Alyssa Farah Griffin, co-host of “The View,” expressed her disillusionment with President Biden’s administration following his recent debate performance against former President Trump. During a discussion on the ABC daytime talk show, Griffin revealed her feelings of being misled about Biden’s fitness for office. “I feel duped,” she stated, reflecting on the CNN debate held in Atlanta.
Griffin, who has transitioned from being a Trump administration official to a vocal critic of the 45th president, was particularly struck by Biden’s performance. “I feel like I’ve been told this guy’s doing gymnastics,” she remarked, highlighting her disappointment. The debate performance raised significant concerns for Griffin, who described it as “historically bad” and emphasized the critical nature of the current political climate.
The debate performance has reignited discussions about Biden’s fitness for office, a topic that had already been under scrutiny following a Wall Street Journal report suggesting signs of cognitive decline. Despite assurances from Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, about the president’s capabilities, Griffin’s reaction to the debate was one of genuine shock. “I was genuinely in shock last night watching this,” she told her co-hosts.
Griffin’s concerns about Biden’s age and performance were not new, but the debate brought them into sharper focus. “Even though I had concerns for a couple of years about Biden’s age, it was stunningly worse than I expected,” she admitted. She also noted that while Trump was also problematic during the debate, Biden’s performance was so poor that it overshadowed Trump’s behavior. “Donald Trump was a mess, he lied his way through, but Joe Biden’s performance was so bad that it eclipsed everything that Donald Trump said because the distraction was on Joe Biden’s performance,” she explained.
Griffin’s critique extended to Biden’s campaign strategy, which has heavily focused on portraying Trump as a threat to democracy. While she agreed with this characterization of Trump, she questioned Biden’s ability to effectively counter him. “Biden has been running on Donald Trump as a threat to democracy. He’s a threat to our values. I agree with him on that. Donald Trump is a threat to American democracy,” she said. However, she joined other voices in questioning whether Biden should seek a second term, given his debate performance.
“We need someone who can beat [Trump]. I’ve been told for a long time, put … country before party and support Joe Biden’s run,” Griffin stated. She urged Biden to consider stepping aside for the good of the country. “Biden needs to put country before his own ambition, and he needs to step aside and pass the baton,” she argued, suggesting that any other Democrat would have a better chance of defeating Trump.
Griffin’s co-hosts on “The View” shared similar sentiments. Sara Haines, while expressing her willingness to vote for Biden if he remains the nominee, also called for him to step down. “It was really hard to watch and it pains me to say this today, but I think President Biden needs to step down and be replaced,” Haines said. She emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging those close to Biden to have difficult conversations about his future. “If we want to defeat Donald Trump in November then I absolutely think that. I think Biden’s team saw it coming. That’s why they pushed for an earlier debate, so they would have time to change course if needed. But they’ve got to act fast,” she added.
Haines also criticized the Democratic Party’s handling of concerns about Biden’s age. “Democrats need to stop spinning the age problem,” she said. She pointed out that while some Democrats have downplayed these concerns, Biden’s debate performance made them undeniable. “A lot of people are concerned with his age and the Democrats have twisted themselves into a pretzel saying, ‘Don’t believe your lying eyes. It’s not true,'” she noted.
Despite her criticisms, Haines made it clear that she would still support Biden over Trump. “If November comes and Donald Trump and Joe Biden are on the ticket, I will 100% be voting for President Biden. The alternative is too scary for me,” she stated. However, she acknowledged that many others might not feel the same way.
Griffin echoed Haines’ sentiments, describing Biden’s performance as “stunningly worse than I expected.” She reiterated the need for Biden to prioritize the country’s needs over his own ambitions. “Biden’s performance was so bad it eclipsed everything Donald Trump said,” she said. “Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy. We need someone who can beat him…[Joe] needs to put country before his own ambition and he needs to step aside and pass the baton.”
Ana Navarro, another co-host, defended Biden more passionately, arguing that a single debate should not overshadow his entire political career. “Until Joe Biden tells me he’s giving up, I’m not giving up on Joe Biden,” Navarro declared, receiving applause from the audience. She framed the choice as one between “a very old man vs. a very bad man,” emphasizing that her support for Biden remains steadfast.
The debate and its aftermath have sparked a broader conversation about the future of the Democratic Party and its leadership. As the 2024 election approaches, these discussions will likely intensify, with many looking to see how Biden and his team respond to the growing concerns about his fitness for office.
Source: TheHill.com, Variety, TVLine
