An “unmitigated disaster.” An “incoherent” performance. A “horrific” showing that underscored the questions swirling around the world about whether President Biden is fit to serve another four years in the White House.
Those are just a few of the big takeaways from major foreign media outlets on the heels of the 81-year-old’s showing against former President Donald Trump in Thursday night’s first presidential debate. Mr. Biden, who sounded hoarse throughout the evening and repeatedly gave meandering, at times seemingly nonsensical answers to questions, sought to reassure voters at home — and allies around the world — that he’s up to the job.
The early reviews from international press agencies suggest that Mr. Biden’s showing played just as poorly abroad as it did at home.
A headline on the website of Le Monde, a leading French newspaper, called the debate a “disaster for the Democratic president.” Piotr Smolar, Washington correspondent for the outlet, wrote that Mr. Biden’s voice “was muffled, threatening to die out as soon as it rose, as he swallowed consonants, reduced words to nothing more than mumbles.”
Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent for the BBC, described the president’s showing as “incoherent.”
“The president came into the debate with a low bar to clear, and he stumbled. He was flat. He was rambling. He was unclear,” he wrote. “Roughly midway through the debate, the Biden campaign told reporters that the president was battling a cold — an attempt to explain his raspy voice. That may be so, but it also sounded like an excuse.”
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A headline in Britain’s Economist called Mr. Biden’s performance “horrific,” and one that “casts his entire candidacy into doubt.”
Ines Pohl, Washington bureau chief for the German news outlet DW, said Mr. Biden fell far short of the mark.
“There is nothing to sugarcoat here: This debate was a disaster for Joe Biden,” she said. “The main objective for Biden tonight was to demonstrate that he is fit for office, but he failed miserably.”
Even South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, not known for harsh critiques of American politicians, noted early on in its lead debate story that Mr. Biden was speaking “in a hoarse voice.”
The president’s performance was watched especially closely around the world because the next president — whether it is Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump or someone else — will take office at a dangerous, crucial moment in international affairs, with wars raging in the Middle East and Europe and fears growing about Chinese military aggression in the Pacific.
Mr. Biden did try to reassure allies by pointing to his ability to rally the international community behind Ukraine in its war with Russia.
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“By the way, I got 50 other nations around the world to support Ukraine,” he said.
Mr. Trump, on the other hand, said he could quickly end the Russia-Ukraine war if elected president, though he did not offer details.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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