Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, like many Americans, tuned into the presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. However, one particular moment from the chaotic night caught his attention and he couldn’t stop watching it. The next morning, Portnoy posted a clip from the debate on X (formerly known as Twitter) with the caption, “I can’t stop watching this.”
The clip featured President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, addressing her husband after his participation in the debate. “Joe, you did such a great job, you answered every question, you knew all the facts,” she said, while the camera zoomed in on the president’s face as he cracked a smile. Jill then turned to the audience and shouted, “And let me ask the crowd, what did Trump do? Lie!” The crowd erupted in cheers.
Portnoy’s post quickly garnered a lot of attention and comments from fans. Many seemed to agree with his fascination with the moment. One fan commented, “Two scoops tonight for the big boy. Talking to him like a toddler…” Another added, “It’s like a mother talking to her toddler and giving him a gold star for effort.” However, some criticized Portnoy for his political views, with comments like, “Dave, you voted for this guy?? 😂😂,” and “You voted for this man, Dave. Sad.”
The debate also sparked a significant political reaction. Following the debate, there was an increased push from Republicans to consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove the 81-year-old Biden from office. On Friday, GOP Representative Chip Roy revealed his intention to propose a resolution urging Vice President Kamala Harris to use her constitutional authority to convene the Cabinet and declare Biden unfit for his presidential duties.
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which has been in place since 1967 but never used, allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet or Congress to determine if the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” If this happens, the Vice President would immediately become the acting president, in this case, Harris.
The debate itself was filled with notable moments. President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, faced off against each other at the first 2024 presidential debate in Atlanta. The 90-minute debate, moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, covered topics such as immigration, abortion, inflation, Charlottesville, and climate change, while also featuring personal attacks between the candidates.
Biden’s performance was a focal point for many viewers and pundits. The President frequently stumbled on his words and at times rambled off into tangents that were difficult to follow. At one point, Trump remarked, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.” This comment, among others, sparked a strong reaction online. Some Biden supporters expressed their disappointment, with one tweet reading, “If you don’t live in the US, please turn the debate off. This is our private family humiliation, and we’d all prefer you not stare.”
Famous author Stephen King also weighed in, expressing concern about the future of the country given how the debate had been commercialized. He tweeted, “DEBATE NIGHT IN AMERICA! Sweet Jesus! The networks are packaging this as entertainment, like a boxing match, and selling democracy down the river. It’s a shame.”
Towards the end of the debate, an argument over golf drew an especially strong reaction online. Co-moderator Bash asked both candidates what they would say to voters who question their capability to serve, given their ages. Trump responded by saying that he is in “very good health,” highlighting this by mentioning he had just won two regular golf club championships. “To do that you have to be able to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way… He [Biden] can’t hit a ball 50 yards,” Trump said. “He challenged me to a golf match, he can’t hit a ball 50 yards.”
In response, Biden said he would be happy to play golf with Trump if Trump could carry his own bag. Biden also mentioned that when he was Vice President, he was able to bring his Golfing Handicap score, a numerical score used to ensure golfers can fairly play other golfers of equal ability, “down to a 6.” This exchange left many viewers who don’t play golf confused and others shocked that the topic of golf had found its way into the presidential debate. The exchange became the subject of several social media reactions.
One tweet read, “These dudes have been calling each other the worst President in history for 80 straight minutes — and neither one of them got really offended until their golf skills were questioned. Hahaha.” Another tweet stated, “I don’t care about your golf swings. Either of you.”
The debate and its aftermath have certainly provided plenty of fodder for discussion, both online and offline. Dave Portnoy’s fascination with Jill Biden’s supportive moment towards her husband is just one of many reactions that highlight the diverse and often polarized views of the American public.
Source: Newsweek, TIME
