There's no way to sugarcoat the fact that President Biden looked tired, apathetic and at times confused in his televised debate with former President Trump on Thursday. In other words, he showed his age.
Trump, who at 78 is only a few years younger than Biden, 81, initially appeared more restrained and focused than usual. He tried to disarm the criticism with intelligent if unconvincing arguments, such as the claim that “my reward will be success.”
However, Trump soon returned to his usual form, launching unfair attacks and spouting falsehoods and wild theories, including the idea that the Biden administration instigated his prosecution in a New York court. Even a braver Biden would have had to deal with Trump's incessant lies, which the debate moderators refused to verify in real time.
On issues ranging from the war in Ukraine to the climate crisis, Trump offered characteristically vague answers. Particularly absurd were his claims that if he won the election, he would “solve that war” and secure the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich from Russia, before he was even sworn in!
If all one could see was a transcript of the debate, Biden's performance would look better. He effectively confronted Trump about the former president's complicity in the January 6, 2021 insurrection and scored several political points. Unfortunately, for many viewers, especially those who don't follow politics closely, that mattered less than Biden confirming Trump's “Sleepy Joe” cartoon.
That doesn't mean Biden is senile. He is still much preferable to Trump. Despite the visible nervousness of many Democrats, the disappointing debate performance also does not mean that Biden should stop running for re-election, a scenario fraught with his own problems for the Democratic Party. However, it does mean that the president has to reassure Americans who may now have doubts about his suitability for another term.
And, of course, there is the fact that even a punctual Trump is unfit to hold office. Trump's attempts to overturn the results of an election he lost culminated on January 6 with the storming of the US Capitol by his crazed supporters.
When asked about his actions and inactions on January 6, Trump curiously changed the topic to his claims that conditions in the United States on that date were positive, including the irrelevant claim that “we had a great border, no one passed, Very few”.
Such an attempt to deflect responsibility is scandalous. Trump's undeniable role in the January 6 catastrophe resulted in his second impeachment by the House. Had the Senate convicted him, Americans could have been spared a possible comeback. But now the decision about Trump's future falls to voters, whom Biden must convince that he is a candidate for another term.
When asked about his age, Biden responded by citing his administration's accomplishments. It was a variation on “Watch what we do, not what we say” and it was well founded. But voters who saw the debate as a test of vigor are understandably dissatisfied with that response.
For the rest of the campaign, Biden must do more — and not just on the debate stage — to defend his record with the same authority as he did in this year's State of the Union address. There is a lot at stake for the nation.
