Staff Reports
The 2024 election season has kicked off with a bang as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first general election debate on Thursday night. While everyone expected a fierce battle of ideas, they got a showcase of Biden’s frailty instead. Struggling with a hoarse voice and a series of coughs right from the get-go, the President’s performance was more reminiscent of a senior struggling at bingo than a commander-in-chief ready for a second term.
Pollster Frank Luntz mentioned that his focus group of undecided voters was taken aback by Biden’s vocal issues. They’re apparently baffled and a bit worried about what this says about his health. Meanwhile, media trainer Beverly Hallberg pointed out the obvious: Biden needs to convince the country that he has four more years worth of fight. Judging by his croaky voice and unsteady performance, he’s falling short of that primary goal.
Debate viewers criticize Biden’s coughing and hoarse voice https://t.co/igsdCtjCe6
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 28, 2024
Television analyst Joe Concha added fuel to the fire, noting that Biden’s voice didn’t just sound bad — it made him seem older than ever. Perhaps he borrowed that vocal fry from the hipsters he tries so hard and fails to connect with. Broadcaster Dana Loesch was even less forgiving, suggesting that Biden can’t string together a coherent sentence. It’s like watching someone fumble through a high-stakes Jeopardy round without knowing what the categories even mean.
Naturally, the Trump campaign didn’t miss a beat in capitalizing on Biden’s faltering start. Jason Miller, a longtime Trump adviser, took to social media to question what kind of preparation — or lack thereof — Biden got at Camp David. Meanwhile, Trump’s 2024 national press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed out that Biden has allegedly been hiding away in the woods, and even then, he couldn’t show up ready for primetime.
Even CNN’s Kasie Hunt couldn’t shield Biden from criticism, stating that the President’s overall look and voice failed to instill confidence in Democrats. Her brutal assessment has Democrats nearly beside themselves, and for good reason. At one point, Biden’s response to an immigration question was so unclear that Trump openly admitted he couldn’t understand a word of it — and suggested that Biden didn’t know what he was saying either.
In summary, if the first debate indicates what’s to come, Biden’s showing portends a long, shaky journey for his campaign. With Trump’s clarity contrasting sharply with Biden’s muddled performance, it’s no wonder even Democrats are biting their nails. The American public deserves a President who can stand strong, not one teetering on the edge of coherence.
