CNN's performance?NEW YORK — It almost didn't seem to matter that CNN's Dana Bash and Jake Tapper were on stage for the much-awaited presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. They asked pointed questions on the issues, many meticulously prepared, and they were for the most part ignored. The CNN moderators several times repeated their questions — twice by Bash in one instance. But CNN determined ahead of time they would be questioners, not umpires. And they did not attempt to fact-check a debate where both candidates frequently called the other liars. At the end of the evening, Biden's halting performance was what most people were talking about. |
The sitting president's delivery from the beginning of the roughly 90-minute debate drew the most attention afterward. Trump's allies immediately declared victory while prominent Democrats publicly questioned whether Biden could move forward.
"I think the panic had set in," said David Axelrod, a longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama on CNN, immediately after the debate about Biden's performance. "And I think you're going to hear discussions that, I don't know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue."
Said Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, on CNN: "He did not do well at all."
Rosemarie DeAngelis, a Democrat who watched the debate at a party in South Portland, Maine, said she felt Biden gave the right answers to Trump but "didn't have the spark that we needed tonight."
"That's going to be the challenge going forward. This is only June, this is the first, but can he sustain?" she said. "That is going to be the challenge."
Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking on CNN afterward, sought to defend the president's performance while acknowledging the criticism.
"There was a slow start, but there was a strong finish," she said.
Asked about his performance in the debate, Biden told reporters early Friday that "I think we did well," but said he has a "sore throat." Pressed about Democratic concerns with his showing that he should consider stepping aside, Biden said, "No, it's hard to debate a liar."
Observation: Biden's 'epic' failure providing Dems the option they wanted
Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought
Biden began the night with a hoarse voice as he tried to defend his economic record and criticize Trump. A person familiar with the matter said Biden was suffering from a cold during the debate, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19.
Biden appeared to lose his train of thought while giving one answer, drifting from an answer on tax policy to health policy, at one point using the word "COVID," and then saying, "excuse me, with, dealing with," and he trailed off again.
"Look, we finally beat Medicare," Biden said, as his time ran out on his answer.
He also fumbled on abortion rights, one of the most important issues for Democrats in this year's election. He was unable to explain Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. A conservative Supreme Court with three justices nominated by Trump overturned Roe two years ago.
When asked if he supports some restrictions on abortion, Biden said he "supports Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state."
He added that he thought doctors, not politicians, should make decisions about "women's health."
Biden began to give clearer answers as the debate progressed, still with a rasp, and attacked Trump's record on issues like fighting climate change.
The age question roars back
Prior to the debate, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults (59%) said they were "very concerned" that Biden is too old to be president, according to Gallup data collected in June. Only 18% had the same level of concern about Trump. The poll found Biden's age was also causing alarm among some Democrats: 31% said they were very concerned.
Trump allies entered the post-debate spin room triumphant. Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita called it "the most lopsided win in debate history" and mocked the Biden campaign for saying the president had a cold.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a high-profile Democratic supporter of Biden, was pressed on whether he would consider stepping in for Biden. He dismissed the questions, saying, "I will never turn my back on him."
He said he knows Biden and what he's capable of and said, "I have no trepidation."
Biden spent nearly a week at the Camp David presidential retreat preparing for the debate. Shortly before the debate, Biden started selling cans of water labeled, "Dark Brandon's Secret Sauce," on his campaign website, mocking the suggestions from Trump and his advisors that he would use drugs to enhance his performance.
Addressing supporters briefly at a watch party near the debate venue, Biden didn't address his performance directly, but said, "let's keep going," and indicated he has no plans to leave the race.
"See you at the next one," he said.
