President Joe Biden produced the weakest performance since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon started the tradition of televised debates in 1960.
This was the analysis by Stephen Collinson of the debate between candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the next presidential election in November. Collinson is a senior reporter for CNN.
The debate was hosted by CNN.
Biden’s chief debate coach has argued that “while you can lose a debate at any time, you can only win it in the first 30 minutes.” Collinson said, by that standard, the President’s performance was devastating.
Biden’s “ability to communicate with the country – and even to sell his own vision for a second term – is severely compromised.”
The Democratic Party is in crisis over whether his candidacy is now sustainable, two months before the Democratic National Convention.
Trump, according to Collinson, was “uncouth and divisive. He spouted outrageous falsehoods about his own presidency, his attempt to steal the last election, and sometimes lapsed into gibberish himself, especially when asked about climate change. He blatantly lied about his role in the mob attack by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
Trump declined to say that he would accept the result of the 2024 election if he lost.
He also struggled to respond to Biden’s arguments that he’d cut taxes for rich Americans and “leave workers struggling”.
Biden’s voice was weak, and his answers drifted into incoherence. He meandered into highlighting his biggest political liability, immigration.
While Trump spoke, Biden often watched, his mouth gaping open, exacerbating an impression of a president cruelly diminished.
Biden validated the fears of those who believe he is too old to serve another term, and potentially convinced many voters that his faculties have decayed.
His performance raised questions about the strategic choice Biden’s campaign made in pushing for a debate with Trump. Memories of the President’s “barnstorming State of the Union address in March”, have now been obliterated.
Vice President Kamala Harris attempted to turn the focus away from the optics to the threat posed by Trump.
“Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish”. Harris said that the debate was about substance and Trump lied repeatedly.
Biden was especially animated when he spoke about Trump’s threat to democracy. He was scathing about Trump’s failure to admit defeat in 2020. Biden also highlighted Trump’s recent conviction.
However, Biden’s best moments came late, by which time most viewers would have formed strong impressions about him.
One Democratic operative summed up the performance as “Horrific.”