There was simply no spinning it for the mainstream media after Thursday night. President Joe Biden was an old, old man muttering nonsense, and even CNN and the New York Times could see it.
How bad was it for the president with the reporter-and-editor class that usually protects him? Here are some of the brutal headlines from Friday morning:
New York Times
- Biden’s Struggles in Debate Alarm Democrats
- Shaky Performance Against Trump Reinforces Doubts
- President Biden sought to reassure Democrats after the debate.
- Former President Trump’s attacks were frequently false, lacked context or were vague enough to be misleading.
- For U.S. allies, the debate renewed concerns about America’s stability.
- The debate has left Democratic donors wondering about a Plan B.
- ‘God Help Us’: 12 Writers Rate Biden’s Performance at the First Presidential Debate
- THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN: Joe Biden Is a Good Man and a Good President. He Must Bow Out of the Race.
- PAUL KRUGMAN: The Best President of My Adult Life Needs to Withdraw
- MICHELLE COTTLE, ROSS DOUTHAT AND EZRA KLEIN: Is Biden Too Old? America Got Its Answer.
Washington Post
- Democrats panic over Biden, doubting his future
- ‘There was a slow start’: Harris reacts to Biden’s debate performance
- Could Biden be replaced as the Democratic nominee?
- Shares of Trump media company spike nearly 11 percent in premarket trading
- Can Biden recover from his damaging performance?
- Perspective: It’s time for Jill Biden to have a hard talk with her husband
Drudge Report
- OPERATION: REPLACE BIDEN DEMS SCRAMBLE WITH 130 DAYS TO GO! DEBATE CATASTROPHE
- WHITE HOUSE SPINS WORST PERFORMANCE IN HISTORY: JOE HAS A COLD…
- U.S. Allies Watch With Shaking Heads and a Question: What Now?
- China Mocks: ‘Very Entertaining’…
- Axelrod Tells Republicans, If Biden’s Replaced, ‘You Guys Are in Trouble’…
- Drudge Poll: Who Should Replace Biden? (Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Other)
CNN
- Biden disappoints, Trump lies and deflects
- Biden’s age problem got worse, Trump ducks on deportations and other key moments to know
- Live Updates ‘It’s hard to debate a liar,’ Biden says
- Reaction Biden’s debate performance sets off alarm bells for Democrats
- CNN Flash Poll Majority of debate watchers say Trump outperformed Biden
Anchorage Daily News
- A halting Biden tries to confront an untruthful Trump in debate but sparks Democratic anxiety about his candidacy
