John Rich's 'Hit Job' Debate Claim Takes Off Online—'Everybody Knows It'

Country musician John Rich's statement that Joe Biden's debate with Donald Trump was a "hit job" on the president has gone viral on social media.

President Biden and former President Trump faced off in their first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, as they sought to win over undecided voters. Polls showed the two candidates locked in a close race a little more than four months before the election. During the TV clash, the two sparred over issues including the economy, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, immigration, and abortion.

Both candidates faced high stakes going into the debate. Polls suggest many voters are unhappy with their options ahead of the election, and both Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, have faced concerns about their respective ages. The debate gave them an opportunity to quell such concerns and win over voters who could determine the outcome of the election in key swing states in November.

During the debate, a number of viewers stating that Biden sounded hoarse and lacked energy throughout the night. A Biden aide told Newsweek late Thursday night that the president was battling a cold during the debate.

The aftermath of the debate saw some Democrats call for Biden to be replaced by a new candidate before November's Election Day over his halting performance.

In a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday night, musician Rich—who is a vocal Trump supporter—opined that a conspiracy was at play among Democrats.

"This was a hit job by the Dems on Joe so they can replace him, and everybody knows it," wrote Rich, who rounded out his post with the hashtag "#PANICInDC."

As of press time, the post has garnered more than 200,000 views. Newsweek has contacted a representative of the Biden campaign via email for comment.

In other posts on the micro-blogging platform, Rich claimed that Biden was on the verge of being replaced during August's Democratic National Convention (DNC).

"They'll replace Joe at the DNC. This is beyond pathetic," he wrote.

Rich further claimed that friends of his who do not favor Trump called to inform him that they would not be voting for Biden following his debate performance.

Instead, claimed Rich, these Democrats would be casting votes for Trump.

"Democrat friends of mine are blowing up my phone saying 'I hate Trump, but I'm gonna have to vote for him after watching this debate,'" he stated.

Following the debate, Vice President Kamala Harris defended Biden during a combative interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

While Harris agreed that Biden had a "slow start," she defended his record as president.

"What we saw tonight was the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish," Harris said. "What became very clear over the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance."

Cooper pushed back, arguing that Biden's performance was "clearly disappointing" for his supporters. Harris responded that people can disagree about style, but that the election must be about "substance."

Cooper then said that Biden was a "very different person on the stage" in 2020.

"I get the point that you're making about a one-and-a-half-hour debate tonight. I'm talking about three-and-a-half years of performance in work that has been historic," she said.

Harris praised Biden for his work negotiating a bipartisan infrastructure deal and meeting with military and intelligence leaders. She said he convenes with world leaders, "who often ask for his advice."

"I'm not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I've been watching the last three-and-a-half years of performance," she said.

Despite questions about both presidential candidates' cognitive abilities, Biden and Trump have been given relatively clean bills of health by their respective physicians.