Biden Says 2024 Debate Was Not Very Consequential

Former President Joe Biden said he considered his June 27, 2024, debate with Donald Trump “not very consequential,” despite withdrawing from the presidential race 24 days later. In an interview published Wednesday, Biden said he expected another debate and that the absence of one did not change his view of the encounter.

“Look, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t made a mistake in a debate,” Biden said. “To me, it was not very consequential. First of all, I thought there’d be another debate, which there wasn’t.” He added that the lack of a second debate did not disturb him because he did not consider the first one consequential.

Biden ended his campaign on July 21, 2024, after the debate intensified scrutiny of his age and ability to serve another term. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee and lost to Trump in November 2024. Biden’s interview comments do not establish how much the debate influenced his decision to withdraw.

The debate, hosted by CNN, was watched by 51.3 million people across television networks, according to Nielsen figures cited in the reporting. Biden struggled to finish some sentences and answers during the broadcast,...