The world is reacting to Thursday’s debate, and one thing is clear: US allies are, at best, collectively face-palming at Biden’s performance.
At worst, they’re panicking.
Biden gave long-winded, mumbling answers in a low, hoarse voice, at times losing his train of thought and shifting topic mid-sentence or packing in policy descriptions that made it difficult to follow along.
Trump, in contrast, appeared energetic, focused, and relatively disciplined — even as the content of what he said was riddled with inaccuracies, lies, and misleading statements.
And the world noticed the difference.
Matteo Renzi, an Italian senator and former prime minister of Italy who has been close to the Democrats, cast doubt on Biden’s ability to continue running the country.
He wrote in a post on X, translated from Italian by Reuters, “Joe Biden can’t do it.”
He said Biden has served the US with honor, adding, “He doesn’t deserve an inglorious ending, he doesn’t deserve one. Changing horses is a duty for everyone,” according to Reuters.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed those concerns, telling reporters after an EU leaders summit on Friday, “I was afraid of this, in the sense that it was to be expected that in a direct confrontation, in a debate, it would not be easy for President Biden,” according to Bloomberg.
He added that Democrats “definitely have a problem,” Bloomberg reported. “These reactions are unequivocal.”
Former UK ambassador to the US Kim Darroch also didn’t mince words, telling Sky News Biden gave a “historically terrible performance.”
“This was just comprehensively bad. So bad in emphasizing the concerns which American voters already had about Biden – about his age, about his physical frailty,” Darroch told Sky News, adding that Trump’s performance was “pretty terrible too.”
And some countries are already predicting a tumultuous future.
“This night will not be forgotten,” Norbert Röttgen, a veteran German lawmaker, wrote in a post on X. “The Democrats have to rethink their choices now. And Germany must prepare at full speed for an uncertain future. If we don’t take responsibility for European security now, no one will.”
Kunihiko Miyake, a former Japanese diplomat, told Reuters, “Unlike eight years ago, we are much more prepared, as are other European and Asian allies. Still, Mr Trump is unpredictable.”
Things aren’t looking so good for Biden at home either. US media outlets are lambasting his performance, and some longtime Democratic operatives have started questioning if Biden should continue his campaign.
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