Democratic strategists and organizers were hoping that when CNN hosted 2024's first Donald Trump/Joe Biden debate on Thursday night, June 27, Biden would be fiery and aggressive like he was during his 2024 State of the Union address and show voters how dangerous a second Trump presidency would be.
But many of Biden's supporters have been saying that the president, whose voice sounded weak and hoarse, gave a terrible debate performance.
In an article published after the debate, The New Republican's Alex Shephard describes the debate was depressing on multiple levels. Trump, Shephard laments, confirmed the "existential risk that he poses to the country" — and Biden didn't rise to the occasion at all.
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"Thursday's debate should have been a tap-in, Shephard argues. "All Biden had to do was appear mildly competent. All he had to do was let Donald Trump be Donald Trump. Then, the rest would take care of itself. It's hard to see how the bar could have been set any lower."
Shephard continues, "And yet, Biden not only failed to meet it, he delivered what may very well be the single worst debate performance in American history.… This was a disaster, from start to finish. It is impossible to see how Joe Biden can continue as the Democratic nominee for president."
Shephard emphasizes that Trump gave Biden plenty of material to use against him, but Biden missed a golden opportunity.
"During this debate," Shephard observes, "Donald Trump basically said he would withdraw from NATO. He vociferously defended the January 6 rioters — and said that the people who prosecuted them should be imprisoned. He patted himself on the back for overturning Roe v. Wade, which has galvanized voters in red and blue states across the country."
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Shephard adds, "Again and again and again, he made it abundantly clear that he was not qualified or capable of being president — he is a mad man, somehow even more now than he was when he left office three years ago…. And yet. And yet. Joe Biden still somehow failed to look like the obvious, reasonable choice."
The New Republic journalist describes the debate as a "split-screen moment" with a Republican who poses a dire threat to the United States' wellbeing and a Democrat who appears unlikely to defeat him.
"Biden not only failed to make the case that he is capable of beating Donald Trump — he failed to make the case that he is capable of leading for another four years," Shephard warns. "Democrats are panicking, and they are right to. This was a disaster, from start to finish. Unless something is done, it could have catastrophic consequences."
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Alex Shephard's full article for The New Republic is available at this link.
