Reactions to the TV debate Biden's appearance causes "sheer panic" among Democrats
The incumbent US President Biden and former President Trump confront each other in a first TV debate. The appearance of the old men is causing concern among many media companies.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Joe Biden's Democrats are disappointed by his appearance.
- Donald Trump may have been more combative and convincing, but he also told numerous lies.
- An overview of the reactions to the first TV debate.
"A bumbling performance and a panicked party" is the scathing verdict of the New York Times on Joe Biden 's appearance in the first TV debate. Various other US media have come to the same conclusion. The tenor is unanimous: Challenger Donald Trump emerges victorious from the duel, while Biden has raised doubts about his suitability for the office.
CNN, which is close to the Democrats, also writes of a "weak performance by Biden". David Axelrod, long-time adviser to former President Barack Obama, told CNN: "I think there was actually a sense of shock at the way he came across at the beginning of the debate." Although Biden became stronger as the debate progressed, panic had already set in by this point.
The American Youtuber Connor Franta summarized the debate in a post on X in a powerful image:
Biden's performance was painful, says CNN commentator Van Jones: "I love Biden, I worked for Biden, but he didn't do well at all."
According to a CNN poll of debate viewers, 8 in 10 registered voters (81 percent) say the debate had no impact on their vote. Another 14 percent said they reconsidered but did not change their mind. Only 5 percent said the debate had changed their mind about who they would vote for.
Author Stephen King also finds clear words on X: "Debate night in America! Good God! The TV networks are packaging this as entertainment, like a boxing match - and selling the hell out of democracy. It's a disgrace."
International concern
According to Politico, leading Democratic strategists are now likely to have an internal debate about whether the 81-year-old Biden should even run for president, saying Democrats are so panicked about the poor performance that some are actively discussing something that used to be unmentionable: replacing him on the ticket.
"It's hard to argue that Biden should be our nominee," CNN quotes an unnamed party official as saying. Others would speak of "sheer panic" in the party.
The old men's appearance is also causing international concern. The British BBC writes: "Before Thursday night, many Americans had voiced their concerns about Joe Biden's age and suitability for office. To say that this debate didn't exactly silence those concerns would be one of the biggest understatements of the year."
The Guardian describes Donald Trump as "a prolific disseminator of falsehoods". The 78-year-old has repeatedly told lies and avoided answering difficult questions.
Trump does the Trump
For Spain's El País, Biden failed in his attempt to dispel concerns about his age. "Trump inundates the president with misinformation and lies, who for his part is incapable of dealing with them in a duel full of personal attacks due to his dithering, his hoarseness and his slips."
In France, Le Monde attests that Trump has come across as more combative. "Never before have Americans had to choose between candidates who were both so old." And in Canada, CBC News identified a "low energy level" in Joe Biden. Donald Trump, on the other hand, did what Donald Trump often does: "He speaks with confidence, he has energy, but so much of what he said tonight is absolutely not factually correct."
It was the first clash between the rivals for the most powerful office in the world in around four years. Biden and Trump had not spoken since their last debate in the weeks before the 2020 election.
