FFormer President Barack Obama reacted to President Joe Biden’s questionable-at-best performance in the first presidential debate of 2024 on Thursday against former President Donald Trump.
“Bad debate nights happen,” Obama, 62, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday afternoon. “Trust me, I know.”
In 2012, Obama himself had difficulties in his first debate against opponent Mitt Romney. On both sides of the aisle, politicians said Romney won the Oct. 3 debate and Obama lacked enthusiasm. Even so, Obama reacted and managed to win a second term in November.
Following the CNN presidential debate in Atlanta, many Democrats criticized Biden’s performance, with some sharing that the debate “hurt”his prospects of keeping the White House in the November elections.
Obama, however, remains steadfast in his support for the current president’s campaign. He said Biden’s performance last night — in which the 81-year-old mumbled, paused at points and repeatedly lost his train of thought — didn’t change what was at stake in the November election. He criticized Trump, 78, calling him a liar.
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“This election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary people his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,” Obama continued.
The 90-minute debate – moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash – covered a range of topics, including a discussion about golfRoe v. Wade, the conflict in Gaza and the criminal convictions of Trump and Hunter Biden.
Also in line with her support for President Joe Bident, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on several evening news programs to assert that Biden’s performance does not undermine his values and hopes for the American people.
“Yes, there was a slow start, but a strong finish,” Harris, 59, told CNN on Thursday night. “Listen, people can debate questions of style, but ultimately this election and who is President of the United States has to be a question of substance, and the contrast is clear.”
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This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
