon
Obama brought in his policies in 2009 and destroyed America.
Trump is trying to MAGA to 2001 with the genius Bush and making up schemes to go to war, war crime profiteers like Haliburton and his admin all invested and banker bailouts while millions of Americans were left to be foreclosed on .
Yeah MAGA.
Trump has nothing but boilerplate alternate reality rhetoric , red-baiting and racist dog whistles.
The GQP.
finally rich
This!↑
Middle of 2024 and everyone be like ooohh... that was horrible. This man is weak. Definitely not fit!
I'm actually surprised they are not burying their heads in the sand again or saying Biden won the debate.
Realizing you chose poorly 4 years later because of a 90min debate with Trump.
No wonder they wanted the orange man jailed no matter what.
JJE
Joe lied about inflation. He said it was 9% when he took over.
FALSE - it was 1.2% and became 9% fourteen months after he took over.
rcch
Biden concedes debate fumbles but declares he will defend democracy
Democracy is not at risk, Joe. Do people actually believe in this nonsense? SMH.
Blacklabel
he did.
not yet. But they will when Biden allows them to receive it again.
yes, he did. He should have told NATO that Ukraine will not become a member.
he has, millions of illegals per year. Some are that and some are terrorists.
they do. In 7 states there is nothing to prevent that. Ask Ralph Northam, he said it. “Deliver the baby” then we can decide what to do.
that’s disgusting.
bass4funk
No, spot on.
More importantly, did Congress,
In large part, yes
Did Biden have to get involved and did Biden have to embarrassingly leave the way he did?
The border.
Dems are all about abortion, that and J6
Well, he didn’t lie, that’s the problem.
bass4funk
Some do, ask AOC
Blacklabel
“It should be remembered that Mr. Biden challenged Mr. Trump to this verbal duel.
He set the rules, and he insisted on a date months earlier than any previous general election debate. He understood that he needed to address longstanding public concerns about his mental acuity and that he needed to do so as soon as possible. The truth Mr. Biden needs to confront now is that he failed his own test," the editorial board wrote.”
wallace
" Trump’s claims that Biden did nothing to lower insulin costs and “it was all done” before Biden became president are both false. Trump did get a $35-per-month cap on insulin for some seniors, through a voluntary program that Medicare prescription drug plans could choose to participate in. But Biden ensured that all 3.4 million-plus insulin users on Medicare got $35-per-month insulin — through a mandatory cap that not only covers more people than Trump’s voluntary cap but also applies to a greater number of insulin products and stays in effect at a level of individual drug spending at which Trump’s cap disappeared."
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/14/politics/fact-check-trump-biden-insulin-costs/index.html
Pukey2
Please, give it up already. Enough of this malarkey. So sick of this fake democracy where both parties represent the same interests, and that ain't the citizens' interests, but those of Israel, the lobbyists, big corporations like BlackRock, the military industrial complex, elites and oligarchs.
bass4funk
Biden said, the “Border Patrol Union” supports him, now if that’s not a Pinocchio right there, then I don’t know what is.
Christopher
On Joe Biden. Lets take politics out of it for a second.
He must for the good of the country and his own health. Step down. This can no longer be denied.
I just felt sorry for him.
Though Trump seemed somewhat poised and behaved. I think of myself as a somewhat of a decent Republican. Trump is not fit as well to be POTUS again. He just isn't. He sat right up there and lied about the riots.
High crimes. Capital Hill. He incited it. He should be in jail for it. Period. We all know it.
I know that upsets other Republicans. But I am not on the MAGA train movement thing.
I think America is in decline. But it will not be one single movement that makes America pick itself up and realize what have we allowed to happen to her. It will be the American people standing united. United people!
But at the same time, Trump seems right on the border crises. Were those facts right? 11 to 13 million crossings?
That is insanity. That is a hug problem. And what machines was Biden talking about that can detect Fentanyl?
If this is the choices we have. I am sitting this one out. No Vote.
wallace
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump made false and misleading claims during CNN’s presidential debate on Thursday – but Trump did so far more than Biden, just like in their debates in 2020.
Trump made more than 30 false claims at the Thursday debate. They included numerous claims that CNN and others have already debunked during the current presidential campaign or prior.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/27/politics/fact-checking-the-cnn-presidential-debate/index.html
bass4funk
Yeah, at this point, I think we can take what CNN says with the tiniest grain of salt when they make statements like that given their history when it comes to the truth and facts
wallace
CNN ran the show and the link I posted goes into the debate and the wrongs by both Biden and Trump.
Antiquesaving
We really don't know!
What we do know and isn't a major news story for some reason, is that in Texas the National guard set up along the Border and that several other states sent members of their National guard to help.
We know that there have been actually standoffs between the National guard and Federal Border Agents,
We know that the Texas National guard along with the Texas Rangers have clashes (not physically) with Border Agents and that after the National guard was called out, the smuggling of illegals shifted to Nevada and increased in California and that Nevada is now looking into doing the same as Texas.
This is because the Border Agents are out powered by Drug cartels that are running the smuggling and taking in billions.
The Border Agents union even posted on X :
So trump's claim may or may not be true (probably not and if true it is probably a few thousand prisoners and mental health issues people but not millions)
But Biden also didn't say the truth and the border problems are getting worse and the cartels are getting richer because of Biden's policies.
bass4funk
And Biden still lied more than Trump.
wallace
bass4funk
CNN ran the show and the link I posted goes into the debate and the wrongs by both Biden and Trump.
Not according to the article. Please get back to me when you have read it.
Toblerone
Yeah, it always takes a little time for the effects of the coffee to kick in. He should have taken it and hour earlier than he did.
Coffee? Believe it, they shot Sleepy Joe with as much stimulant/hormones/bull testicle cocktail that they dare and still the poor old fool looked - and sounded - like he’d just crawled off a slab in the mortuary.
wallace
2024 presidential debate fact-check: How accurate were Joe Biden, and Donald Trump?
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/jun/28/2024-presidential-debate-fact-check-biden-trump/?utm_source=Poynter+Institute&utm_campaign=bfd1cfc58d-06282024+-+The+Poynter+Report&utm_medium=email&utmterm=0-bfd1cfc58d-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=bfd1cfc58d
Toblerone
The MSM has a lot to answer for. They’ve been running intereference and cover ups for this old coot all the while, mocking and ridiculing anyone - including medical specialists - who pointed out Biden’s dementia.
JJE
Joe was the iceberg. Now his campaign is trying to rearrange the deck chairs while the band plays.
Toblerone
The question has to be asked: What the hell has been going on?
bass4funk
All liberal sites, anyway, these people continue to lie and lie and try and deflect from Biden’s plane crash. He said, he secured the border, that is an outright lie. And the said thing ism, he said if without blinking.
dagon
One of the greatest sins of this debate which Biden and Trump are both guilty of and speaks to their age is I did not hear the phrase “artificial intelligence” mentioned by either man at the debate.
This is in the next few years going to be one of the most pivotal changes in human history and we as a society are going on and on about age and one man's avaricious mendacity.
It is one reason a more progressive, radical vision is needed.
Toblerone
All liberal sites, anyway, these people continue to lie and lie and try and deflect from Biden’s plane crash.
They lie like breathing. And if you point out the lies you are then speaking from “the far-right echo chamber”.
The left’s bs has run out.
Garthgoyle
Is he? Even better than Obama? The US hasn't really progressed much since 2020. Quite the contrary. It's been downhill since March 2020.
Not at all. People who think like that are a big problem, and proof that far left is just as bad as far right.
Toblerone
Who has been running the show? It obviously hasn’t been Biden. He’d find a game of checkers in the old folks home a mental challenge. Why aren’t these questions being asked?
1glenn
The GOP candidate isn't even endorsed by his wife, his daughter, or his former Vice President. Pretty much the definition of a loser, and that is before mentioning that he is a convicted felon.
bass4funk
No, no more please!! Progressives destroyed California and NYC
Chabbawanga
Why do you think they held the debate so early? They needed to replace Biden asap.
Who will replace him though? Tough call.
Harris? Lol
Clinton? Ewww.
Bernie? Not happening.
Michele Obama? She has certainly spent enough time grifting on Netflix to become a household name. What are her politics though?
bass4funk
They already do, we know that, they don’t need to make an announcement. I have to tell the world I love my kids in order to be a legitimate father? Come on….lol
Yeah, no one cares about his endorsement either way.
How so??
Proudly voting for the felon!
Wichi
Trump came and took a big one on Biden's backyard.
Even democrats are in crisis on this.
Haha is so funny, the excuse this was used a few days ago about the "cheap fakes" , The world saw the reality that the Dems where hiding and making excuses.
Anonymous
Only one question remains: which “loyal” Democrat politician will “put the fork in him”?
Chabbawanga
Trump did nothing, and that was exactly what he needed to do. Biden destroyed himself, or rather his carers allowed him to destroy himself.
Blacklabel
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Hillary and Kamala “coincidentally” in the same place within the next week or so.
Anonymous
Do you think Melanie wants to live with that White House crap again?
Antiquesaving
Actually that isn't true either several prominent Dems, former Biden admin members, and quite a few top Democrats many at state level have said perhaps it is time for Biden to pull out!
But you can believe what you want, but in April 52% of democrat thought Biden shouldn't run, by this month it was nearing 60% let's see what the numbers are now that this debate is over.
Odds are not good he has improved and more than likely the percentage of democrats that think he should not be running has increased dramatically.
Again wishful thinking doesn't change facts.
elephant200
Both of them were lying, Trump won this lying contest. He is calm and nothing embarrassing of doing this task !
bass4funk
Not even remotely close.
plasticmonkey
At the end of his sentence, Biden clarified they endorsed his position on the bipartisan border bill. They did.
Biden misspoke or misled on a few occasions, but he didn’t outright lie. That was Trump’s forte.
So, you still think it’s true that Democrats are executing babies after birth? Or that millions of foreign prisoners and mental patients are overrunning the U.S.?
plasticmonkey
OK. We’ll be on the lookout. Ray Epps might join them.
plasticmonkey
A true cultist.