In response to growing concerns from top Democrats about President Biden’s shaky debate performance on Thursday night, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped forward to defend him during interviews on CNN and MSNBC. She emphasized that Biden should be evaluated based on his record in office rather than his debate stumbles.
“Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong,” Harris stated, even as CNN’s Anderson Cooper pressed her repeatedly on Biden’s handling of the debate.
“What we saw tonight was the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris said. “What became very clear over the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance.”
She acknowledged that Biden had a rocky start, saying, “It was a slow start, that’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that.”
At a virtual debate watch party with supporters before her CNN appearance, Harris seemed to read from prepared remarks to reassure them.
“He got into a groove where it counted,” Harris said. “Our president showed that he will win the election.”
On CNN, Harris argued that the election should be decided “on substance,” not debate style. She also sought to underscore the false claims made by former President Donald J. Trump throughout the debate and raise concerns about potential restrictions on abortion access if Trump were to return to office.
In the subsequent MSNBC interview, she consistently described Biden’s messaging as “clear” and noted that his commitment to enshrine abortion access during a second term was particularly strong during the debate.
Acknowledging once more that Biden had a slow start, Harris added, “I thought it was a strong finish.”
Harris is expected to address supporters at a rally in Las Vegas on Friday.
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