Walz: Biden ‘had a bad night’ in first presidential debate but should be Democrats’ nominee

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended President Joe Biden after a halting debate performance Thursday that has sparked renewed concerns from some Democrats about his campaign for a second term.

Walz, who is an official surrogate of Biden’s re-election campaign, said on Fox News Friday morning that the president had a “bad night” on the debate stage but he still believes he should be the party’s nominee and can beat former President Donald Trump in a November rematch.

“The bottom line is, how do you deliver as president. As a governor, I’ve had the job under President Trump and under President Biden and the difference couldn’t be more stark,” Walz said. “The ability to be able deliver what governors need, the ability to deliver on things like infrastructure, simple things.”

Walz, who is serving his second term as Minnesota governor, is also head of the Democratic Governors Association, helping raise money and elect governors in critical states this fall. Asked directly if Biden should drop out of the race, Walz said Biden had “one bad night.”

“I think we could learn something from Republicans,” Walz said. “Republicans will not abandon President Trump through indictments, through whatever it may be.”

Biden’s raspy voice and uneven performance in the debate reinforced concerns for some that the 81-year-old is too old to run and serve a second term as president. He’s faced criticism from within his own party, including from Minnesota U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who said the nation needs a new generation of leaders in the White House. Phillips challenged Biden but suspended his campaign in March after a poor showing on Super Tuesday.

Phillips said Friday in a text that he was refraining from commenting on “the debate, the candidates, or the race,” at least for now, and said his only statement was his recent post on X, in which he quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who said: “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”

DFL U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said Trump showed “he is a serious threat to our nation” but called Biden’s debate performance “terrible,” leaving her party with “serious questions” that the president must answer urgently.

“We cannot rely solely on President Biden’s exemplary record of progress for the American people. He must prove that he is up to the job for the next four years,” McCollum said in a statement.

DFL Rep. Angie Craig, who had initially joined Phillips in calling for a new generation of leadership last year before supporting Biden, said the president didn’t clearly convey his message on the debate stage.

“Objectively, it was a terrible debate,” she said in a statement. “Donald Trump lied every time he opened his mouth and President Biden couldn’t communicate effectively.”

Republicans were eager to praise Trump’s performance, including Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the House Majority Whip, who said the former president “killed it” in the debate.

“He was as good as I’ve seen. He talked about all of his success. Whether it was the economy, it was the border, peace around the globe,” Emmer said. “And Joe Biden, it was embarrassing, it was troubling.”

Many other Democrats have defended Biden throughout the campaign, dismissing concerns about his age. DFL U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said Friday that she is standing with Biden post-debate and doesn’t think he should step aside for another Democrat to run.

“I think the president will be successful and we’re going to make sure he does defeat this monster,” said Omar, who said the focus should be on Trump.

Without saying if she thought Biden was still the best Democrat to run for the White House, former presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, indicated she planned to stand with the president after the debate.

“We heard about two different visions for our county last night. One where freedom and democracy are protected, and one where what’s best for the American people is completely disregarded. President Biden has led our country with integrity, and voters know what is at stake,” Klobuchar said in a statement.

Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, another Biden campaign surrogate, said Trump painted a “dark picture of what he wants America to be.”

“We fired him four years ago and voters will reassert their feelings in November by keeping him as far away from power as possible,” she said in a statement.

Walz acknowledged that the former president is a “performer, I will admit it, he’s entertaining,” Walz said. “But that’s not governing. That’s not what it takes to get things done.”

He added that Biden will get another chance on the debate stage in September. “I hear the concerns on this. The president is going to get another opportunity to do this,” he said.

“He needs to come back. I’ll give you that. He needs to come back and make the case.”