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American University historian Allan Lichtman, who has accurately predicted the result of nine of the last 10 presidential elections, claimed Democratic leaders shouldn't give up on President Joe Biden despite his disastrous first debate performance last week.
“They could not be more misguided,” Lichtman said during an appearance on CNN News Central Monday (July 1), having shared the same thoughts while appearing on the network last Friday (June 28).
Lichtman noted that many pundits believed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had outperformed former President Donald Trump in three debates in 2016 before losing the election.
“Remember, all the pundits, you know, watched Hillary Clinton win three debates in 2016,” Lichtman said. “They all said Trump was finished after ‘Access Hollywood.’ And they are so often wrong.”
Lichtman then addressed concerns for Biden's mental fitness.
“In terms of Biden’s capacities, I’m not a neurologist. They are not neurologists. They have no standing to comment on that,” Lichtman said. “I would only say far better to judge Biden by three and three-quarter years or so of his presidency than 90 minutes.”
Biden's campaign blasted what it called the "bedwetting brigade" for panicking over his first debate performance and cited a poll that pegs him as a stronger candidate than other Democrats. Deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty reaffirmed that Biden planned to stay as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in an email to supporters entitled '7 Things to Tell Your Friends After The Debate -- And 4 Things You Can Do,' according to the New York Post.
“The bedwetting brigade is calling for Joe Biden to ‘drop out.’ That is the best possible way for Donald Trump to win and us to lose,” Flaherty wrote via the Post.
“Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee, period. End of story,” he continued. “And if he were to drop out, it would lead to weeks of chaos, internal foodfighting, and a bunch of candidates who limp into a brutal floor fight at the convention.”
Flaherty also cited a Data for Progress poll in which Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were the strongest Democratic candidates to challenge former President Donald Trump, though the presumed Republican presidential nominee was still defeating both Biden and Harris by a 48% to 45% margin, respectively.
“And at the end of the day, we’d switch to candidates who would, according to polls, be less likely to win than Joe Biden — the only person ever to defeat Donald Trump," said Flaherty, who went on to acknowledge Biden's shortcomings in the debate.
“Yes, the debate started rough, but voters saw what a threat Donald Trump is to the country. It was more than just lying — though he did plenty of that,” he added.
Biden's performance reportedly led to "panic" among Democrats, according to longtime Democratic operative and CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod.
“He seemed a little disoriented. He did get stronger as the debate went on. But by that time, I think the panic had set in,” Axelrod said, adding that "there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”
Biden, 81, the oldest president in history, appeared opposite Trump, 78, on the debate stage for the first time since the 2020 election and did little to quell concerns about his vigor and energy. The president appeared to struggle with his voice, clearing his throat and coughing multiple times, and was often seen open-mouthed and staring when Trump spoke, occasionally struggling to finish sentences.