Local Democratic leaders are largely standing behind President Joe Biden as the party nominee after his shaky performance at last week’s debate left many Democrats uncertain.
During the June 27 debate, Biden several times struggled to articulate his points and seemed to lose his train of thought. The incident reignited discussions on if the president can defeat former president Donald Trump in November, and if he should drop out of the race.
But those Brooklyn politicians who have spoken up have voiced their support of the president. U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Brooklyn/Manhattan) said there was “no question” that Biden had an off night, but that “nobody is defined by their best night or worst night.”
“Presidents are defined by their record, and last night we saw one candidate with decency, honor, and integrity who has helped working families throughout America and has historically invested in our infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy independence up against a lying, corrupt felon who didn’t accept responsibility for January 6, would not agree to a peaceful transfer of power, proudly took responsibility for taking away a woman’s reproductive freedom, and vowed to raise inflation and the national debt by cutting taxes even more for the super wealthy,” Goldman said in a statement.
The congress member said the choice between the two is “clear.”
Biden acknowledged — and seemed to defend — his performance during a speech in North Carolina the day after the debate.
“I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth,” he said. “I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job, I know how to get things done. And I know what millions of Americans know: When you get knocked down, you get back up.”
That sentiment was echoed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents parts of central Brooklyn in Congress.
“A setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback,” Jeffries said on X on June 29. “Vote.”
The president also has the full support of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, a spokesperson told Brooklyn Paper on June 28.
“The Brooklyn Democratic Party wholeheartedly endorses President Joe Biden for re-election,” the spox said. “The Biden-Harris Administrations’ strong track record of historic accomplishments uplifting all Americans and upholding democracy are not up for debate—especially against a convicted felon and insurrectionist who refuses to answer if he’ll accept the election results or incite political violence again.”
The spox said Brooklynites have seen “quality of life improve across the board” under the Biden administration.
Some local Dems, though, are not convinced Biden is the right choice.
In a video posted on X, Council Member Chi Ossé called on the president to “step aside.”
“The debate was a disaster, but it’s not too late for us to nominate someone who can actually win,” Ossé said. “Democrats pick our nominee at the convention in August. That gives us two months to find and support a replacement. If we actually cared about defeating Donald Trump in November, we have to have this conversation now.”
Local Republicans denounced Biden’s performance, but for different reasons. Council Member Inna Vernikov said the president’s presence on the stage represented a “sad state of affairs.”
“How anyone could watch this and come away thinking we’re strong and prosperous under this administration is beyond me,” she told amNewYork Metro. “My question is, who has really been running the country for the past four years? I think the right choice in this election is very clear.”
The reaction to Biden’s surprising performance in the debate has overshadowed Trump’s. Though the former president appeared more confident, his attacks on Biden were largely false or misleading. The former president falsely said Democrats support abortion up until birth, and claimed — without evidence to support it — that his administration had seen the “greatest economy in the history of our country.”
Outside of elected officials, two-thirds of debate-watchers polled by CNN said they felt Trump had a better performance than Biden. In contrast, most debate watchers in 2020 felt Biden outperformed Trump in both presidential debates.
Though some Dems have called for the president to step down and allow another nominee to take over, Biden appears dedicated to staying in the race. The New York Times reported that the president spent the weekend at Camp David with family, strategizing about how best to recover from the debate stumble.
