In the wake of what many are calling a historic and potentially game-changing presidential debate, former President Donald Trump has declared victory and shared a surprising prediction on the 2024 race.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday morning, Trump expressed confidence in his debate performance and said the Democratic nomination process was too far along to switch Biden out.
“It was a great honor to be on stage representing the people of our country,” Trump stated — a sharp contrast to the turmoil that has swept through President Joe Biden’s campaign.
The debate, held Thursday night in Atlanta, has sparked widespread panic and concern among Democrats about Biden’s disastrous performance and his general fitness for office.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign team was quick to capitalize on the perceived success, declaring that Trump had “delivered the greatest debate performance and victory in history to the largest voter audience in history.”
This bold claim was supported by a CNN flash poll conducted immediately after the debate, which showed 67% of viewers believing Trump had won, compared to just 33% for Biden.
Despite the widespread criticism of Biden’s performance, which included a raspy voice, rambling answers, and several instances where he appeared to lose his train of thought and become confused, Trump expressed his belief that Biden “will be the nominee” for the Democratic Party.
When pressed if Democrats will be Biden at the party’s convention in August, Trump dismissed the idea.
“No, I don’t think so,” Trump said.
The Republican leader’s confidence extended beyond Biden’s mental state.
“They wouldn’t have done any better. No one else would have been better,” he said about any potential Democratic Party rival that shared the debate stage.
The former president’s remarks come as the Biden campaign faces a crisis from within. Reports have emerged of panic among Democratic strategists, with some, including former White House officials like Jen Psaki and Kate Bedingfield, expressing deep concern about the future of Biden’s re-election bid.
The debate performance has added fuel to years of concern regarding Biden’s poor cognitive abilities, a topic that Republican rivals have used to hammer the White House.
Biden, for his part, attempted to put a positive spin on the disaster, telling reporters at an Atlanta Waffle House, “I think we did well.”
Or perhaps he couldn’t remember.
His campaign attempted to put a spin on the debate, claiming that Biden was suffering from a cold.
But Trump’s campaign co-chairs, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, pulled no punches in blasting Biden’s performance.
“Joe Biden on the other hand showed exactly why he deserves to be fired,” they said in a statement.
Despite “taking a week-long vacation at Camp David to prepare for the debate, Biden was unable to defend his disastrous record on the economy and the border.”
The debate and its aftermath have underscored the stark contrasts between the two candidates and their campaigns. While Trump projects an image of strength amid soaring polls, the Biden camp finds itself on the defensive, grappling with how to reassure voters and party officials alike about the president’s mental capabilities.
The impact of this debate is likely to reverberate through the coming months.
And it will allow Trump’s campaign to capitalize on every misstep by Biden — no matter how small.