Democrats in damage control mode after debate

Joe Biden’s run was prepared to travel retired swinging aft tonight’s statement against Donald Trump.

Instead, they were backed into a corner.

The campaign’s apical surrogates coiled up pinned astatine 1 extremity of the statement rotation country by a mob of reporters connected Thursday night, fielding questions astir ousting 81-year-old Mr Biden astatine the apical of the summons and whether tonight's show fuelled much concerns astir his fittingness for office.

"Would you regenerate Biden?" a newsman shouted astatine California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The 56-year-old politician responded that helium was “old fashioned,” and cared much astir the “substance and facts” discussed alternatively than a frenzy implicit Mr Biden’s energy.

It was not the speech that Democrats hoped to person tonight. But Mr Biden’s subdued show during the 90-minute event, during which helium sometimes stumbled done answers and spoke with a cold-induced rasp, sent Democrats into an contiguous panic arsenic reporters pressed connected however his run would recover.

Voters concerns astir his property already weighed heavy connected the debate, and adjacent Mr Biden's staunchest supporters acknowledged the show would apt not help.

David Plouffe, a Democratic strategist who managed Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, called it "a Defcon 1 moment,” referring to the US subject operation for the highest level of a atomic threat.

“They seemed astir 30 years isolated tonight,” helium said of the 2 candidates, who are less than 4 years isolated successful age. “And I deliberation that’s going to beryllium the happening that voters truly wrestle with coming retired of this.”

Andrew Yang, who challenged Mr Biden successful 2020’s Democratic superior and dropped retired aboriginal successful the race, wrote connected X that the president should “do the close thing” by “stepping speech and letting the DNC take different nominee.” He added the hashtag #swapJoeout.

It is improbable that Mr Biden volition beryllium replaced arsenic the Democratic Party’s nominee for a fig of reasons: he's the incumbent president, determination are lone a fistful of months near earlier the predetermination and the chaotic process of choosing different nominee could derail the party's chances of winning the White House successful November.

Yet the statement was “an important reminder of why, aft we prevention ideology and decision Trump, we’ve got to extremity the gerontocracy,” Amanda Litman, who works to enlistee young Democratic candidates, told the BBC.

“I deliberation his occupation conscionable became a small spot harder,” David Axelrod, different apical Obama lieutenant, said connected CNN.

Back successful the rotation room, the campaign’s surrogates answered question aft question astir Mr Biden’s performance. Try arsenic they might, they could not alteration the conversation.

Congressman Robert Garcia of California told reporters that Mr Trump “lied, and lied, and lied again.”

The erstwhile president did marque misleading statements during the debate. He falsely claimed that Democratic-controlled states wanted to let termination “after birth” – a talking constituent utilized by anti-abortion activists.

He besides said Mr Biden “encouraged” Russian president Vladimir Putin to onslaught Ukraine, erstwhile successful world the Biden medication has staunchly backed Ukraine successful the war.

The Biden run pushed akin talking points.

“Donald Trump is simply a liar. And a criminal. And helium cannot beryllium our president,” the run said successful a connection aft the debate.

Vice-President Kamala Harris echoed the attack. “Donald Trump lied implicit and implicit and implicit again,” she told CNN.

When helium appeared astatine a post-debate ticker party, Mr Biden zeroed successful connected this argument.

"They're going to beryllium fact-checking each the things helium said," the president told the crowd. "I can't deliberation of 1 happening helium said that was true."

"Look, we're going to bushed this guy, we request to bushed this. I request you, successful bid to bushed him. You're the radical I'm moving for," Mr Biden added.

After the debate, respective of Mr Trump's imaginable moving mates, including Congressman Byron Donalds and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik arsenic good arsenic North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, fanned retired crossed the rotation country to state triumph for their party’s leader.

Top Trump run unit lingered aft the statement to further rotation their triumph.

Meanwhile, Democrats similar Mr Newsom, Mr Garcia, and Senator Raphael Warnock made their appearances comparatively brief, aft answering the aforesaid questions implicit and implicit again astir Mr Biden’s performance.

“I person been a surrogate for immoderate statesmanlike candidates successful my time,” erstwhile Democratic US Senator Claire McCaskill told MSNBC. “When you’re a surrogate you person to absorption connected the positives,” she said.

But tonight, she said, she had to beryllium “really honest.”

“He had 1 happening helium had to accomplish, and that was to reassure America helium was up to the occupation astatine his age. And helium failed astatine that tonight.”