The New York Times editorial board is calling on Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race because of his poor performance in a debate with Donald Trump.
Biden’s poor performance sent leading Democrats into panic on Thursday night after the US president appeared shaky and struggled at times to complete the verdict. That heightened concerns about his age and suitability for public office that had been hoped the debate would ease.
Shortly after the debate, senior Democrats including Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged Biden’s “slow start” but emphasized his “strong finish,” while others privately suggested he should step down.
The New York Times editorial board said in an opinion piece on Friday that the move would put further pressure on the White House to “serve the best of public service.” [Biden] All that can be done now is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.”
“On Thursday night, the president emerged as a reflection of a great public servant,” the statement said. “He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in his second term. He struggled to respond. [Trump’s] provocative. He hugged hard [Trump] Take responsibility for his lies, his failures, and his chilling plans. More than once he struggled to finish a sentence.
“Biden is no longer the same person he was four years ago,” it added.
Earlier in the day, famed New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman called on his “friend” to step down. “Joe Biden is a good man and a good president and is not qualified to run for reelection,” he said.
Former President Barack Obama defended Biden in a social media post on Friday. “Bad debate nights happen,” he said. “But this election is still a choice between a man who has spent his life fighting for ordinary people and a man who only cares about himself.”
Biden appeared more energetic and coherent at a campaign event in North Carolina on Friday. He acknowledged that his debate performance had been widely criticized.
“I don’t walk as easily as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, and I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden said. “But I know what I know. I know how to tell the truth.
The New York Times became the first US newspaper to call on Biden to drop out of the race, but other influential publications including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The Atlantic also published op-eds by its leading columnists , calling on Biden to withdraw from the race. The newspaper’s columnist Peggy Noonan said allowing Biden to continue “looks like elder abuse.”
Newsletter Promotion Post
In 2020, The New York Times jointly endorsed Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primaries.
In response to the New York Times’ call, Biden campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond told CNN: “The last time Joe Biden lost the support of the New York Times editorial board, the results were bad for him. Said it was pretty good.
Biden and Trump were neck and neck in national polls in November. A New York Times/Sienna poll released this week ahead of the debate showed Trump leading Biden by three points. Trump leads in six out of seven of the “battleground” states crucial to winning the White House, according to RealClearPolling.
