The U.S. presidential debate, hosted by CNN and initiated by President Joe Biden's team to shift focus onto former President Donald Trump, backfired as it drew more attention to Biden's performance.
The mainstream media, including the BBC, highlighted concerns about Biden's age and fitness for office which were already prevalent among many Americans.
The debate did little to alleviate these worries. The president, despite having a low bar to clear, faltered. He appeared flat, often rambled and was frequently unclear in his responses, according to BBC.
Midway through the debate, the Biden campaign attributed his raspy voice to a cold, but this explanation sounded more like an excuse than a valid reason.
For 90 minutes, Biden seemed to struggle, particularly during the initial stages of the debate when some of his answers were incomprehensible. At one point, he bizarrely stated, "We finally beat Medicare," referencing the government-run healthcare program for the elderly, after losing his train of thought.
Kate Bedingfield, Biden's former communications director, appeared on CNN after the debate and bluntly said: "There's no two ways about it, that was not a good debate for Joe Biden." She highlighted that Biden needed to demonstrate energy and stamina, which he failed to do. (Related: Biden appears FATIGUED and CONFUSED during 80th anniversary celebration of D-Day landings in France.)
As the debate progressed, Biden attempted to regain momentum by taking aggressive swings at his opponent, which provoked some angry responses from Trump.
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However, the initial topics – economy and immigration – favored Trump, according to polls.
Trump delivered a disciplined performance, avoiding the interruptions and belligerence that had marred their first debate in 2020. He frequently returned to attacking Biden's record, and the incumbent was unable to effectively counter his predecessor's statements.
When the discussion shifted to abortion, Trump diverted attention to Democratic extremism, claiming that Democrats support post-birth abortions. Biden's counterattacks were ineffective. His comment, "It's been a terrible thing, what you've done," fell flat.
VP Harris acknowledges Biden's "slow start"
Vice President Kamala Harris later acknowledged Biden's "slow start" but claimed he finished strong, a statement that seemed overly optimistic. Biden did manage to steady himself as the debate continued, making a notable remark about Trump's morals by referencing his conviction related to an alleged affair with Stormy Daniels.
Trump also appeared to struggle when addressing the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, initially attempting to deflect responsibility.
Biden persisted, stating: "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." Additionally, Trump evaded questions about whether he would accept the 2024 election results.
Biden's performance became the primary talking point following the debate. But the timing allows Biden more opportunity to recover from a weak showing, with another debate scheduled for September.
Despite the shaky performance, the Biden campaign has almost two months to stabilize the situation. It would take a significant revolt for Democrats to abandon their candidate, who has already secured the necessary primary delegates.
Prominent Democratic officials have not publicly broken ranks, even though some have expressed concerns privately.
When questioned about potentially replacing Biden, Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks dismissed the notion. "President Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee and President Biden is going to win this election," Fulks said.
The campaign now faces the challenge of rallying support and addressing the doubts raised by Biden's debate performance. While Trump has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, many Democrats are now questioning Biden's prospects for the upcoming election.
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Watch this video of the presidential debate between Trump and Biden.
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