Durbin: Debate ‘raised a lot of questions’ about Biden’s viability

Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin (Ill.), the second-ranking member of Senate Democratic leadership, said Monday that President Biden’s debate performance “raised a lot of questions” about his strength as a general election candidate, but he added that he would withhold judgment until he heard from his colleagues.

Asked if he has concerns about Biden’s physical or mental capacity to govern the country, Durbin said colleagues and voters need to be reassured.

“I watched the debate and it raised many questions. He is trying to answer these questions. In some respects he did this very effectively. In other ways, not as effectively,” Durbin told reporters at the Capitol.

Lawmakers return to Washington on Monday after a weeklong recess, with questions about Biden.

Durbin declined to say whether he thinks Biden should be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in November and noted that his fellow Democratic senators are divided on the issue.

“I’ve talked to a dozen of my colleagues and they have different opinions,” he said.

And Durbin said Biden appears to be taking Democratic lawmakers’ concerns seriously, despite complaints from some senators, such as Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), that Biden’s campaign was dismissive of anxieties expressed by many Democrats after the debate.

“I think he takes this seriously, as he should,” Durbin said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) also spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill and reiterated his support for Biden.

“Like I said before, I’m for Joe,” Schumer said as he entered the building and headed to the elevator.

Schumer last week told reporters in Syracuse that he had worked closely with Biden and “done a lot for America and for Central New York.”

Durbin said the topic of Biden’s fitness to lead the Democratic Party ticket in November would receive in-depth discussion this week.

And he said he still thinks Biden can beat Trump.

“I think at the end of the day, when the American people look closely at Donald Trump, they will not want to go back to those four years and they certainly, I hope, understand that these Supreme Court decisions create a different presidency than we had when he he was the last in office. It is a dangerous situation for the democracy of this country,” said Durbin, referring to the recent Supreme Court decision granting Trump immunity from criminal prosecution related to official acts.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story