A former top advisor of Obama says Biden should drop out of the race

The first presidential debate left Joe Biden's candidacy weakened. His performance sowed doubts in the electorate about whether his cognitive abilities can allow him to remain the president. Seventy-four percent believe that the Democrat is too old to remain in office, compared with only 48% who think the same of Donald Trump, just three years younger. Biden also fails to be convincing to the Democrats themselves, who are increasingly calling on the Commander-in-Chief to put an end to his re-election bid.

The last of them was David Axelrod, historic strategist, consultant and advisor to Barack Obama, who has known Biden for years.

The political commentator weighed in on the issue in an opinion column published on CNN, in which he publicly called for the president to opt out of the campaign, something he believes will eventually end up happening sooner or later.

Biden "will step aside"

"The stakes are as great as Biden describes. And if he believes it, as I think he does, he will eventually do what duty and love of country requires, and step aside. If he does not, it will be Biden’s age, and not Trump’s moral and ethical void, that will dominate the rest of this most important campaign and sully the president’s historic legacy," Axelrod wrote.

Axel referred to the debate and the follow-up interview Biden gave to George Stephanopoulos. After calling the first event "disastrous" for the president, he was of the opinion that the interview failed to reassure Democrats and independents.

"Biden could be excused for wanting to put his awful debate performance in the rear view mirror. That was his purpose Friday in sitting down for the interview — to try and quell the panic that has gripped the Democratic Party. He didn’t succeed," the former Obama adviser continued.

While he remarked that his performance was more satisfactory than on June 27, he said he nevertheless failed to give a solid answer to the most important question of the interview: his health.

"But on the big question that now threatens his campaign — whether he still has the stamina and mental acuity to serve for four more years in the world’s toughest job — the 81-year-old president offered little reassurance beyond a proud recitation of his impressive first-term accomplishments," he noted.

"Dangerously out of touch with the concerns people have."

Axelrod elaborated on the interview with a post on X, in which he highlighted the role of the interviewer but again criticized the president's performance.

"The president is rightfully proud of his record. But he is dangerously out-of-touch with the concerns people have about his capacities moving forward and his standing in this race. Four years ago at this time, he was 10 points ahead of Trump. Today, he is six points behind," he posted on the aforementioned social network.

"I don't believe anyone could have handled a difficult and deeply personal interview with the president better than George Stephanopoulos did last night. His questions were respectful but firm and probing. He asked what needed to be asked, and did it with sensitivity," Axelrod proclaimed.