Democrats defend Biden after debate defeat as voter support recoils | Wilnesh News

Democrats are making the rounds on the media circuit Sunday in an effort to reshape perceptions of President Joe Biden after a poor debate performance contributed to a drop in his support. voter Cringe and his party went into a damage control frenzy.

“Yes, it was a bad performance,” said the Democratic congressman from South Carolina. Jim ClaiborneA close ally of Biden said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I know it when I see what’s called preparation overload. And that’s exactly what happened that night.”

The South Carolina Democrat followed the post-debate spin formula that Biden supporters have come up with since Thursday’s showdown: admitting a mistake and then pivoting to criticism of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

“Joe Biden should continue to run with his record. I do believe that compared to Trump’s four-year record, we will find that he is exactly what we need going forward,” Clyburn said.

former president barack obama and bill clinton A similar argument Friday followed this structure.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons, and Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also defended Biden at a media gathering on Sunday.

Despite receiving full media coverage, Biden’s performance in Thursday’s debate, in which he repeatedly stumbled over words or answered questions incorrectly, only heightened voters’ concerns about his age and suitability for a second term as president.

a new one CBS News/YouGov The poll conducted on June 28 and 29 found that 72% of registered voters surveyed believed Biden should not run for president, up from 63% in February. The poll also found that 72% of respondents believed Biden did not have the mental and cognitive ability to serve as president, a 7% increase since June 9.

Polls taken shortly after major events like Thursday’s debate represent a knee-jerk reaction. As the initial hype dies down and voters have more time to process, a more accurate snapshot of public sentiment may emerge. The CBS News Poll surveyed 1,130 registered voters and had a margin of error of +/- 4.2%.

But the new data directly conflicts with Biden’s argument that voters are not as upset by his debate missteps as political pundits are.

“I understand the concerns about this debate. I get it. I had a great night. But here’s something that doesn’t get reported: Voters are reacting differently than the experts are,” the president said at a campaign event in New York on Saturday. State East Hampton “Polls have shown some change since the debate, and we’ve actually moved up.”

Biden and Trump are scheduled to hold a second debate on September 10, but it is unclear whether the two candidates will follow through.

Ultimately, the debate sparked Democratic thinking about whether Biden should remain the presumptive nominee.

Some Democratic strategists, as well as newspaper editorial boards across the country, have suggested he should resign and give up delegates before the Democratic National Convention in August to allow someone else to succeed Trump in November.

Biden is in camp david His family will join him on Sunday to discuss the path forward for his re-election bid, NBC News reported.

Meanwhile, the Biden campaign has racked up a huge amount of fundraising since the debate. As of Sunday morning, the campaign had raised $33 million Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said $26 million of that came from grassroots donors since Thursday.

Munoz added that nearly half of the grassroots funding comes from donors giving to campaigns for the first time this election season.