Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told CNN on Tuesday that President Joe Biden "needs to be honest with himself" about his debate performance and that "it wasn't just a horrible night," implying that Biden's cognitive challenges are unlikely to go away.
Last Thursday night, Biden and former President Donald Trump squared off on CNN in the first of two televised debates. The overwhelming consensus was that Biden appeared frail and confused for much of the debate, causing concern among members of both parties that he is not up to task of being president.
"We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn't just a horrible night," Quigley told CNN host Kasie Hunt on Tuesday.
"But I won't go beyond that out of my respect and understanding for President Joe Biden, a very proud person who has served us extraordinarily for 50 years. I just want him to appreciate at this time just how much this impacts not just his race but all the other races coming in November."
Biden's inability to look focused and strong during the debate has initiated talk of the Democrats finding a replacement for Biden in the months remaining before the November elections. Many have cited numerous problems with that scenario, chief of which being the vast sums of money that have already been donated to Biden can't just be assigned to another candidate. Experts have noted that Vice President Kamala Harris would control most of the money the campaign has accumulated if she were to slide into the presidential role.
Quigley was cautious in his criticism of Biden but made sure to tell the outlet that Biden's remaining on the ticket "will have implications for decades to come" if the public doesn't support down-ballot Democrats in November. He also noted the decision to stay in the race or step down "is clearly only his."
The representative from Illinois made sure to cite his loyalty and appreciation for Biden for his half century of public office and said, "I think his four years are one of the great presidencies of our lifetime."