Democrats have appealed to Joseph Biden to drop his bid for re-election after his "uncertain" performance in the presidential debate with Donald Trump, which again fueled concerns about the president's age and his fitness for office, writes the Financial Times (FT) today.
Speaking in a husky voice Thursday night, the 81-year-old Biden repeatedly stumbled over his own words, gave slurred answers or appeared to lose his train of thought as Trump accused him of being the worst president in US history.
The debate was a big opportunity for Biden to address widespread concerns about age in front of a televised audience of tens of millions of American voters.
However, one Democratic lawmaker said that Biden's performance caused a lot of panic in the Capitol, according to the FT.
"Many Democrats in the House of Representatives tonight, who represent a broad cross-section of the Democratic caucus, have been privately texting each other that Biden should announce that he has decided not to run for re-election. We need a new candidate," the unnamed lawmaker said.
"Biden needs to do the patriotic thing and step aside. We need an open convention that would move the American people more than anything we've ever seen," the same sources said.
One Democratic insider said after the debate that there was "a higher level of panic than he thought possible."
"He confirmed our worst fears," said another Democrat.
David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, told CNN that Biden had scored points on some policy issues, but added, "There will be a conversation about whether he should continue."
Former Obama campaign manager David Pluff compared the moment to the moment of the highest level of readiness of the US armed forces.
He told MSNBC that there was a three-year age difference between Biden and Trump, but in Thursday's performance it seemed like the age difference was 30 years.
But Biden seemed unfazed late last night and told reporters, "I think we did well."
Asked about calls to withdraw and whether he had any concerns about his performance in the debate, Biden said his throat hurt and replied, "No" and "It's hard to debate a liar."
Still, many influential Democrats came to the president's defense.
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California who is considered a future presidential candidate, told MSNBC that questions about whether Biden should remain a candidate are "unnecessary."
"We have to support the president. You don't turn your back on one performance. What party does that?" Newsom asked.
The incumbent president's answers became "more emphatic" later in the 90-minute debate, the FT added.
Asked if he was too old to be president, Biden replied: "This guy is three years younger and a lot less competent . . . just look at the performance. Look at what I've done. Look at how I turned around the horrible situation he left me."
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