Democrats concerned after Biden’s debate performance as Trump gets away with lies and deflections – live | US elections 2024
Democrats lament ‘really disappointing’ Biden debate – reports
The democrat reviews from Joe Bidenpresentation of debate against Donald Trump are in and they are not good.
The president’s husky voice, tendency to ramble and difficulty finishing his answers have his allies deeply concerned about his ability to defeat Trump in the November election, multiple media reports said.
Here’s how his former communications director Kate Bedingfield put it:
Joe Biden’s former communications director Kate Bedingfield, on CNN: “It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 28, 2024
The Hill received an ominous text from a swing-state Democrat:
Hoo boy. From a House member who hails from a swing state:
“It was a disaster. Biden’s team must convince him to withdraw and have an open convention.
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) June 28, 2024
Former top Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod said democrats are so concerned that they may wonder if Biden should continue his campaign:
.@davidaxelrod to CNN after the debate, “there will be discussions about whether he should continue.”
— Andy Kaczynski (@KFILE) June 28, 2024
Key events
Here’s what the stock market thinks about the debate:
U.S. stock futures and the dollar rose in early Asian trade on Friday as 2024, indicating Trump was seen by investors as a stronger performer than his opponent.
With the election four months away, investors expect a Trump presidency to mean lower corporate taxes, tighter trade relations and therefore higher stock prices and bond yields.
Hello, this is Helen Sullivan bringing you the latest reaction and analysis following this debate for the next time.
If you have any questions about the debate or the election, reach out to them on Twitter @helenrsullivan or email: helen.sullivan[at]theguardian.com and I will do my best.
CNN’s deliberate decision to forego live fact-checking is a little scary and dcome on vu since the 2016 election.
David ChalianCNN’s political director said Associated Press: “Obviously, if there’s some glaring fact that needs to be verified or the record needs to be set straight, Jake and Dana can do that. But that is not their role. They are not here to participate in this debate. They are here to facilitate the debate between Trump and Biden.
Indeed, none of the presenters fended off the barrage of false and misleading claims from Donald Trumpnor did they touch from Joe Biden. This debate about how to moderate the debate — and whether networks should offer fact-checking — also raged in 2016.
After a television debacle in which then-NBC anchor Matt Lauer failed to push back on Trump’s lies in a commander-in-chief forum, the networks refused Hillary Clinton the campaign’s demands for fact-checking in the debate. On NBC, Lester Holt was under huge pressure at that point to do some live fact-checking and pushback, which he did to some degree – but ultimately stayed focused to keep the conversation going. When Trump won this election, media organizations were left to contend with how they failed to take seriously his political rise – and the weight of his lies.
Joe Biden staked much of his candidacy on abortion rights — but he didn’t mention the issue in his closing remarks.
In the US, but especially in swing states like Arizona, organizers hope the abortion rights issue will galvanize voters who have begun to cool off on Biden. But the president did little to return to the issue after answering the only question of tonight’s debate, which focused on abortion rights.
However Donald Trump claims that overturning Roe v Wave is “something everyone wants” – numerous polls show that Roe was popular when it was in effect and that a majority of Americans disagreed with the overturning decision. Republicans, who advanced strict abortion restrictions, are increasingly opposed to touching on which most voters want.
Pressed by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, Kamala Harris again admitted this Joe Biden had a “slow start”.
“It was a slow start, that’s obvious to everyone. I will not debate that point,” Harris said.
“I’m talking about the election in November. I’m talking about some of the most important choices in our collective lives. And do we want to see what November brings and continue on a course for America that is about destroying democracy by electing a man who said he would be a dictator on day one? Or do we want to stay the course, which is to strengthen the American economy, build and create 15 million American jobs, over 800,000 manufacturing jobs?”
Harris acknowledges Biden’s “slow start” as he defends debate performance
In an interview with CNN, Kamala Harris protected Joe Bidenthe presentation of a debate and pointed that out Donald Trump they spent a lot of time twisting facts and dodging questions.
“What we saw tonight is that the president is making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris said. “Joe Biden is extremely strong on content, policy and performance.”
Pressed to comment on Biden’s performance and Democrats’ concerns that it only adds to voters’ concerns about his age, Harris said:
Ultimately, this election and who is president of the United States should be about substance. And the contrast is clear. See what happened during the debate. Donald Trump lied again and again and again, as he likes to do.
He would not deny what happened on January 6th. While he wouldn’t give a straight answer on whether he would stand by the election results this November, he has gone back and forth about his position on one of the most critical freedom issues in America, the right of women to make decisions about their own bodies. He was completely ambiguous and all over the place on his position on this issue, despite the fact that he personally selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention of them overturning Roe v. Wade.
The decision by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper to abandon fact-checking altogether has been widely criticized by journalists and political commentators:
CNN = not currently applicable.
The lack of real-time fact-checking is the biggest failure of this debate.
— Anthony Coley (@AnthonyColey) June 28, 2024
So much general anger at the lack of fact-checking tonight. The post-debate correction of many misstatements (most notably Trump’s) will not be heard by many who need to know this.
— Not THAT Karen, thanks (@karenbates) June 28, 2024
CNN’s lack of fact-checking and wooden questions are as bad for democracy as anything else going on
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) June 28, 2024
Former Obama campaign manager says Biden’s debate performance was a ‘Defcon 1 moment’
In an interview with MSNBC, David Plouffedemocratic strategist who succeeded Barack ObamaIn 2008 and working in the White House, warned that Joe BidenPresenting a debate drew attention to his advanced age, which is one of his greatest weaknesses.
“This is a Defcon 1 moment,” Plouffe said. “The biggest thing in this election is the concerns of the voters, and that’s both the voters and the primary voters, with his age, and they got compounded tonight.”
Although Biden is only three years older than Trump, Plouffe said, “They looked about 30 years apart tonight. And I think that’s going to be the thing that voters really struggle with coming out of this.”
“DEFCON 1 moment”
Obama campaign veteran David Plouffe on the implications of Biden’s performance in the debate.
Plouffe added that Biden “had some good moments” but “the anxiety level is pretty high.” pic.twitter.com/SPi1pcIlDy
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 28, 2024
Biden says “see you next time” despite Democratic concerns about debate performance
While many of his allies expressed concern about his debate performance, Joe Biden went to speak to supporters at a viewing party and showed no indication that he was withdrawing from the second debate, scheduled for early September.
“He’s just a liar,” Biden said of Trump. “I can’t think of anything he said that was true without being joking. But look, we’re going to beat this guy. We have to beat this guy and I need you to beat him.”
He ended with, “Let’s move on. See you next time.”
Lauren Gambino
Trump raised the issue of immigration.
Almost every question led back to the topic.
This is his signature issue and his strongest issue with voters. Americans have consistently told pollsters they think Trump is better equipped to handle the border than Biden.
Voters sometimes identify immigration as a top issue on top problem. Unprecedented migration at the US-Mexico border and a sense that the Biden administration has failed to address it has alarmed many Americans, including democrats.
But for most of the debate, Trump simply played on those fears. He proceeded wrongly conflate crime and border crossings. He vowed to wage the “biggest” deportation campaign in American history.
Lauren Gambino
Holders usually start out rusty.
There is no understating the total panic in the Democratic Party right now. But if one is looking for a silver lining, one might recall that sitting presidents often perform poorly in the first debate of their re-election campaign.
The reason? Presidents are the boss, the commander in chief. For the past four years they have been giving orders and often not being challenged. A debate puts them in a new, uncomfortable situation.
President Barack Obama famously had a terrible first debate against the Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, but came back to put on a much stronger showing in the second debate and, of course, was re-elected.
Will Biden get a second chance to debate Trump this cycle? If you are worried democrats have their way, probably not.
