Prominent supporters of President Joe Biden in Minnesota have rejected calls to upgrade the incumbent as the Democratic nominee after a poor debate performance that heightened anxiety within the party.
Gov. Tim Walz defended Biden’s ability to lead the country and expressed frustration that more attention is being paid to the functionality of the debates than to the results of the government. Walz also criticized former Republican President Donald Trump for his answers to the moderator’s questions.
“I think it’s clear that none of the candidates had a very smart night. It’s possible that President Biden has done more things and that President Trump just recounts the fact from time to time,” Walz said after a press conference about the state and federal reaction to the decision. flood.
Earlier, in an appearance on Fox News, Walz said Trump may have done better in terms of style, but that Biden brought more substance.
“Donald Trump is an artist, I admit it. It’s entertaining,” Walz said. “Sharks are electrocuted with batteries on boats and have soapy hair. But that does not apply. That’s what it takes to get things done. “
Walz rejected rumors that Biden would be replaced on the ballot.
“Listen, we’re not abandoning our parents. We are learning a lesson from Republicans. They will not abandon their loved ones in 34 positions. The president continues to deliver on his promises,” Walz told reporters in Minnesota.
DFL party chairman Ken Martin subsidized Biden in a post-Thursday night debate, calling Biden “the leader we want to keep moving forward. “
On Friday, he said on social media that the party will have to redouble its efforts. “It was not an intelligent debate, we all agree on that. But the stakes of those elections are more important than ever for our country: let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. “
On the first day of early voting before Minnesota’s Aug. 13 primary, some Democrats said they were concerned about Biden’s performance.
Diana Cumming of Minneapolis said she was “absolutely terrified” of how November would turn out and wouldn’t worry about the price renewal. He voted no-compromise in this year’s presidential primary, but said he would vote for Biden if he ran in the election. Autumn survey.
Cumming said the debate didn’t reassure her.
“I just turned it on and looked at it for about two minutes and thought maybe I wouldn’t see this. But he didn’t seem to shine brightly, to say the least,” she said. “He looks tired. Really tired. ” I mean, maybe Lincoln is tired, but he can still talk. Biden needed a longer nap and needed better grades.
Robbin Rouillard, another Minneapolis voter, said she isn’t giving up on Biden.
“We were disappointed with his performance. But the facts impress us, we follow his policies and we believe that he is undoubtedly the right candidate for the future,” he said. “I also have the impression that he’s surrounded by an A team. “
U. S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who issued a major challenge to Biden before endorsing the president, did not respond to a phone message Friday. He posted a cryptic message quoting Gandhi on the social network X.
“Only if silence improves,” Phillips posted.
Biden and Trump are expected to debate in September after either of them has officially accepted their nominations; Republicans will meet in July in Milwaukee and Democrats in Chicago in August.
Minnesota’s major political parties have until the end of August to submit the names of their presidential candidates for the November election.
Minnesota Republicans appreciated the development of the debate.
Party Chairman David Hann said this raises big questions about whether Biden will be able to take over the rigors of the task during any other term.
“For me, it’s impressive. I’ve never noticed anything like it,” Hann said. “(Biden) is angry. He’s confused. You cannot present a sustained argument. It’s a debate that his team was looking to have at the time. time.
Hann predicted that this would affect Trump in Minnesota and elsewhere, especially among independents.
U. S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the third-largest Republican in the House and leading Trump’s crusade in Minnesota, has posted several messages on social media that also question Biden’s fitness to hold the office.
The messages included photographs of Biden, saying the president’s “dizzying appearance is just one explanation for why our enemies don’t care about or respect the United States. “
This article was written through one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service, and others to provide a broader diversity of data to our readers. Learn more about the data used through FCC here.