Topline
Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s left-leaning “Morning Joe” and an ally of President Joe Biden, delivered a stinging review Friday of Biden’s debate performance, openly questioning whether Biden should stay in the race and predicting that if he does, former President Donald Trump will win another term—adding to the growing chorus of anti-Trump pundits suggesting Biden should be replaced.
Key Facts
Scarborough began his review of Thursday’s debate—in which Biden repeatedly gave incoherent answers—by lauding the president’s record and saying he “love[s]” Biden, before questioning rhetorically “if he were CEO, and he turned in a performance like that, would any corporation in America keep him on as CEO?”
Biden, Scarborough said, couldn’t “fact-check anything Donald Trump said” and “missed one layup after another,” noting Biden “couldn’t even respond effectively on the issue of abortion,” referring to Biden’s hard-to-follow pivot to a story about a woman who was raped by an undocumented migrant in response to a question about abortion policy—a key issue voters and a frequent attack point for Biden and his campaign against Trump.
Scarborough said, “I fear Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States, unless things change.”
Democrats are reportedly in crisis mode after Biden’s performance in what was widely viewed as the most important night of the 2024 campaign, with party insiders telling multiple outlets there are discussions about replacing him, though no prominent elected Democrats have publicly urged the president to step aside.
Tangent
Biden is a loyal “Morning Joe” viewer and has a close relationship with Scarborough, Axios reported, citing people familiar with the dynamic who said Biden is so attuned to the program that Biden aides also watch closely, knowing that it will shape his thinking and line of questioning.
Contra
Biden defended his debate performance, telling reporters after the program he has a “sore throat” and thinks he “did well.” When asked about reports that Democrats were urging him to drop out, he said “No. It’s hard to debate a liar.” Biden’s surrogates, including Vice President Kamala Harris, largely did not deny that the president underperformed, and instead pointed to his record as president and Trump’s falsehoods. “Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris told CNN. “People can debate on style points . . . Donald Trump lied over and over and over again.”
Key Background
Within minutes of the debate beginning Thursday, Biden lost his train of thought while discussing tax policy, ending his answer by saying “look, if we finally beat Medicare.” He spoke with a hoarse voice throughout the 90-minute program that was sometimes hard to hear, and he seldom showed any visible reaction when Trump was speaking, often watching with his mouth agape. He had to correct himself several times, at one point referring to “billionaires” as “trillionaires.” Criticism from even some of Trump’s staunchest foes quickly poured in on social media, and by the end of the debate, multiple outlets were reporting that prominent Democrats were panicking about the consequences of Thursday’s debate and that discussions were already underway about whether to replace Biden.
Further Reading
Biden Loses Train Of Thought And Corrects Himself Repeatedly In Debate With Trump (Forbes)