Barack Obama is the latest Democrat urging voters to reelect President Joe Biden in November, despite a “bad debate night” on Thursday.
The former president tweeted in response to widespread backlash to Biden’s performance alongside Donald Trump, emphasizing that there is a lot “at stake in November” and compared to his opponent, Biden is still the clear choice come Election Day.
“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” Obama said. “But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”
Read the message in full below.
Obama joins a chorus of big names in the Democratic Party admitting to Biden’s weak debate showing while ensuring he’s still the candidate to back. Biden himself owned up to his poor performance on debate night while on the road Friday.
“I know I’m not a young man … I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden said in a rally speech, being cheered on by a crowd of his supporters. “I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.”
Biden stumbled through much of the debate with a scratchy throat and wandering mind that often made him inarticulate. He often also trailed off his sentences and earned plenty of jokes on X for his open-mouthed expressions in between answers.
“Trump spoke plainly but he lied all the time,” Van Jones said on CNN after the debate. Of Biden, Jones said, “He looked terrible … Neither of these people are inspiring the confidence that they can do the job.”
