If a , Donald Trump may not have won on Thursday — but in spectacular fashion. The in recent memory. Biden was on defense for most of the night.
His three-, five- or 10-point answers failed to land, if he was able to complete them at all. He didn’t connect with his trademark empathy. He couldn’t land a meaningful blow on Trump, despite multiple opportunities to do so.
Ultimately, this debate will long be remembered for how old and frail Biden appeared. The beginning of the debate — the most important part — was actually painful to watch. And it didn’t get much better.
He failed to complete thoughts, made awkward and confusing statements and looked lost when not talking. It was clear almost immediately that Biden simply wasn’t capable of a strong debate performance. At least not on Thursday night.
, but he still failed to meet them. Polls regularly show the for voters. On the biggest of stages, he showed those worries are well-founded.
This debate served as a true kickoff for the fall election, and people just tuning into this race will likely be shaken by how diminished the president seemed. And it’s all the troubling because of how bad his opponent was at the same time. Trump gave people who hate him or simply worry about his character plenty of reasons to keep worrying.
He is exactly who people remember him to be: hyperbolic, shameless and unserious. He refused to give straight answers, confidently lied about things that are easy to prove and repeatedly fail.
