ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 27: U.S. President Joe Biden participates in the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. President Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump are facing off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign.
The president's lackluster showing at Thursday night's debate, where he appeared slow-witted and frail compared to former President Donald Trump, lent credibility to those concerns and sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party.by Democratic insiders over the past 24 hours, insisting Biden is clearly "not the man he was four years ago."
The board went on to write Biden "failed his own test" by calling for a debate with Trump. The Democratic Party must "select someone more capable to stand in his place" if it has any hope of defeated Trump in November, the board wrote. The call by the editorial board stands in contrast to messaging by Biden allies downplaying the president's Thursday night struggles. Vice President Kamala Harris said after the debate that despite Biden's "slow start," he was able to articulate his points with a "strong finish."