Former senior Obama official David Axelrod suggested it is Republicans who should be worried in November if President Biden does not top the Democratic presidential ticket after his embarrassing debate performance.
Axelrod appeared on CNN after Thursday’s first debate in Atlanta, during which Biden, 81, stumbled through his answers and at times paused in a way that left some Democrats anguished at the end of the pivotal 90-minute live event.
After the debate, as Democrats sounded alarm bells and Republicans declared Trump had won, Axelrod turned to the Republican strategists who appeared on the panel with him.
‘If, for whatever reason, there is a change at the top of the list, you guys are in trouble with donald trump ‘Because the guy that was there tonight is not a guy that’s going to inspire people,’ Axelrod said.
“He has not shown in any way that he has changed,” Axelrod continued firmly.
David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama, said it is Republicans who should be worried if Biden were not at the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden’s debate performance worried some traders.
One of the panel’s Republican strategists, Scott Jennings, responded.
‘T“Rupt won several policy exchanges tonight,” Jennings said. She mentioned immigration and the economy.
Jennings, however, agreed with Axelrod’s assessment of Trump’s lack of optimism.
“He should have turned the page and struck an optimistic note about what we could become as a people and as a country,” Jennings said. “He didn’t do that.”
But Jennings argued that what people will remember from the debate is that Biden “shuffled away.”
Axelrod responded by reiterating his original point.
Axelrod said the chances of Biden dropping out were “pretty remote,” but some strategists were calling for Democrats to replace their presumptive nominee before the debate had concluded after Biden made a series of early stumbles.
Axelrod said that while Biden did not have a good night, neither did Donald Trump and warned that he is not a candidate who can inspire people.
“If Joe Biden wasn’t the nominee, if there was another nominee, I think Donald Trump would be in serious trouble,” the veteran political operative said.
Axelrod acknowledged it wasn’t a good night for the Democratic president, but said Trump didn’t have a great night during the first debate either.
He also noted that it is “quite remote” that Biden will withdraw.
Axelrod wasn’t the only one who said Republicans should be concerned about Biden not being on the Democratic presidential ticket.
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley had a strong reaction on X that seemed to echo Axelrod’s point.
“Biden will not be the Democratic nominee. Republicans, beware!” he wrote.