Former President Barack Obama came to President Joe Biden’s rescue on Friday following a lackluster debate performance that sent many Democrats into panic, arguing that “sometimes debate night just doesn’t go well.”
“Bad debate nights happen. Believe me, I know,” Obama said in a statement posted to social media, urging Americans to look behind Biden’s dismal debate performance.
“But this election is a choice between someone who has spent his whole life fighting for ordinary people and someone who only thinks about himself,” Obama argued.
“Between someone who will tell the truth, who will know right from wrong, who will be honest with the American people, and someone who will lie for his own gain,” Obama said, concluding, “Last night was no different, and that’s why so much is at stake in November.”
He then shared a link to Biden’s campaign website.
Sometimes debates go horribly. Believe me, I know. But this election is a choice between someone who has spent their whole life fighting for the common man and someone who only thinks about themselves. Someone who will tell the truth, who knows right from wrong, and tell the people that.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 28, 2024
Obama’s urging Americans to look behind Biden’s debate performance came after Democrats panicked for hours as the 81-year-old Biden appeared confused at times, froze up and tried to revive Democratic talking points ranging from the “very fine people” fiction to the “idiots and losers” fiction — and when he wasn’t doing so, repeated the phrase “that idea” 27 times.
Related: What was that? After a week of rest and preparation, Biden coughed, stumbled and rambled his way through the debate
Courtesy of CNN Presidential Debate
Obama’s comments came after he caused a stir by escorting Biden off the stage at a star-studded fundraiser in June.
Biden froze before President Obama grabbed him by the arm and led him off the stage. Yikes! pic.twitter.com/nCgAGitoQ6
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2024
Immediately after the debate, the CNN panel was in a state of panic over Biden’s debate performance.
“Mr. Anderson, this was a game-changing debate. There is deep, broad and very aggressive panic within the Democratic Party right now,” CNN host John King said after the debate.
It started a few minutes into the debate and is still ongoing. It involves party strategists, elected officials, and fundraisers. They’re talking about the president’s performance, they think it was terrible, they think it hurts the lower-ranking candidates in the party, and they’re talking about what to do about it.
CNN political commentator Van Jones agreed, saying, “It’s been tough. I love Joe Biden. I worked for Joe Biden. He didn’t do a good job at all. He didn’t do a good job at all.”
Related — “Panic”: CNN debate panel upset over Biden’s disastrous debate performance
CNN
Despite talk of replacing Biden and donors pulling away, a Biden campaign spokesman said Biden is not withdrawing, and he reportedly plans to take part in the second debate in September.
Meanwhile, Republicans are also questioning whether Democrats can replace Biden.
“Democrats do not have the option to replace Joe Biden,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Breitbart News Daily After the debate.
“They don’t have the wherewithal to do that. Their rules are so onerous to their convention and the organization of it, and Jason Miller did a good job going over that last night. And what we know is that their nominee is set,” the senator said. “So it’s going to be Biden-Harris.”
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley agreed: Breitbart News Daily“The delegates who voted for him in the national primaries will now support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And the national primaries are now completely finished.”
“All of the money that they’ve raised, the hundreds of millions of dollars that they’ve raised, has been raised for the Biden-Harris campaign. So it’s by no means certain that they can change that, and they certainly won’t unless Jill Biden acknowledges Joe Biden’s departure,” Whatley added.
