The New York Times Editorial Board has called on President Joe Biden to exit the race for the White House following his performance at CNN’s presidential debate.
“On Thursday night, the president appeared as a shadow of a once-great public servant. He struggled to articulate his plans for a second term, respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations, and hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, failures, and alarming plans. He even had difficulty completing sentences,” the board wrote in an opinion piece published on Friday.
The board emphasized that the best service Biden can now provide is to announce he will not seek re-election. They argued that there are Democratic leaders better suited to present a clear, compelling, and energetic alternative to a second Trump presidency. They warned against risking the stability and security of the country by making voters choose between Trump’s deficiencies and Biden’s perceived age and infirmity.
Nevertheless, the board stated it would support Biden if the choice remained between him and Trump.
The Biden campaign responded to the critique on Friday evening. “The last time Joe Biden lost the New York Times editorial board’s endorsement, it turned out pretty well for him,” Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond told CNN.
The Times had endorsed Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic primaries.
Biden campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu expressed unwavering confidence in Biden, noting that it will be Biden’s decision alone whether to continue his campaign.
The New York Times’ critique adds to the growing concerns among top Democrats about Biden’s debate performance. Longtime Democratic operative and CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod noted, “He seemed a little disoriented. He did get stronger as the debate went on, but by that time, the panic had set in.”
Axelrod echoed a sentiment shared by many Democrats, suggesting that discussions about Biden’s continuation in the race are inevitable.
On MSNBC, anchor Alex Wagner observed a uniformly negative reaction to Biden’s performance, stating that the debate revealed Biden battling a caricature of himself as an enfeebled person and that he did little to dispel this notion.
