PRESIDENT Joe Biden has put on a low-energy debate performance that has voters questioning whether he is the right pick for another term in the White House.
Biden faced former President Donald Trump in the first official debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday — and no one knew what to expect.
ReutersPresident Joe Biden spoke in a low voice throughout the first debate[/caption]
Some viewers questioned whether his low-energy performance reflected poorly on his healthReuters
ReutersFormer President Donald Trump has accused Biden of being too old to run for another four years[/caption]
The President’s health has been a hot topic throughout his presidency, as voters ask themselves if the 81-year-old can manage another four years in office.
Trump has often promoted the idea that Biden is too old to run, although he is just a few years younger at 78.
Now, even some commentators who usually refrain from speaking negatively about the President’s health could not help but share their concerns after the debate.
CNN host Van Jones became emotional when discussing Biden’s appearance and demeanor on Thursday and asked a post-event panel whether they thought Biden was right for the job given his health.
Another long-time CNN political expert said that many Democrats felt similarly.
“I think there was a sense of shock, actually, of how he came out at the beginning of this debate, how his voice sounded,” David Axelrod, a former adviser to former President Barack Obama, said during a post-debate discussion on CNN
“He seemed a little disoriented. He did get stronger as the debate went on but by that time, I think the panic had set in,” he said, referring to members of Biden’s political party.
“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,” he said.
BIDEN CONCERNS VIEWERS
Many voters noted on social media that they were tuning into the debate in part to check up on the President’s performance and energy levels — and they did not like what they saw.
Biden stumbled early in the debate, losing his train of thought while discussing healthcare.
“Making sure that we’re able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I’ve been able to do with the, with the Covid, excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with, look…” he trailed off.
“Look, if, we’ve finally beat Medicare,” he added, before Tapper ended his turn with, “Thank you, President Biden.”
X-user Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) shared a clip of Biden freezing up and looking off into the distance while trying to finish a sentence during the debate.
“This is the only moment in the debate that really matters. Biden can’t finish a sentence. This is the exact thing he needed to avoid, but he couldn’t,” he wrote alongside the video.
Thousands of people liked the post and dozens left comments.
NOT THEIR FIRST RODEO
When Biden and Trump matched up in September 2020, over 73 million people tuned into what became an infamously chaotic debate that this year’s hosts have vowed not to repeat.
To avoid a similar showdown on Thursday, CNN decided to mute each candidate’s mics when not their turn to speak and take away the studio audience.
Speakers were not allowed to bring any props or notes onto the stage and were not permitted to speak to their staff during the two scheduled breaks.
The differences may have contributed to some viewers’ negative conclusions that the event was “dry” and even “the worst debate” some had ever seen.
His performance left some viewers wondering if the President’s “voice is gone” and asking questions like, “Is Joe Biden whispering?”
BIDEN FIGHTS BACK
Biden has largely come under fire in recent months for his performance on the economy, which he has said is doing well despite consumer complaints about everpresent inflation.
Many voters have also questioned the President’s dedication to managing the immigration situation on the southern border with Mexico and an antiquated immigration system.
“We’ve made significant progress from the debacle that was left by President Trump,” Biden said during his closing statement.
He elaborated on his policies for taxes, childcare, healthcare, inflation, and more key topics throughout the 90-minute debate.
Earlier this month, Biden announced sweeping changes through a series of executive actions that bar migrants from seeking asylum in between ports of entry when the border becomes overwhelmed — resulting in a 40% drop in border crossings, according to Politifact.
He also shared a new policy that would protect over half a million undocumented migrants who are the spouses or children of U.S. citizens from deportation.
What are Trump and Biden’s platforms?
A look at what issues matter most to the candidates.
Biden’s talking points:
The importance of democracy after the January 6 attack on the Capitol
Advocate for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 judgment in 2022
His Build Back Better plan, the $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill introduced in 2021
Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during his presidency
Trump’s talking points:
Slam issues at the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 win
Criticize the slew of criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him
Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he hasn’t said which country he wants to win
Advocate for parents’ rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality, and race in schools
TRUMP TAKES HIS STAND
Trump has often been seen by voters as tougher on immigration, extremism, and foreign policy.
Trump declared, “We’re living in hell,” in his closing remarks on Thursday, criticizing the country’s current state.
He compared the situation to the Charlottesville neo-Nazi rally, saying it is “a thousand times worse” under Biden’s leadership.
Trump accused Biden of causing national unrest due to a lack of respect.
Some of his most well-known initiatives were the Muslim Ban, the Mexican Border Wall, and the border patrol’s child separation policy — although whether these moves actually lowered rates of illegal immigration into the US is still up for debate, according to experts at the Migration Policy Institute.
The former President is also often lauded for his handling of the economy by supporters, who say that he managed the country like a successful business.
Trump was president during the COVID-19 pandemic when the US took on unprecedented levels of national debt — but millions of people individually benefited from the federal government’s multiple stimulus checks.
The stock market did better under the previous president, but both Biden and Trump oversaw years of strong growth in GDP and the job market, according to Forbes.
LEGAL TROUBLES TAKE BACKSEAT
Trump’s recent conviction on 34 felony counts at the conclusion of his first criminal trial in New York City last month over the payment of hush money to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels was also an inevitable talking point.
The only person on this stage that’s a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now,” Biden fired off at one point.
Although Trump is the first former president to become a felon, experts have said they are unsure of how important his criminal background will be for voters in this year’s election.
Trump did not directly respond to the jab, instead changing the subject to the legal troubles of the President’s son, Hunter Biden, for falsifying information about his drug use to purchase a firearm.
Trump’s other three trials — on the mishandling of classified documents, Georgia election interference, and January 6 election subversion — are unlikely to face a jury before the election and therefore unlikely to influence its outcome.
The former president and current Republican presidential candidate faces 57 more felony charges in addition to the 34 he was already found guilty of.
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