A top advisor to former President Joe Biden criticized the Democratic Party for panicking and pressuring Biden to withdraw as the candidate after his poor performance in the June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump. Mike Donilon, the advisor, believed Biden should have remained the party’s candidate despite the fear surrounding his re-election odds. The left’s top leaders called on Biden to step down, and he was replaced as the Democratic candidate by Vice President Kamala Harris less than a month later on July 21.
The CNN Presidential Debate where Biden had a rough performance and weak voice sparked immense concern about his re-election prospects, leading to calls for him to withdraw from the race. The media portrayed Biden’s performance as “disastrous” and “incoherent,” with CNN senior reporter Stephen Collinson dubbing it as the weakest performance in televised debate history. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a Biden supporter, wrote that he was moved to tears by the performance and called on Biden to step aside, stating that he had no business running for re-election.
Despite the widespread criticism and calls for his withdrawal, Donilon described the Democratic Party’s reaction as “insane.” He contended that the party had “lost its mind” by deciding Biden could not win, even though the polling margin between Trump and Biden had actually narrowed in the aftermath of the debate. Focus groups convened on the night of the debate also expressed concerns about both candidates, with worries about Biden’s age and Trump’s behavior adding to the overall atmosphere of uncertainty.
Donilon emphasized that the actual impact of the debate was not as devastating as the conventional wisdom suggested. He indicated to Biden the morning after the debate that sometimes a campaign could be lost about the campaign itself. While he denied that Biden was mentally impaired, Donilon acknowledged that factors like the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 and inflation had contributed to Biden’s downfall. Overall, Donilon’s perspective provided a counterpoint to the prevalent narrative of Biden’s poor performance leading to immediate calls for his withdrawal as the Democratic candidate.
In the end, Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election, ultimately losing to President Donald Trump. While Biden’s performance in the debate had sparked fears about his re-election odds, the response within the Democratic Party was viewed by some, including Donilon, as an overreaction. The fallout from the debate highlighted concerns about both candidates, with worries about Biden’s age and Trump’s behavior coming to the fore. Despite the negative reaction to the debate, Donilon argued it was not as disastrous as portrayed and pointed out factors beyond the debate that had contributed to Biden’s decline in popularity.
Overall, the events following the June 2024 debate culminating in Biden’s replacement as the Democratic candidate by Harris illustrated the intense pressure and scrutiny facing political figures. The reaction within the Democratic Party, media coverage, and public perceptions all played a role in shaping the outcome of the election. Donilon’s retrospective analysis provided a nuanced perspective on the events, underlining the complexities and multifaceted factors involved in political campaigns, debates, and re-election efforts. Ultimately, the 2024 election cycle demonstrated the challenges and uncertainties inherent in the political landscape, as well as the importance of strategic decision-making and messaging in shaping public opinion and electoral outcomes.
