Biden’s withdrawal no longer excluded after his catastrophic debate against Trump – L’Express

We have known this since 1960 and the televised confrontation between the dashing John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the pale and unshaven Richard Nixon: in debates on the small screen, form counts as much as substance. The impression given off by the speakers, their attitudes, their facial expressions, their poses are more powerful elements than their words. On these criteria, the Trump-Biden debate, on Thursday, June 27, confirmed the fears of the Democratic camp. It turned out to be catastrophic for the White House tenant.

Facing Donald Trump, he appeared fragile, hesitant, confused, sometimes stuttering. His adversary and Republican predecessor seemed sharp, lively, master of his speech and even “presidential”, even solemn, despite around fifty lies and untruths delivered during a duel lasting an hour and a half in which the names of birds flew. “He has the morality of an alley cat!” criticized Joe Biden after discussing the Republican’s relationship with a porn star [NDLR : Stormy Daniels] while his wife [Melania] was pregnant”. On May 30, the Manhattan criminal jury unanimously declared Donald Trump guilty of 34 offenses of falsifying accounting documents to hide the payment of $130,000 to the X-rated movie star just before the presidential election. November 2016.

A “nightmare for Democrats”

“Biden’s performance is a nightmare for Democrats,” responded online media The Hill. “Because if there was one thing Democrats wanted to see from President Biden, it was strength. They hoped he would crucify former President Trump over the January 6 Capitol insurrection 2021, and on abortion, on his court cases Instead, it was Biden who was knocked out.

From the start, Joe Biden got tangled in a sentence by confusing “Medicare” [NDLR : l’assurance santé] which he says he “knocked down”… and Covid-19. Resuming speaking after this gaffe, Donald Trump simply said calmly: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”

Skillful throughout the debate, Donald Trump refrained from attacking Joe Biden too crudely on his physical condition and his age. It was unnecessary and would have been frowned upon by viewers. You don’t shoot at an ambulance, to use the words of Françoise Giroud, the co-founder of L’Express. Especially since the images spoke for themselves: the cutaways to Joe Biden when he was not speaking were devastating for him. Sometimes the 81-year-old president looked haggard, sometimes he had his head down in his notes. Donald Trump’s posture was reminiscent of a gladiator.

“Let’s not behave like children”

The latter is barely younger, though—only three years younger. But the contrast was undeniable. The Republican looked focused, physically fit, and alert. When asked about his age, President Biden gave a sideways answer. Trump, on the same question, boasted about his impeccable golf swing before Biden, boasting, told him he would beat him on a “green” at any time—which seemed implausible. The sequence ended—this is the world upside down!—with Trump giving President Biden a lesson in wisdom: “Come on, let’s not behave like children!”Let’s not act like children”in the text). Bordering on the ridiculous, this curious moment irresistibly brought to mind the exchange between François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac in 1988, talking about the price of cans of dog food. Such are the presidential debates…

As Biden concluded, still struggling with words, he talked about taxes and child care, while Trump, taking a step back in a more structured tirade, spoke about broader challenges such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the United States’ image in the world and – like Biden – taxes. Immediately after the debate was broadcast, the White House felt compelled to explain that Biden’s weakness was due to a cold… Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that the president had a “slow start” but that he had “finished strong.” Which is not true. Former Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod was more blunt: “He seemed a little disoriented. He got stronger as the debate went on. But I think panic set in among Democrats.” And he predicted: “There will be discussions about whether Biden should continue or throw in the towel.”

Both candidates had a lot to lose last night. And it was clearly Biden who lost the most. However, it was he who had requested this confrontation in order to put an end to the persistent and harmful debate on his physical state. As some had anticipated, the result obtained is the opposite of that hoped for. The question of its replacement can no longer be avoided. The scenario is even provided for by the 25th amendment to the Constitution. In the event of the head of state’s mental or physical incapacity, the 15 members of the “White House cabinet”, that is to say the government, can vote behind closed doors to terminate his functions.

“No one can force Joe Biden to give up being a candidate,” notes Françoise Coste, historian and author of Reagan (ed. Perrin), a biography of the president who invented the slogan “Make America Great Again”. “He has to decide it on his own.” Of course, we are not there yet, but media pressure and internal pressures within the Democratic Party could encourage him to act in this direction. In fact, the person best placed to convince Joe Biden to give up his seat is his wife Jill. “However, it is likely that she is thinking of her husband’s health, telling herself that giving up political life would take away his reason for living, accelerate his aging and, perhaps, the date of his death.”

If Biden withdraws, we must act quickly because the Democratic Party convention in mid-August is the last date on which such a twist is still possible. “There is no shortage of talent among Democrats; there are a host of competent governors ready to take the plunge,” explains political scientist Whit Ayres. Among them: California Governor Gavin Newsom, 56; Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), 51; Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan, the only woman), 52; Jared Polis (Colorado), 49; or Andy Beshear (Kentucky), 46. That would leave four months to form a new presidential ticket and lead a lightning campaign that would have a good chance of destabilizing Trump. A crazy scenario but not totally out of the question. According to a CNN poll, 67% of Americans versus 33% believe Trump dominated the debate with Biden, who would be 86 at the end of his possible second term.