The Democratic Party has been in a state of chaos since Thursday’s presidential debate, when Joe Biden’s shockingly lackluster performance prompted several major newspapers to call on him to withdraw from the race. But even with the New York Times editorial board claiming that “to serve his country, President Biden should leave the race,” Jill Biden is apparently unfazed. The First Lady is Vogue’s August cover star — and she told the magazine from Camp David this past weekend that her husband “will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president.”
As the doomsday reactions to Biden’s debate showing started pouring in on Thursday night, campaign sources initially claimed the president had a cold. Eventually, even Biden himself was forced to acknowledge that the debate didn’t go well. “I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to. But what I do know is how to tell the truth,” he wrote on X. The First Lady agrees. She told Vogue that “we will continue to fight,” adding that Biden “will always do what’s best for the country.” She delivered a similar message at a fundraising event on Friday, per the Washington Post, where she told donors that the president wasn’t thrilled with his performance, either. “After last night’s debate, he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel that great.’” But she said she reassured him that his first term in office wouldn’t be erased by one bad debate.
Despite increasing pressure for Biden to withdraw from the race, Jill Biden is far from the only person standing behind the president. Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that Biden’s debate was “a bad night” but he’s had a “great presidency,” and she said she won’t call for him to step down. Former president Barack Obama also voiced his support, writing on X, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”
Meanwhile, Vice-President Kamala Harris made her bid to Black voters during Sunday night’s BET Awards. In a taped segment, host Taraji P. Henson expressed her anxieties about the election. Harris said, “Yeah, girl, I’m out here in these streets, and let me tell you: You’re right, Taraji.” She continued, “There is so much at stake in this moment. The majority of us believe in freedom and equality, but these extremists, as they say — they’re not like us,” referencing Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track. Unfortunately, it may take more than being up to date on the biggest rap beef of the moment to win voters’ support.
