Democrats Privately Sound Alarm Bells About Joe Biden's Debate Performance

Democrats across the country are panicking after President Joe Biden’s underwhelming debate performance against Donald Trump on Thursday, with many privately hoping he will withdraw and allow a younger, more competent candidate to step in.

At least two Democratic operatives responded with images when asked to describe their feelings. A prominent Democratic pollster sent a photo of a baseball coach tapping his arm to signal the need for a pitching change. “Gotta really look at bringing someone in,” said the pollster, who, like virtually all Democrats who spoke to HuffPost, requested anonymity for professional reasons.

A second Democratic strategist responded with a gif of a suicidal anime character. The operative nonetheless balked at the idea of Biden withdrawing because they would not want Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

A third Democratic strategist described the debate as “John Fetterman debate-level bad, but somehow worse,” referencing the Pennsylvania senator’s wobbly performance months into his recovery from a stroke.

“Activate [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer,” the strategist said. “Have Harris take over the ticket.”

A Democrat running in a swing House seat also said they wanted Biden to withdraw from the race, citing concerns about his “lack of energy, lack of mental acuity” in an election with “too much at stake, namely democracy.”

As for how it could affect their race, the candidate said, “I worry it makes the hit on my opponent supporting Trump seem more reasonable when in reality it’s a huge negative.”

Steve Schmidt, a former Republican operative turned anti-Trump writer and consultant, called for a new presidential ticket led by Whitmer, with Maryland Gov.