President Joe Biden aimed to reassure the nation of his physical and mental fitness during Thursday night’s debate.
However, from the beginning, the 81-year-old struggled with his speech, displaying a weak, raspy voice.
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During the opening minutes, Biden frequently tripped over his words, misspoke, and lost his train of thought.
One of the most notable moments occurred when Biden concluded a rambling statement with, “We finally beat Medicare,” before being cut off by the moderators, who redirected the debate to Trump.
While Biden did gain some rhythm as the debate continued, he found it difficult to effectively counter Trump.
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According to NBC News, Trump seized on Biden’s faltering statements, particularly when discussing the border, quipping, “I don’t know if he knows what he said either.”
Nearly an hour into the debate, a Biden aide and others familiar with his condition explained that the president’s hoarseness was due to a cold.
The Biden campaign had acknowledged the debate as a crucial moment, hoping it would shift the race in their favor.
However, most polls have shown the race to be extremely close, even after Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts.
Concerns about Biden’s age and frailty have negatively impacted his polling numbers for months.
Public worries have been exacerbated by deceptively edited videos that make Biden appear confused.
This debate was his first significant opportunity since the State of the Union address to counter that narrative.
Instead, many Democrats viewed the debate as a moment of panic. “Democrats just committed collective suicide,” said one party strategist, criticizing Biden’s performance.
Another Democratic consultant echoed this sentiment, suggesting it would be difficult to argue against nominating someone else.
Despite a rocky start, Biden did have moments of strength as the debate progressed.
At one point, he pointedly remarked to Trump, “Only one of us is a convicted felon, and I’m looking at him,” a line that tested well with internal Biden campaign polling.
A Biden aide admitted the debate’s start was “not ideal” but insisted there was “no mass panic” at campaign headquarters in Delaware.
Trump, meanwhile, has faced his own questions about age-related issues, with Biden previously suggesting Trump became unstable after losing the 2020 election.
The debate, which featured a new rule muting the microphones, allowed for a more orderly discussion compared to their first chaotic match-up in 2020.
This change aimed to prevent interruptions, which had previously frustrated Biden.
Ben Proto, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, speculated that Democrats might soon consider urging Biden to step aside in favor of a new candidate, highlighting the growing anxiety within the party.
