Following President Biden’s lackluster debate performance, Time Magazine released a striking cover featuring Biden seemingly walking off stage with the word “Panic.”
Democrat strategists, pundits, and voters expressed concerns over Biden’s demeanor during the debate, with MSNBC’s Joy Reid and CNN’s John King highlighting the widespread unease within the party.
Despite calls for Biden to step down, he remains determined to continue in the race, preparing for the next presidential debate in September.
TIME magazine reacts to President Joe Biden’s performance in last night's debate against Donald Trump:
“Panic.” pic.twitter.com/tP0BABlC3j
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) June 28, 2024
“I too was on the phone throughout much of the debate with Obama world people with Democrats, with people who are political operatives, with campaign operatives, my phone really never stopped buzzing throughout. And the universal reaction was somewhere approaching panic,” MSNBC’s Joy Reid said.
“The people who were texting with me were very concerned about President Biden seeming extremely feeble, seeming extremely weak.”
“Minutes into the debate — and it continues right now — it involves party strategists, involves elected officials, it involves fundraisers, and they’re having conversations about the president’s performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and having conversations about what they should do about it,” CNN’s John King said.
“Some of those conversations include whether we should go to the White House and ask the president to step aside,” King added.
Speculation about potential replacements such as Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris has been repeatedly denied by the figures.
