
Presidential debate: Incumbent usually struggles with first faceoff, even Reagan and Obama, expert says
Fox News
Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama struggled in debates but went on to strong re-election wins. Reagan recorded a 49-state landslide over Democrat Walter Mondale.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
Biden faced scathing criticism from the media and prompted reports of panic within his party after what many described as a disastrous faceoff with Trump. The pair stood even in the polls before the debate, but Trump gained a few points over the weekend after the debate.
Biden appeared to struggle with his answers and stumbled with his words, prompting Trump at one point to say, "I have no idea what he just said." Democratic governors have scheduled a meeting with Biden for later this week, and Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, on Tuesday became the first elected Democrat to urge Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and allow a new candidate to face Trump.