CNN host pushes back on Thompson's defense of Biden debate performance
CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday rebuked Rep. Bennie Thompson's (D-Miss.) defense of President Biden's poor debate performance, arguing it was more than "just a bad debate."
When Tapper asked how concerned he was about Biden's standing in the wake of his disastrous debate showing, Thompson replied, "Well, just like all of us who have committed to making sure that Donald Trump is not put back in the White House, we want the best foot forward."
"I would still lead with President Biden. He's a good man. His policies have worked, and we'll see how it works out," Thompson added. "If the new strategy, taking it to the people, doing various town hall-type meetings or interviews works out, then so be it."
Noting Democrats need to be "united," Thompson said he "wouldn't put everything on just one bad debate."
Biden is facing increased concerns from within the Democratic Party following last week's debate, during which he appeared to stumble over his words and lose his train of thought. The incumbent’s voice was raspy for a good portion of the 90-minute debate, while his delivery frequently halted and he showed difficulty stringing together his ideas.
"I’ve been in elective office a good while. Some days are just not good days. That debate was not a good day. But it’s not the end of a campaign," Thompson said. "It’s not the end of his reelection effort. But we have to do some things to reassure the public that it was not just a one-off, but it was just a bad day."
Tapper interjected, telling Thompson, "With all due respect, sir, it wasn't just a bad debate. I mean, we've seen other incidents, and I'm not just talking about aging."
"We all age, my parents are in their 80s. I get it. It happens if we're lucky enough to make it to our 80s, it happens. It seems ... it doesn't seem like it's just aging, don't you think?" Tapper added.
Thompson said he doesn't "think that way" and noted he has known Biden for a while.
"As people mature, things happen. But if I look at the policies, if I look at what his administration stands for, it's what keeps America great. He's a great leader. He's respected by people around the world, and that has value," the lawmaker said. "So, when I look at the two individuals running for president leading both tickets, I say Joe Biden is the person."
Earlier in the interview, Tapper referenced a new CNN poll that found three-quarters of voters believe Democrats are more likely to win the 2024 election with a different candidate than Biden. A majority of Democrats and left-leaning independents, 56 percent, said the same, per the poll.
The same CNN poll found Vice President Harris running closer to former President Trump than Biden as her name continues to circulate as a potential replacement for the party ticket.
In the wake of calls from within his own party to step aside in the 2024 election, the president and his reelection campaign have maintained that he does not intend to drop out of the race.
Biden has already won the primaries, winning a majority of delegates, and thus he cannot be simply overthrown at the Democratic National Convention in August. This makes the decision ultimately up to him.
Date: | |
Tag: | Joe Biden |
Filter
-
CBS News - Top stories
Dr. Fauci weighs in on Biden's debate performance
Dr. Anthony Fauci is sharing the lessons he's learned from his decadeslong career in public health. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett sat down with him to discuss his new book "On Call" and President Biden's debate performance.Joe Biden -
NBC News - Top stories
Some Democrats say Biden's debate performance wasn't an anomaly
Some Democrats say his debate perfomance was not an anomaly and have doubts about his capacity to hold office and run for re-election.Joe Biden -
Politico - Politics
Hill Democrats focus on Trump debate answers after halting Biden performance
Joe Biden -
Inc. - Business
The Klay Thompson Dilemma: A Lesson in Performance Management for Leaders
Navigating the delicate balance between loyalty and performance in business. -
Politico - Politics
Biden campaign sends memo to House allies to quell fears following debate performance
Joe Biden -
The Wall Street Journal - World
Biden Sits for Interview to Try to Bounce Back From Debate Debacle
President Biden will sit for a high-profile ABC News interview and court voters in a key battleground state as his campaign tries to turn back a tide of doubts about his candidacy.Joe Biden -
CBS News - Top stories
Eye Opener: The White House pushes back against growing calls for Biden to step down
The White House pushes back against growing calls for President Biden to step aside. Also, Hurricane Beryl now threatens Jamaica as a Category 4 storm. All that and all that matters in today's Eye Opener.Joe Biden -
Politico - Politics
Biden: ‘No one’s pushing me out’
Defiant on a call with campaign staff and phoning other top Democrats, the president vowed to stay in the race.Joe Biden -
Yahoo Sports - Sports
Agent Rich Paul pushes back on Zach LaVine slander
With trade talks ongoing, Klutch Sports Group CEO is letting franchise 'handle their business' -
The Hill - Politics
Biden in fundraising pitch: 'No one is pushing me out'
President Biden said nobody “is pushing” him “out” in a fundraising email sent Wednesday as his campaign faces headwinds following a bad performance versus former President Trump in a debate last week. “I'm the Democratic Party’s nominee,” the ...Joe Biden
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Nvidia's rapid rise hits 'bumps in the road'
After blowing past a $3 trillion market capitalization and briefly becoming the most valuable company in the world last month, Nvidia has lost and regained hundreds of billions of dollars in value in recent days. While the chipmaker’s volatility ... -
The Hill - Politics
Biden, critics fear emboldened Trump after Supreme Court immunity ruling
A Supreme Court decision giving presidents wide protection from facing charges after leaving office has sparked fears voiced by President Biden and Democratic critics that former President Trump will be further emboldened should he be elected to a ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Supreme Court’s weakening of public corruption safeguards sparks alarm
Ethics and legal experts warn that the Supreme Court has struck a serious blow to prosecutors’ ability to crack down on the abuse of power and public corruption. And that’s ringing alarm bells when Donald Trump, who was convicted in May by a ... -
The Hill - Politics
Biden leans on family with political future at risk
President Biden is increasingly leaning on his family while navigating calls from fellow Democrats to end his 2024 candidacy. Jill Biden and Hunter Biden serve as some of the president’s closest inner circle of confidants with a public focus ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Biden camp announces $50M ad blitz, $17M voter outreach push
President Biden’s campaign will launch a $50 million battleground state ad blitz, it announced Friday, a move that comes as he seeks to assure voters he’s up for the job following last week’s dismal debate performance. The campaign also said it ...Joe Biden