Even Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden's debate performance was rough

Pressed repeatedly, Vice President Harris said she's "not going to debate" that Biden had a "slow start" at the debate.

• Joe Biden flailed in his first debate against Donald Trump.
• It was so bad that even Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged it.
• "It was a slow start, that's obvious to everyone," she said on CNN.

Even Vice President Kamala Harris said Joe Biden's first debate against Donald Trump went poorly for him.

"Yes there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish," Harris said at the beginning of an interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper following the debate.

Pressed later on whether she was concerned, Harris reiterated the point: "It was a slow start, that's obvious to everyone. I'm not going to debate that point. I'm talking about the choice of November."

On the whole, Harris sought to downplay the significance of the performance. She pivoted repeatedly toward emphasizing the Biden administration's record and talking up Trump's anti-democratic comments and opposition to abortion rights.

"I understand why everyone wants to talk about it," Harris said of Biden's performance. "But I think it's also important to recognize that the choice in November between these two people that were on the debate stage involves extraordinary stakes."

The vice president is among several Democrats who could plausibly replace Biden as the party's presidential nominee, should he choose to step aside.

Many Democrats are in a state of panic after Thursday night's debate, where Biden appeared frail and frequently made nonsensical comments.