President Joe Biden He opened the debate with a hoarse voice and disjointed and incoherent answers, reigniting Democrats’ concerns about his age and ability to face former President Donald Trump.
Many of the president’s responses were difficult to follow. At one point, apparently losing his train of thought, Biden said “we finally beat Medicare,” trash-talking his own policy on earned benefits.
In text messages with POLITICO, Democrats expressed confusion and concern as they watched the first few minutes of the event. A former Biden White House and campaign aide called it “terrible,” adding that they had to repeatedly ask themselves “What did he just say? This is crazy.”
Another veteran Democratic operative texted: “Biden appears to have needed a few minutes to warm up. I wonder if the lack of audience was the right decision. And the poor guy needs some tea. Maybe a whiskey.
Jay Surdukowski, a New Hampshire lawyer and Democratic activist who co-chaired Martin O’Malley’s 2016 presidential campaign in the state, said, “Biden is toast — call now.”
Biden’s incoherent responses provided Trump with multiple opportunities to intervene with retorts. At one point, after an answer apparently about immigration, Trump said, “I don’t know what he said at the end. I don’t think he knows what he said.”
The president’s performance has been widely criticized online and is likely to reinforce the impression that he has lost a step. The 81-year-old president’s age has long been an issue, and poll after poll shows that even many Democrats are concerned about his age.
Biden aides and allies hoped the split screen between the two men would help focus voters’ attention on the race. But during the debate, many Democrats began to doubt that the strategy would actually work in Biden’s favor.
A person familiar with Biden’s health said his performance was due to a cold. But the president’s team did not mention this to reporters until Biden began answering debate questions.
One prominent agent texted: “Time for an open convention.”
