People within President Joe Biden’s orbit are furious with how his closest advisors set him up for a presidential debate against former President Donald Trump which quickly spun into a disaster, sources told Axios.
Just 30 minutes into Thursday’s presidential debate, Democrats descended into panic at Biden’s performance as he often stood with his mouth agape, appeared to freeze up and tripped over his words. As Democrats called for Biden to drop out of the presidential debate, some aides within the Biden’s inner circle began pointing the finger at how the president was prepped as the reason for his performance, Axios reported. (RELATED: Panicked Dems Scramble For Biden Replacement After ‘Disaster’ Debate Performance)
“He was over-prepared and relying on minutiae when all that mattered was vigor and energy,” one person in Biden’s orbit told Axios. “They prepared him for the wrong debate. He was over-prepared when what he needed was rest. It’s confounding.”
“It’s sad but it also makes me so mad to think of all the smart people lying and trying to make this work,” a former White House official told Axios.
Joe Scarborough Defended Biden’s Mental Fitness Just Days Ago. Now, He Thinks He ‘May Not Be Up To’ Job pic.twitter.com/8IyPTh9ee7
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 28, 2024
Ahead of the debate, Biden spent a week out of the public eye at Camp David preparing and running through mock debates. At Camp David, a mock stage was set up with lecterns to mimic what CNN would have set up, the New York Times reported. Aides also trained Biden to “trigger” Trump by bringing up topics like his criminal conviction and the Jan. 6, 20201, Capitol Riot, sources told NBC News. (RELATED: ‘Keep The Bar Off The Floor’: Low Expectations Won’t Save Biden From Sleepy Debate Performance, Observers Say)
“It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden,” former Biden White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield stated on CNN, according to Axios.
Another former White House official told Axios that people should be fired over Biden’s debate performance but added that it was unlikely as Biden rarely dismisses staffers.
Strong words from @AlexThomp: “As someone that’s reported on Biden’s age quite a few times, I can tell you that the WH’s response every single time it has come up, for three and a half years, has been to deflect, to gaslight, to not tell the truth…” pic.twitter.com/1xfRcMdMBN
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 28, 2024
Biden’s campaign proposed two dates for a debate ahead of the October events planned by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The president’s challenge came with a list of conditions, including a select number of networks as host and no live audience.
Debating Trump was Biden’s idea, Axios reported. His team reportedly proposed the dates and conditions put forth. During the planning of the debate, Biden’s campaign bet that the president’s polling numbers would rise when voters recognized former president Trump could potentially return to the White House.
Amid Biden’s melt down on the debate stage, the media rushed to his side reporting that the president had a cold as he repeatedly coughed and spoke with a raspy voice. There was no mention of the president being under the weather ahead of the debate, Politico reported.
NEW: Two sources familiar with the situation say “President Biden has a cold.”
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) June 28, 2024
But the excuse of the president’s cold did not quell Democrats concerns as their calls for Biden to be replaced became amplified. (RELATED: It Was A Tough Morning For Biden Over At The New York Times Opinion Section)
The president and his campaign aren’t backing down.
“I think we did well,” Biden said after the debate.
“Of course he’s not dropping out,” Biden campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster told the Hill following the debate.
