Biden 'cannot have a senior moment' in debate or risks losing his own supporters, warns MSNBC analyst
MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan warned that President Biden cannot afford to have a "senior moment" in next week’s presidential debate against former President Trump.
Jordan cited several Democratic voters she spoke to recently on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" Friday, stating they are most concerned about Biden looking "up to the task" during the match up.
"He absolutely cannot have a senior moment at this debate," the analyst declared, noting that Biden’s age is top concern among his own voters.
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Liberal voters’ worries about Biden’s age came up while the MSNBC panel – which included Jordan, show host Jonathan Lemire, and columnist Eugene Robinson – discussed the finalized rules and format for the upcoming 90-minute debate hosted by CNN on June 27.
After the panel discussed the coin flip that resulted in Biden picking which podium he will debate from and Trump being given the final statement in the match-up, as well as going over other details, Jordan jumped in with what Democratic voters in Wisconsin and Michigan told her they wanted to see from the debate.
"Well, the Biden campaign needs to set the narrative early that Biden is competent and capable to lead going forward," the pundit said, which she followed up with her "senior moment" remark.
"I was in Wisconsin and Michigan two weeks ago for a lot of focus groups, and what I heard from voters, Democrats who support Biden, is just that they’re going to be watching and they want to make sure that he’s up to the task," she added.
She said Democrats she talked to still likely plan to support him but are uncomfortable about his age.
"And it really is an albatross that is hanging around this candidate and campaign," Jordan declared.
During a recent CNN appearance, network commentator Van Jones also stressed that Biden needs to prove himself at this debate, or it’s "game over."
"This is the entire election, as far as I’m concerned. The entire world will be watching," Jones told CNN host Jim Acosta on Thursday. "If you are a carbon-based life form, you’re going to be watching. If you’ve got a functioning brain stem, you’re going to be watching."
"Because if Biden goes out there and messes up, it’s game over. If he walks out there and a week later he’s lower in the polls, it’s panic in the party," he continued. "But if he goes in there and he can handle himself against Donald Trump — a runaway train, a locomotive, a raging bull — then this guy deserves another shot to be president, because that is tough."
Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.