New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, a friends of President Joe Biden, said that Biden’s performance at the first presidential stand-off yesterday night made him weep. It was a heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in his lifetime, he wrote explaining that Joe Biden is a good man and a good president but has no business running for reelection.”And Donald Trump, a malicious man and a petty president, has learned nothing and forgotten nothing. He is the same fire hose of lies he always was, obsessed with his grievances — nowhere close to what it will take for America to lead in the 21st century,” Friedman wrote.
How newspapers covered Biden vs Trump
‘Biden, Trump clash in debate on economy, border and abortion’ — read the headline of Wall Street Journal. New York Post’s headline was ‘Just Sad’ with a two-liner explainer: Prez mumbles, stumbles, freezes in train wreck debate vs Trump. We’ve witnessed end of Biden’s presidency.
Biden struggles in testy debate– read the headline of the Washington Post.
‘Biden struggle as Trump blusters in contentious debate’ — New York Times’ headline said.
‘Biden flops, Trump lies,’ said Los Angeles Times’ headline.
The NYT opinion by Friedman, on the other hand, said Vice President Kamala Harris should compete if she wants. But the Biden family and the political team should have the hardest conversation with the president — a conversation of love and clarity, Friedman wrote. “To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for reelection and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.”
‘Biden has been a friend of mine’
“Biden has been a friend of mine since we traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan together after 9/11, when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so I say all of the above with great sadness,” Friedman wrote.
“But if he caps his presidency now, by acknowledging that because of age he is not up to a second term, his first and only term will be remembered as among the better presidencies in our history. He saved us from a second Trump term and for that alone he deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but he also enacted important legislation crucial to confronting the climate and technology revolutions now upon us.”
“I had been ready to give Biden the benefit of the doubt up to now, because during the times I engaged with him one on one, I found him up to the job. He clearly is not any longer. His family and his staff had to have known that. They have been holed up at Camp David preparing for this momentous debate for days now. If that is the best performance they could summon from him, it’s time for Joe to keep the dignity he deserves and leave the stage at the end of this term,” he added.
How newspapers covered Biden vs Trump
‘Biden, Trump clash in debate on economy, border and abortion’ — read the headline of Wall Street Journal. New York Post’s headline was ‘Just Sad’ with a two-liner explainer: Prez mumbles, stumbles, freezes in train wreck debate vs Trump. We’ve witnessed end of Biden’s presidency.
Biden struggles in testy debate– read the headline of the Washington Post.
‘Biden struggle as Trump blusters in contentious debate’ — New York Times’ headline said.
‘Biden flops, Trump lies,’ said Los Angeles Times’ headline.
The NYT opinion by Friedman, on the other hand, said Vice President Kamala Harris should compete if she wants. But the Biden family and the political team should have the hardest conversation with the president — a conversation of love and clarity, Friedman wrote. “To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for reelection and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.”
‘Biden has been a friend of mine’
“Biden has been a friend of mine since we traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan together after 9/11, when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so I say all of the above with great sadness,” Friedman wrote.
“But if he caps his presidency now, by acknowledging that because of age he is not up to a second term, his first and only term will be remembered as among the better presidencies in our history. He saved us from a second Trump term and for that alone he deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but he also enacted important legislation crucial to confronting the climate and technology revolutions now upon us.”
“I had been ready to give Biden the benefit of the doubt up to now, because during the times I engaged with him one on one, I found him up to the job. He clearly is not any longer. His family and his staff had to have known that. They have been holed up at Camp David preparing for this momentous debate for days now. If that is the best performance they could summon from him, it’s time for Joe to keep the dignity he deserves and leave the stage at the end of this term,” he added.
