Former President Joe Biden is facing sharp backlash after dismissing his disastrous 2024 debate performance against President Donald Trump as "not very consequential" — despite dropping out of the presidential race just 24 days later.
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Biden → face → race
When asked about what his "perspective" on the June 27, 2024 debate is now in an interview with People Magazine released Wednesday, Biden suggested he felt his debate performance was inconsequential.
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performance → ask → Magazine
"Look, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t made a mistake in a debate," Biden told People Magazine.
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Biden → look → Magazine
First of all, I thought there’d be another debate, which there wasn’t."
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I → think → all
"But notwithstanding the fact that there wasn’t another debate, it didn’t disturb me because it wasn’t consequential," he added.
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he → be → me
Biden's comments drew swift criticism on social media on Wednesday.
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comments → draw → Wednesday
"Joe Biden now claims his 2024 presidential debate against President Trump, which forced him to drop out of the race, was not very consequential," former Trump campaign operative Steve Cortes wrote Wednesday in an X post.
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Cortes → claim → post
"Just 24 days after the 'not very consequential' presidential debate, Joe Biden ended his campaign for President," Cortes added.
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Cortes → end → President
Conservative commentator Steve Guest wrote on X that Biden "is TOTALLY delusional."
Meanwhile, former National Republican Senatorial Committee senior adviser Matt Whitlock asserted in a Wednesday post on X that it was actually "the most consequential" presidential debate of all time.
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it → write → time
"It was without question the most consequential Presidential debate in history - he [Biden] likely would have stayed the nominee without it," Whitlock said.
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Whitlock → stay → it
"But I’m definitely excited for the other hot takes in the book now."
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I → ’m → book
C’mon, man!" Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quipped.
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DeSantis → quip → ?
During the presidential debate, Biden stumbled over his words, paused for long periods of time and displayed confused facial expressions.
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Biden → stumble → expressions
The Office of Joe and Jill Biden did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Office → respond → comment
"Biden subsequently dropped out of the presidential race on July 21, 2024, just a few weeks after the debate, amid mounting pressure from Democratic allies to end his re-election bid.
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Biden → drop → bid
Former first lady Jill Biden notably claimed in a CBS News Sunday Morning interview clip released in May 2026 that she thought her husband was having a stroke on stage during the debate.
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husband → claim → debate
Trump's White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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House → respond → comment
Additionally, Biden said Sunday that he plans to scale back public appearances promoting his new presidential memoir, "Promise Me, America," due to his cancer battle.
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he → say → battle
"My presidential memoir, PROMISE ME, AMERICA, is coming out on November 17th.
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memoir → promise → 17th
I hope you'll read it.
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you → hope → it
It covers my years as President.
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It → cover → President
The challenges we faced, the decisions I made, and why I made them.
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I → face → them
It's about who we are as a nation," Biden said in an X post.
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Biden → say → post
"What we stand for.
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we → stand → What
"While writing the book, I was diagnosed with cancer, a disease known all too well to millions of Americans and their families," the former president added.
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president → write → Americans
"My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I've responded to treatment.
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I → continue → treatment
And the prayers and kind words and well wishes from so many of you have meant more to me and Jill and our family than you can ever know.
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you → mean → me
It hasn't stopped me.
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It → stop → me
But sometimes it slows me down."
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it → slow → me