The New York Times editorial board on Friday called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race against Donald Trump, citing his poor performance in the debate the night before.
“The president appeared on Thursday night as a shadow of a once-great public servant,” the Times editorial said. “He struggled to articulate what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to finish a sentence.”
“Biden has claimed that he is the candidate best positioned to confront and defeat this threat of tyranny. His argument is based largely on his victory over Trump in 2020,” the editorial continues. “That is no longer a sufficient reason why Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year.”
The surprising editorial was published after Biden’s awkward performance in his first debate against Trump in the 2024 race for the White House.
“It should be remembered that Biden challenged Trump to this verbal duel,” the editorial noted. “He set the rules and insisted on a date months before any previous general election debate. He understood the need to address longstanding public concerns about his mental acuity and to do so as soon as possible.”
“The truth Biden now faces is that he has failed his own test.”
The opinion piece comes as several Democrats and fundraisers are discussing whether to pressure Biden to drop out of the race.
For decades, the Times editorial board has been the leading liberal voice in the United States. However, in recent years, the paper’s news section has faced criticism from some liberals for its coverage of Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, and Biden.
Biden, for his part, showed no sign on Friday that he would consider dropping out of the race.
While acknowledging his problematic debate performance, Biden doubled down on his criticism of Trump in a speech in North Carolina and in social media posts.
“I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as fluently as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden said at a campaign event Friday. “But I know what I know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong, and I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.”
“I give you my word as Biden that I would not run again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job, because, frankly, there’s too much at stake.”
Replacing the Democratic presidential nominee at this stage of the election cycle would not only be politically risky for the party, but also very difficult. The only likely way to replace Biden would be for him to voluntarily withdraw from the race.
Responding to the Times editorial, a Biden campaign aide told NBC, “The last time Joe Biden lost the endorsement of the New York Times editorial board, he did pretty well.”