The Democratic party has been thrown into a full-blown panic about the 2024 general election by a disastrous debate performance from a meandering and mumbling Joe Biden.
Behind the scenes, there are calls to replace the 81-year-old president on the ticket after his dismal showing against Donald Trump on Thursday night, where he lost his train of thought and stumbled over his words multiple times.
Immediately after taking the stage, Biden’s voice was hoarse, and he repeatedly cleared his throat, and he continued to go downhill during the 90-minute primetime face-off on CNN.
At times, the president looked blankly into the camera or down at his notes while Trump was speaking.
David Axelrod, the former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama conceded that Biden’s first performance was damaging right from the beginning of a debate that has sent shockwaves through the liberals.
“I think there was a sense of shock actually how he came out at the beginning of the debate, how his voice sounded, he seemed a little disoriented,” he said on CNN, noting there would be ‘discussions’ in the party after the debate about whether Biden should continue his run for reelection.
Axelrod said that Biden’s performance confirmed people’s fears about his age and ability to serve another four years.
Biden also struggled at times to finish his sentences or complete a talking point before trying to move on.