Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that President Joe Biden had a “slow start” in his debate against former President Donald Trump on Thursday night, but she maintained that the president finished “strong.” This performance has sparked new concerns within their party about Biden’s suitability as their candidate.
The Vice President gave interviews on both CNN and MSNBC amid rising Democratic fear over Biden’s debate performance, which has reignited longstanding questions about whether the 81-year-old president should continue or step aside for another candidate from the same party.
Harris focused on the substance of Trump’s remarks during the 90-minute debate while recognizing the president’s slow start. She picked Trump’s refusal to speak against the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and his unwillingness to firmly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election in November.
“I got the point that you’re making about a one and a half hour debate tonight. I’m talking about three and a half years of performance in work that has been historic,” Harris said in a tense exchange with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
Harris continued: “The Joe Biden that I work with every day is someone who, as I have said, has performed in a way that has been about bringing people into the Oval Office, Republicans and Democrats, to compromise in a way that is extraordinary these days.”
Harris also included that the ultimate comparison between Trump and Biden should be based on the candidates’ performance in office rather than on one debate. She concluded her MSNBC interview by stating, “Only one of the two people on that debate stage has the endorsement of his vice president. And let’s not forget that.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has refused to support Trump this year. Trump in 2020 pressured Pence to support his plan to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.
