Biden acknowledged that he 'fell asleep on the stage' during the debate and attributed it to international travel.
Despite these concerns, Biden remains determined to stay in the race and defeat Trump.
President Joe Biden's poor debate performance against Donald Trump raised concerns about his capability to win in November.
Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first Democrat in Congress to call for Biden to drop out of the race due to concerns over his age and mental acuity.
President Joe Biden's recent debate performance against former President Donald Trump has raised concerns within the Democratic Party about his capability to win in November. In a fundraiser in Virginia on July 2, 2024, Biden acknowledged that he 'fell asleep on the stage' during the debate and attributed his poor performance to international travel he had undertaken beforehand. The White House has previously blamed Biden's cold for his disjointed debate showing. However, at the fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, Biden admitted that he should have listened to his staff and not made a cross-Atlantic trip back and forth just before the debate, causing him to be tired during the event.
The Democratic Party has been denying for over a year that Biden's age has affected his ability to perform his duties. However, the debate performance renewed doubts among political observers and some Democrats about Biden's capacity to carry on as their party's nominee. Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democrat in Congress to call for Biden to drop out of the race.
Despite these concerns, Biden remains determined to stay in the race and defeat Trump, who he believes poses a threat to democracy in America. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Biden campaign have raised millions of dollars since debate night.
Biden's poor debate performance triggered renewed concern over his age and mental acuity among political observers. He first addressed the issue at a North Carolina rally the day after the debate, emphasizing that he knows how to tell the truth. The Biden campaign held a call with regional and national finance chairs on Monday evening to assure them of Biden's health and ability to carry on with his 2024 campaign.
It is unclear if there are any other health concerns beyond age and fatigue that could be affecting Biden's performance.
The White House previously blamed Biden's cold for his disjointed debate showing, but he admitted at a fundraiser that he should have listened to his staff and not made a cross-Atlantic trip before the debate.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic member of Congress to call for Biden to drop out.
Vice President Harris was mentioned as a potential replacement for Biden by some Democrats.
Accuracy
Democrats were panicking after Biden's debate performance against Trump.
Some Democrats called for Biden to step aside as their leader.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains editorializing and pontification from the authors. They describe Democrats as 'panicking' and 'despondent', and quote some Democrats expressing concerns about Biden's fitness for the job. However, they also quote other Democrats defending Biden and dismissing these concerns as overblown. The authors also make their own opinions clear when they describe Biden's debate performance as a 'meltdown' and a 'bad night'. They use emotional language to manipulate the reader into feeling that there is a crisis within the Democratic party, even though they also report that some Democrats are downplaying the significance of Biden's debate performance. The authors also engage in selective reporting by focusing on quotes from Democrats who express concerns about Biden, while ignoring quotes from those who defend him. They do not provide any peer-reviewed studies or disclose any sources for their claims.
But in President Biden’s cosseted bubble over the past five days, his 90-minute debate stage meltdown Thursday night against former president Donald Trump was merely a ‘bad night.’
Officials said his post-debate swing re-energized donors and voters, pointing to his $38 million fundraising haul in the days after and his packed rally in Raleigh, N.C.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.) became the first Democratic member of Congress to defect, calling for Biden to drop out of the race.
Democrats were panicking.
Fallacies
(75%)
The authors use an appeal to authority fallacy when they quote Jen O'Malley Dillon stating that 'nothing fundamentally changed in the race.' They also use a hasty generalization fallacy when they make assumptions about all Democrats based on the actions of a few. The authors also engage in inflammatory rhetoric by describing some Democrats as 'despondent' and 'panicking,' which is not supported by the evidence provided.
But in President Biden’s cosseted bubble over the past five days, his 90-minute debate stage meltdown Thursday night against former president Donald Trump was merely a ‘bad night,’ with aides quickly retreating to what they hoped was a fail-safe mantra: But Trump is worse!
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.) became the first Democratic member of Congress to defect, calling for Biden to drop out of the race, and other Democrats publicly urged Biden to more seriously address his fitness for the job.
The public developments represented a striking contrast from the four days after Biden’s halting 2024 debate debut, when his inner circle and campaign team publicly emitted a steady stream of denialism and don’t-believe-your-lying-eyes happy talk, arguing that the 81-year-old president – noticeably slower and physically aged than four years ago – is still the best candidate to defeat Trump in November.
Officials said his post-debate swing reenergized donors and voters, pointing to his $38 million fundraising haul in the days after and his packed rally in Raleigh, N.C.
Bias
(75%)
The authors express a clear bias towards downplaying the significance of Biden's debate performance and dismissing criticism from Democrats and pundits. They repeatedly use language that depicts these criticisms as overblown or unfair, such as 'overblown media narratives', 'standard underestimation of Biden's ability', and 'hubris and selfishness repackaged as resilience'. They also use language that portrays Biden's team as staying focused on their original theory of the case, implying that those who are critical are not. This bias is evident in statements like 'The data in the battleground states, though, tells a different story.' and 'During the debate itself, almost three-quarters of Biden’s social media posts mentioned Trump.'
During the debate itself, almost three-quarters of Biden’s social media posts mentioned Trump.
The data in the battleground states, though, tells a different story.
