Overcoming the 'panic:' Reactions pour in over Biden debate performance

WASHINGTON (TND) — "Panic’" is the word some Democrats are using to describe how they feel after President Joe Biden’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

It was a moment near the beginning of the debate that set off alarm bells for Democrats.

What I've been able to do with the, uh, with, with, with the COVID, excuse me, with, um, dealing with everything we have to do with, uh, what if we finally beat Medicare?” the President said, stumbling and seemingly losing his train of thought.

Biden didn’t seem sharp with a raspy soft voice and sometimes jumbled answers. Trump appeared to be able to go off unchecked, and Biden seemingly couldn’t keep up.

The panicky headlines from multiple outlets came quickly and even close Biden allies were stunned.

This was not the debate performance that the Biden campaign team wanted or needed from this debate,” said former Biden White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Multiple New York Times opinion pieces called on Biden to drop out. Republicans also piled on.

“I feel like this is a national security risk for our country because what the world saw was weakness,” said Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D. who is also in the running as a potential Trump vice president pick.

A more fiery Biden showed up at a rally in North Carolina Friday and didn’t speak like a candidate who will be stepping aside.

I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truthand I know like millions of Americans when you get knocked down you get back up!” an energetic Biden told the crowd.

The President told reporters at a Waffle House stop after the debate it wasn’t so bad.

Not all Democrats were ready to abandon ship. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., compared it to his poor debate performance against Dr. Mehmet Oz when Fetterman was briefly written off. He went on to win his election, and tweeted bluntly, "chill the f out."

Biden spent days practicing for this debate at Camp David, and his team helped craft the debate rules and format. It further calls into question how all of the debate prep led to that performance.