Former Obama adviser David Axelrod has sharply criticized President Biden for his recent post-debate interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos, labelling Biden’s demeanour as “denial, delusion, and defiance.”
In a CNN op-ed, Axelrod expressed Biden’s attempt to move past his lacklustre debate performance, describing it as an effort to quell Democratic Party panic, which Axelrod believes was unsuccessful.
During the interview, President Biden asserted his confidence in being the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump in November, adamantly stating he would only step aside if divinely instructed. Axelrod’s piece, titled “Biden’s defiant delusion,” highlighted what he perceives as Biden’s refusal to acknowledge the gravity of his political predicament.
Axelrod criticized Biden’s responses to questions about watching the debate afterwards and his reluctance to commit to an independent medical evaluation, including neurological and cognitive exams. He expressed concerns that Biden’s perceived resilience against acknowledging his challenges could lead to electoral defeat against Trump.
ABC News’ Jon Karl echoed similar sentiments, noting that while Biden appeared more composed in the interview than in the debate, his responses did little to assuage the concerns of jittery Democrats fearing a potential loss to Trump. Karl highlighted growing apprehensions among Democrats about Biden’s electoral trajectory, especially in light of recent polling trends.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Axelrod and Karl’s assessments.
