Before Thursday evening, many Americans had expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office.
To say that this debate did not put those concerns to rest may be one of the greatest understatements of the year.
The president entered the debate with low expectations but faltered nonetheless.
His performance was flat, rambling, and unclear.
Midway through the debate, the Biden campaign informed reporters that the president was battling a cold, attempting to explain his raspy voice.
While this may have been true, it also came off as an excuse.
For 90 minutes, Joe Biden appeared on the defensive. Particularly early on, some of his answers were incoherent.
He concluded one response with, “We finally beat Medicare,” an odd reference to the government-run healthcare program for the elderly.
Biden’s former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, spoke on CNN immediately after the debate, stating,
“There’s no two ways about it, that was not a good debate for Joe Biden.” She highlighted that his primary challenge was to demonstrate energy and stamina, which he failed to do.
As the debate progressed, Biden began to take more aggressive shots at his opponent in an attempt to shift the momentum.
Some of these attempts seemed to provoke the former president into angry reactions.
The debate’s initial focus on the economy and immigration—topics where polls suggest Americans trust Donald Trump more—only exacerbated Biden’s struggles.
Trump quipped after one of Biden’s responses, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence, and I don’t think he did, either.”
That line seemed to encapsulate the night.
A More Focused Trump
The former president delivered a mostly disciplined and agile performance, avoiding the interruptions and belligerence that marred his first debate in 2020.
He consistently redirected the discussion to criticize Biden’s record. Although Trump frequently made assertions not supported by facts, Biden struggled to hold him accountable.
When the topic shifted to abortion, Trump repeatedly diverted attention to what he called Democratic extremism, incorrectly claiming that Democrats supported abortions after birth.
Despite the potential to score points on this issue, Biden’s attacks were ineffective. “It’s been a terrible thing, what you’ve done,” the president said.
A Fighter on the Ropes
At times, Biden managed to provoke Trump into angry responses. In one memorable exchange, Biden referred to Trump’s conviction related to an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, saying the former president had “the morals of an alley cat.”
Trump retorted, “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”
Trump also seemed defensive when discussing his response to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.
He attempted to pivot to condemning Biden’s record, but Biden pressed him, saying, “He encouraged those folks to go up to Capitol Hill.
He sat there for three hours as his aides begged him to do something.
He didn’t do a damn thing.”
What Happens Next?
This debate, the earliest in modern US history, was scheduled early partly because the Biden team wanted to shift focus to Trump sooner in the campaign season, hoping to remind voters of the chaotic nature of his presidency.
However, more people will likely discuss Biden’s performance than Trump’s.
Another reason for the early debate might have been to give Biden time to recover from a weak performance. This could provide some solace to his team.
The Democrats have their convention in August, where they can present a more controlled vision of a second Biden term.
Additionally, another debate is scheduled for September, which will be closer to Election Day.
However, Democrats may find little comfort in this, as they might question whether a second debate with Trump will yield a different outcome for Biden.
Some may even consider the possibility of selecting a different nominee at their August convention.
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