Anita Dunn, former White House aide, has provided insights into the reasons behind President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race against former President Donald Trump.
What Happened: During an interview with the Playbook Deep Dive podcast, Dunn stated that Biden’s early debate with Trump was not as catastrophic as it was perceived, reported Politico on Friday.
She pointed out that undecided voters did not favor Biden’s performance in the first half of the debate, but they appreciated his performance in the second half and disliked Trump.
However, the aftermath of the debate proved to be damaging.
“If you go back and you look at the polls, what you will see is you didn't see much movement whatsoever coming out of the debate because the structure of this campaign had been fairly static for a long time, and the debate didn't change that,” she stated.
Adding, “What did change it was 24 days of unremitting negative, horrible attacks on Joe Biden.”
Despite the setback, Dunn believed Biden could recover, drawing parallels with his comeback in the 2020 campaign after losing the first three primary contests.
But, unlike previous instances, key figures like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, former President Barack Obama, and Hakeem Jeffries were not convinced of Biden’s potential.
Why It Matters: Biden’s debate performance was criticized and attributed to a series of missteps by his top advisors. Critics blamed his lack of rest and poor preparation for his failure to counter Trump's repeated false claims.
At the time, Florida attorney and prominent Biden fundraiser John Morgan also suggested that senior aide Dunn and other individuals involved in the mishap should be dismissed.
Earlier this month, Vice President Kamala Harris secured the position of the Democratic Party's nominee for the November election. She has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
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