New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman said he “wept” after watching his friend President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, and urged the president to put the country’s interests first rather than seek reelection.
In an op-ed titled “President Biden is my friend. He should drop out of the race,” Friedman wrote, “In my lifetime, I have never seen a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential politics.”
“I watched the Biden-Trump debate alone… and I cried,” Friedman wrote.
“Joe Biden is a good man and a good president, but he should not run for reelection.”
He added that Biden’s “family and political team must come together immediately to have the most difficult conversations with the president.”
The president’s poor debate performances, featuring stumbling, freezing and blank stares, have caused widespread anguish and anxiety among Democrats with less than four months to go until the general election.
Friedman highlighted Biden’s integrity and accomplishments, but also stressed the need for new leadership that can better meet the challenges of the 21st century.
“If Mr. Trump ends his presidency now by accepting that he is too old to serve a second term, his first and only term will be remembered as one of the greatest presidencies in our nation’s history,” he argued.
The debate was widely seen as a make-or-break moment for Biden amid widespread voter concerns about his mental health, which intensified Thursday night.
Friedman argued that Democrats need a new Democratic candidate to have any chance of beating President Trump.
“The Biden family and political team must come together in a hurry to have the most difficult conversations with the president — conversations of love, clarity and resolve,” he continued.
