The debate, which took place in Atlanta, marked the first face-off between Biden and Trump in nearly four years. However, the event was overshadowed by concerns regarding Biden's age. At 81, he is the oldest President in U.S. history, and his struggle to maintain coherence during the debate has sparked calls from some Democrats for him to step down as the party's nominee.
According to Newsweek, there is no clear successor to Biden within the Democratic party, but with the election only four months away, Vice President Kamala Harris is a likely contender. At 59, Harris is significantly younger than both Biden and Trump, and she would be the most convenient choice for the Biden-Harris campaign to pivot to as the party's candidate. Moreover, should Biden resign, Harris would automatically ascend to the presidency.
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However, polling data paints a less than favorable picture for a potential Harris-Trump matchup. RealClearPolling averages indicate that Harris would face a greater disadvantage than Biden in a race against Trump. The former president leads Harris by 6.6 percentage points, garnering 49.3 percent support to Harris' 42.7 percent. In comparison, Trump leads Biden by a narrower margin of 1.5 points, with 46.6 percent to Biden's 45.1 percent.
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A poll conducted by Politico and Morning Consult earlier this month revealed that only a third of voters believe Harris would win the election if she were to become the Democratic nominee. Furthermore, only 3 in 5 Democrats believe she would emerge victorious.
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Since assuming office, Harris has faced criticism for her lack of a prominent, well-defined role in the Biden administration. Less than a year into Biden's presidency, the White House was compelled to issue a statement in response to criticisms that Harris had not met expectations.
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a November 2021 statement, asserted, "For anyone who needs to hear it. @VP is not only a vital partner to @POTUS but a bold leader who has taken on key, important challenges facing the country—from voting rights to addressing root causes of migration to expanding broadband."
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Despite this, Harris' reputation has been marred by her handling of the border crisis, a task assigned to her by the president. More than three years since her appointment as Biden's border czar, immigration remains a top concern among voters. Polling data shows that Harris' approval rating, much like Biden's and Trump's, is underwater. Less than 40 percent of Americans approve of her performance as vice president, with nearly half expressing disapproval.
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However, Harris does outperform Biden, whose approval rating hovers around 38 percent, with 56 percent of Americans disapproving of his performance as president. Conversely, 42 percent of Americans hold a favorable opinion of Trump, while about 53 percent view him unfavorably.
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Despite the criticism and polling data, Harris remains a staunch supporter of Biden. Following the debate, she defended the president's performance, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper that despite a "slow start," Biden ended the event with "a strong finish."
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"What we saw tonight was the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people," she stated. When Cooper suggested that Biden's debate performance had disappointed many viewers, Harris retorted, "I'm not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I've been watching the last three and a half years of performance."
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As the election draws closer, the potential for a Harris-Trump matchup remains a topic of speculation and debate. The performance of both Biden and Harris in their respective roles continues to be scrutinized, with the future of the Democratic party hanging in the balance.
