Following a poor performance by former President Joe Biden in the June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump, the Democratic Party faced a meltdown, according to a top advisor to Biden. Biden’s weak voice and rough performance during the CNN Presidential Debate sparked fears about his re-election odds, leading to left’s top leaders calling on him to withdraw from the race. Media outlets such as CNN and the BBC labeled his performance as “disastrous” and “incoherent,” with CNN senior reporter Stephen Collinson describing it as the weakest in televised debate history. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman even called on Biden to step aside, stating that he has no business running for re-election after witnessing the debate.
After the disastrous debate performance, calls for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race intensified, with CNN and other media outlets questioning his ability to continue as a candidate. Biden was eventually replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris less than a month later on July 21. However, Harris ultimately lost to Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Despite the pressure from party leaders, the former senior advisor to Biden, Mike Donilon, criticized the Democratic Party’s reaction as “insane,” with a focus group after the debate showing concerns about Trump as well as Biden.
Donilon, who has known Biden for over four decades, stated that he never saw a situation where a candidate polling three points behind nationally in the summer of a general election was deemed unable to win by his own party. He emphasized that the margin between Trump and Biden actually got closer after the debate, rather than wider. While acknowledging that Biden faced challenges such as the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 and inflation, Donilon emphasized that the former president was not mentally impaired, contrary to some speculation.
The reaction to Biden’s debate performance revealed deep divisions within the Democratic Party and led to arguments over the best course of action for the party. Many believed that Biden’s chances of re-election were severely damaged by the debate, but others pointed to other factors such as Trump’s refusal to accept the election results and his comments regarding the January 6 insurrection. Despite the intense pressure on Biden to withdraw, the former president continued his campaign, ultimately leading to his replacement as the Democratic candidate by Kamala Harris.
The aftermath of Biden’s poor debate performance highlights the intense scrutiny and pressure faced by political candidates, particularly in high-stakes and highly publicized events like presidential debates. The debates are often seen as critical moments in shaping public opinion and can have a significant impact on a candidate’s chances of success. The fallout from Biden’s performance also sheds light on the challenges faced by political parties in managing and responding to crisis situations, and the complex dynamics that shape political decision-making in the face of adversity.
