Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) offered a blunt assessment of President Joe Biden’s debate performance, calling it “not great,” but expressed his belief that Biden can still secure a victory over former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
During a speech in Wisconsin, Sanders acknowledged Biden’s struggles in the debate. “He’s not a great debater, he’s not necessarily a great speaker. People are just gonna have to say: Okay, you know what? Yeah, he’s old. Yeah, he’s not as articulate as he should be. But you’re voting for somebody whose policies will impact your life,” Sanders explained.
Despite Biden’s underwhelming performance, Sanders emphasized the importance of focusing on Biden’s policy impact rather than his debate skills. When asked about the New York Times editorial board’s call for Biden to step aside, Sanders suggested that Biden needs to highlight how his policies would benefit working Americans.
“Biden is the candidate. I suspect he will be the candidate. I’ll do my best to get him elected,” Sanders stated, showing his continued support for the president.
Sanders, a prominent progressive, accused Trump of spreading falsehoods throughout the debate and criticized Biden for not effectively countering these claims. “He was not focused,” Sanders said of Biden. “He did not defend a very strong record. He should have been loud and clear in telling the American people that he was the first president in American history ever to walk on a picket line.”
The debate has sparked significant discussion within the Democratic Party about Biden’s effectiveness as a candidate. Michael LaRosa, former spokesman for First Lady Jill Biden, suggested that any serious consideration for Biden to step down would need to come from Congressional leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
LaRosa explained, “Something like that, and I think it’s important for your audience to know, like, in both parties, something like that would probably have to come from, like, the leadership in Congress.”
As the election approaches, Biden’s campaign will need to address these concerns and work to highlight his strengths to ensure he can effectively compete against Trump and maintain voter confidence.
