According to Observer. com, "Two old people, one is full of lies, and the other is stuttering and performing badly …" This is a general evaluation of the first debate of the US presidential election by western public opinion.
The hoarse voice, the wandering eyes, the occasional slip of the tongue, and the inexplicable "transition" … On the evening of June 27th, local time, Biden’s performance in the debate made the Democrats feel disappointed and even desperate. Less than five months before the election, some Democrats bluntly said: We are finished.
"Politician News Network" said that this was one of the highest risk moments Biden faced in his political career, which triggered widespread concern among Democrats about his suitability as a presidential candidate.
The New York Times bluntly said that Biden’s "catastrophic" debate performance caused panic among the Democratic Party, and some people even "began to consider replacing" the presidential candidate.
On June 27, local time, the current US President Biden and former President Trump held the first round debate of the 2024 US presidential election. Vision china?
"We’re screwed."
How "disastrous" is Biden’s performance? "Politician News Network" said that during the 90-minute debate, Biden spent most of his time defending himself. "He mentioned the poor withdrawal performance on the Afghan issue for no reason and’ pushed himself into a corner’. He also repeatedly confused’ billion)’ and’ million)’；; When he was not talking, he stood motionless behind the podium, his mouth wide open and his eyes wide open, and he didn’t blink for a long time. "
"Biden looks and sounds terrible. He is incoherent." A Democrat who worked in Biden’s administration told CNN.
A former White House aide said that Biden’s performance was "terrible" and they had to ask themselves again and again: "What did he just say? This is crazy. "
"Democrats want to see Biden violently attack Trump on the January 6 (2021) (Capitol Hill) riots and the overthrow of Luo v. Wade. They want Biden to use the nickname of’ felon’ to defeat Trump. But on the contrary, most Democrats admitted on Thursday that Biden was defeated. " The Hill wrote.
Some Democrats said that Biden not only failed to hold Trump accountable for some issues in the debate, but allowed Trump to "lie" about the COVID-19 epidemic and abortion. When Trump attacked Biden as "the worst president in the history of our country", Biden was "almost at a loss".
"Biden is finished, so you can say that now," Jay Sudukovsky, a lawyer and Democratic activist from New Hampshire, told Politicians News.
Another Democrat who actively participated in the election campaign bluntly said: "We are finished."
Biden’s performance also disappointed many American allies. "Politician News Network" said that diplomats usually avoid talking about the internal affairs of other countries. They expressed their views anonymously, and the main topic of discussion was that Biden left a dull and tired impression.
A diplomat from a western country said: "Although Trump told a big lie (in the debate), at least we understood his words. Maybe we are witnessing Biden’s turning point. "
On June 27, local time, Biden participated in the first round debate of the 2024 US presidential election. Vision china?
A European diplomat said: "From an international perspective, this does not bode well for the United States." Another European diplomat pointed out that the debate on foreign policy between the two men was "superficial". "Biden can’t state his reasons, and Trump is exaggerating."
Some diplomats pointed out that Trump looks more energetic than Biden. "Frankly speaking, he looks more and more like someone we can do business with," said an African diplomat.
On the other hand, Trump’s advisers are celebrating Trump’s performance.
CNN mentioned that during the debate, Trump completely evaded the responsibility for this matter when responding to the riots on Capitol Hill. "(2021) On January 6, we had a good border, and no one broke into the United States from there-or Very few; On January 6th, our tax revenue was the lowest in history, and our laws and regulations were the least in history. On January 6th, we were respected all over the world. Then he (Biden) came. "
A consultant said that Trump’s remarks about the riots on Capitol Hill were carefully designed and practiced. According to the report, the main goal of the Trump team is to let him stick to the theme in the debate and not let him be angered by Biden. They believe that Trump has achieved this goal.
Biden was indifferent to outside criticism. "I think we did a good job." When asked if he was worried about his performance in the debate, Biden said: "No, it is very difficult to argue with the liar (referring to Trump). The New York Times said that he lied 26 times."
When asked if he was still ill, Biden said he had a sore throat.
According to a CNN poll, among registered voters who watched Thursday’s presidential debate, 67% thought Trump performed better, while 55% expected him to perform better before the start, up 12 percentage points, while 33% thought Biden performed better, compared with 44% before the start. In addition, 57% of the audience expressed a lack of confidence in Biden’s leadership, while 44% held the same view on Trump.
Can Democrats replace Biden?
Us vice president Harris tried to defend Biden’s performance, stressing that voters should pay attention to Biden’s achievements during his administration, rather than the performance of the debate.
In an interview with CNN, Harris said that although Biden had a poor start, he was "strong in stamina" and "in sharp contrast to Donald Trump on all issues that are important to Americans."
When the host mentioned that Biden’s performance disappointed his supporters that night, Harris responded that people can debate on style issues, but the choice of who becomes the president of the United States must talk about the substance. "I understand that you want to talk about the debate for one and a half hours tonight, and I am talking about (Biden’s) work performance in these three and a half years, which is historic."
Harris then mentioned Biden’s achievements, such as strengthening NATO and creating jobs.
An adviser to Biden also stressed that the election will never decide the outcome at a certain moment. "President Biden is the only one who defeated Donald Trump. He will do it again. "
However, some Democrats have begun to discuss who will succeed Biden. "If I were gavin Newson (governor of California) or Gretchen Whitmer (governor of Michigan), I would call tonight."
Andrew Yang, a Chinese politician who participated in the Democratic primary of the US presidential election in 2020, also called on Biden to step aside and let the Democratic Party nominate someone else on social media. He also labeled the post "swapJoeout".
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A senior Democratic strategist who firmly supports Biden told The New York Times: "Biden is about to face more and more calls for him to step down. Democrats have deep feelings for Joe, but now this love has dried up. "
"The existence of political parties is to win, and the person who is on the same stage with Trump cannot win." The above-mentioned Democrats said bluntly, "The fear of Trump suppressed the criticism of Biden. Now, the same fear will fuel the call for him to step down. "
Biden has already locked in the Democratic Party nomination, but it will not be officially nominated until the Democratic National Congress in August this year.
The Wall Street Journal said that because Biden has enough delegates to win the nomination, if he wants to run again, it is impossible for other candidates to become Democratic nominees. Only when Biden withdraws from the election will the Democratic Party nominate a new candidate at the National Congress.
"Politician News Network" mentioned that according to the regulations of the Democratic National Committee, there is no mechanism to remove Biden from the list of candidates. If someone in the Democratic Party wants to replace Biden, they must make a public nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
The Wall Street Journal said that Harris will not automatically become a presidential candidate because she is the vice president of the United States, and the Democratic Party representative has been elected, so her status is the same as others. At present, Vice President Harris, California Governor Newsom, Michigan Governor Whitmer and Illinois Governor Pritzker are all potential candidates. They are regarded as the new generation power of the Democratic Party, and can cross the geographical, ideological and generational disputes to become strong contenders for the presidency.
But changing people now will undoubtedly take a huge risk. This year’s Democratic National Congress will be held in Chicago from August 19th to 22nd, less than two months later.
The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) said that if Biden withdraws before the formal nomination, it will trigger a scuffle within the Democratic Party. The New York Times said that no presidential candidate in the United States has withdrawn from the election so close to the election, and there is almost no consensus within the party on what will happen after Biden withdraws from the election.
At present, no one in the Democratic Party has stood up to challenge Biden’s candidacy.
On the evening of 27th, Newsom’s name has been pushed to the X trend list in the United States. Newsom expressed firm support for Biden in an interview that night. He said that he was not worried about whether Biden was suitable to lead the country. "I will never turn my back on President Biden. I don’t know any Democrat who would do this."
Newsom said that after tonight, the Democratic Party will go all out and redouble its efforts in the next few months. "We will win this election."
Original title: The first debate of the US presidential election: Biden’s performance was accused of being "catastrophic", and Democrats privately discussed the substitution, but …
Editor: Zhou Zili Editor: Zhou Shangdou Audit: Feng Fei
