Former President Bill Clinton joined other Democratic leaders in trying to ease concerns over President Biden’s shaky debate showing.
“I’ll leave the debate rating to the pundits, but here’s what I know: Facts and history matter,” Mr. Clinton posted Friday on X. “Joe Biden has given us 3 years of solid leadership, steadying us after the pandemic, creating a record number of new jobs, making real progress solving the climate crisis, and launching a successful effort in reducing inflation, all while pulling us out of the quagmire Donald Trump left us in. That’s what’s really at stake in November.”
Mr. Biden’s weak performance in Thursday’s debate against a strong Trump sparked a wave of panic among Democrats in Washington and voters across the country. Some have called for the president to leave the nomination for someone else.
Since the debacle, his campaign and top surrogates have sought to quash concerns about his fitness to serve another term. In North Carolina on Friday, Mr. Biden used a campaign rally to reassure his supporters that he was ready for the long haul, but admitted his age has caught up to him in some respects.
“I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t talk as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth,” Mr. Biden said. “I know how to get things done.”
Other prominent Democrats defending the president included his vice president, Kamala Harris, who, in an interview with CNN after the debate, said Mr. Biden finished strongly.
Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, arguing that “bad debate nights happen.”
He added on X, “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.”
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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