In his first public comments since President Biden appeared at last night’s debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said the president had failed to clearly articulate his accomplishments or his vision for the future.
“To be honest with you, I thought the president’s remarks were not very clear and focused to say the least,” Sanders said of Thursday’s debate at a rally in Stevens Point, Wis. “The president didn’t defend a very strong record.”
Sanders’ rally is part of a week of campaigning in the Badger State. Daily CardinalThe University of Wisconsin student newspaper provided audio from the Stevens Point event.
Biden’s stumbling performance in Thursday’s debate has sparked panic within the Democratic Party and even discussion of whether he should resign and whether the Democratic National Convention should be held publicly in August.
Biden’s campaign has said the president will not resign, and he addressed the concerns at a rally in North Carolina on Friday.
“I can’t debate as well as I used to,” he said, “but I know what I know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know what millions of Americans know: When you get knocked down, you get up.”
On Friday, Sanders criticized the president for being the first U.S. president to hold a walkout and for not “speaking louder and clearer” about his record on job creation and infrastructure investment.
“I thought it was a remission on his part to do what we all need to do, which is to communicate to the American people what the agenda for the next four years is,” he added.
“Well, why wouldn’t I?” Sanders joked, launching into a speech in support of Biden and Democratic policies.
Sanders promised that a second term for Biden would increase infrastructure investment in Wisconsin and lower prescription drug prices and health care costs.
During the rally, Sanders slammed former President Trump, calling him a “pathological liar.”
“The vast majority of Americans are troubled by what they see in Donald Trump,” Sanders said. “They see a pathological liar who continues to lie.”
Sanders has been on a hot streak in the state where he surprised many when he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential primary, after she was subsequently defeated by Trump and criticized for not spending any time campaigning there.
Biden won Wisconsin by 21,000 votes in 2020. Republicans will hold their convention in Milwaukee in just under a month. Earlier this month, Wisconsin and national Democrats slammed the state after Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a “bad city” during a meeting with House Republicans.
