Staunch Biden Supporter Paul Krugman Gives Up On President After Debate Fiasco? 'We Need To Recognize Reality'

President Joe Biden lost considerable support following what is perceived to be a dismal performance in the first presidential debate held Thursday. Noted economist Paul Krugman, who is pro-Biden, said on Friday that it might be time for the president to call it quits.

What Happened: Biden failed to rise to the occasion when it really mattered, said Krugman in a New York Times opinion piece. He took exception to the lack of real-time fact-checking as Biden’s opponent in the debate, Donald Trump, “spewed a fire hose of lies.” He also lamented “theater criticism” taking the place of policy analysis.

Krugman said Biden has excellent credentials as president and that he considers him the best president in his adult life. But the Nobel laureate might now have to “reluctantly” join the chorus of people clamoring for the president to step aside voluntarily.

“Maybe some Biden loyalists will consider this a betrayal, given how much I have supported his policies, but I fear that we need to recognize reality,” the economist said.

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Potential Replacement: Krugman said Biden should be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Harris, who served as the first female District Attorney in San Francisco’s history, has been quite effective as vice president and would ensure the continuation of Biden’s policies, he said.

“Choosing her as his successor would in no sense be settling for less,” he added.

While conceding that Harris did not do well in the 2020 Democratic primaries, Krugman said she would not have no problem making the case for choosing her over Trump.

The economist raised the possibility of some American voters not yet ready to embrace a Black woman for the presidency. The vice president, however, can choose someone from among the “excellent governors” as her running mate, he said.

“In any case, although I hate to see Biden in this position, he's a good man, and I hope he'll do the right thing,” he added.

A recent Morning Consult poll states that 30% of Democrats want Harris to take over if Biden were to drop out, followed by 20% who picked California Governor Gavin Newsom as their favorite.

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