Close allies and surrogates of President Joe Biden took to the airwaves Sunday to taper concerns about the commander-in-chief's mental acuity and stamina following Thursday's rocky debate.
Why it matters: Biden's stumbling performance triggered a tsunami of concern among Democrats and prompted discussions about who could emerge as the party's candidate should the president step aside before November.
What they're saying: Key surrogates for the Biden-Harris reelection campaign openly acknowledged Sunday that the debate was a rough display for the president, who has combatted concerns about his age throughout his term.
- But they also pointed to the dozens of falsities former President Trump rattled off on stage and framed Biden's policy achievements as a more important deciding factor of presidential fitness rather than debate performance.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the national co-chair of Biden's reelection campaign and one of his closest allies, dismissed calls for the president to step aside, arguing he is the only Democrat who can topple Trump.
- "The stakes of this race couldn't be higher, and the only Democrat who's ever beaten Donald Trump is Joe Biden," he said on ABC's "This Week." "He is our candidate for November, and he has the best shot to beat him."
- While Coons acknowledged Biden's "weak debate performance," he contended the presumptive GOP nominee had a "horrifying," lie-ridden showing that left viewers "either confirmed in their opinion to vote for Joe Biden or alarmed at the prospect of Donald Trump."
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who has been floated on some lists as a potential Biden backup, characterized speculation of a potential 2024 candidate switch-up as "unhelpful."
- Asked by NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" if Vice President Harris would be best suited to replace Biden at the top of the ticket, Warnock said he has "great respect" for Harris but reaffirmed his commitment to the president.
- "This is our moral assignment in this moment to demonstrate to our children that we are better than the people who would re-elect somebody who is a pathological liar, a malignant narcissist," he said Sunday. "Our country is better than that, and I think the future is bright under Joe Biden's leadership."
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), whose massive political clout in his home state was crucial to Biden's 2020 victory, attributed the president's underperformance to "preparation overload" during his days-long training session at Camp David.
- "The debate preparation can be tough, but you've got to really do a good job of preparing the candidate, not just with information but with style, with the deflection and the kinds of things that we did not see in Joe Biden the other night," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."
- Clyburn contrasted the commander-in-chief's debate-stage stumbles with his passionate performance in North Carolina the following day, where he "captivated the audience" and addressed concerns ignited by his stand-off with Trump.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has also emerged as a potential replacement should Biden step down, said the president is "not going to take himself out of this race, nor should he."
- Asked by CBS' Margaret Brennan on "Face the Nation" how Democrats will rally young voters behind an 81-year-old candidate, Moore pointed to the influence of surrogates like himself, in whom he said younger Americans will see themselves reflected.
- "Joe Biden is our nominee, Joe Biden is our leader and Joe Biden has earned…and deserves the confidence, the respect and, frankly, the partnership that we now have to provide to him," he said.
The other side: While team Biden works to soothe building panic, GOP pundits are celebrating the debate as a Trump victory — despite the former president making a slew of false claims and also facing apprehension about his age (Trump is 78, Biden is 81).
- North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who has climbed the long ladder of Trump's potential running mates, painted the face-off as the "most consequential, historic debate in history" on "Meet the Press" and contended the country is at a "greater national security risk today than we were on Thursday" because of Biden's performance.
- "This is like a 'Rocky' knockout," he said.
The big picture: Some campaign aides saw the earliest-ever debate as a painful hiccup that will heal by the time November nears, while others sounded the alarms.
- Sixty percent of voters said Biden should "definitely" or "probably" be replaced following the debate, per a Morning Consult poll.
- Because of his state primary wins, Biden already has picked up almost all of the Democratic National Convention's pledged delegates, who must vote for Biden on the first ballot — unless he decides to withdraw from the race.
Go deeper: Biden acknowledges bad debate performance and age
