The job was to spin, and so they had their work lower out for them.
Within the minutes after the presidential debate ended on Thursday evening, a cluster of Democrats walked into the spin room to defend their candidate, an 81-year-old president who confirmed up after per week of debate preparations with a hoarse voice, a head swimming with information and figures, and an incapacity to comprise the reality-bending and sometimes fact-free bluster of his opponent, Donald J. Trump.
For a lot of the talk, Mr. Biden appeared down, or appeared wide-eyed and slack-jawed, absorbing what was occurring, indignant however unable to hit again. At instances he spoke right into a microphone that had been lower off in accordance with debate guidelines his staff had outlined.
So it was a little bit of an uphill climb. The crew had the troublesome job of attempting to advertise the insurance policies the president tried however typically did not espouse, with out calling consideration to the one factor Mr. Biden couldn’t outrun: his age.
“I’d by no means flip my again on President Biden’s document,” Gov. Gavin Newsom of California stated, when requested whether or not he supported the whispers — swiftly rising to a shriek — amongst some Democrats who believed Mr. Biden’s efficiency was dangerous sufficient to warrant being struck from the ticket. He added: “I used to be very happy with the president.”
And on went the sober scene among the many small clutch of surrogates, who had been all clearer messengers for the president’s insurance policies than Mr. Biden himself had been over the course of greater than 90 minutes onstage.
The Trump facet beat them to the ground by a number of minutes, and at the very least a dozen surrogates had been swaggering. Lara Trump, the co-chairwoman of the Republican Nationwide Committee, stated that, from what she had seen, “it was very clear” that the theme of the talk was “energy versus weak spot.”
She skated over questions from reporters about her father-in-law’s makes an attempt to rewrite historical past about his actions throughout the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.
Within the different nook, Mr. Newsom and Mary Trump, a niece of Mr. Trump who has develop into an outspoken critic, had been flanked by Rep. Robert Garcia of California, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Every of them appeared stone-faced as they listened to at least one one other assault Mr. Trump.
Mr. Newsom was requested whether or not he would settle for the occasion’s nomination if it got here to that. “I’d by no means flip my again on President Biden,” he repeated.
Not precisely a no.
Ms. Trump, who wrote a e book through which she alleged that her uncle had lengthy embraced “dishonest as a lifestyle,” stayed quiet and appeared on the ground when she was requested whether or not Mr. Biden’s efficiency had made her nervous.
“Folks can select between a con in chief and a commander in chief,” Ms. Crockett stated. “What we noticed was somebody who sat up there and was appearing as if he was some used automotive salesman that needed to only inform us no matter and faux as if it was truth. The truth is that our president submitted to you what seems to be like substance.”
Mr. Trump’s vice-presidential hopefuls, in the meantime, unfurled throughout the room prefer it was a bizarro-world magnificence pageant, minus the sashes.
The contestant from North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum, greeted reporters and hailed the evening as a win for Mr. Trump, as did Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ben Carson, who served as Mr. Trump’s secretary of Housing and City Improvement.
Close by, Mr. Biden’s outdated buddy Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stared gravely into the glare of cameras. He hated to say it, he stated, however he frightened that Mr. Biden was not match to be commander in chief for the subsequent six months, not to mention for the subsequent 4 years.
“I’m frightened that we now have a state of affairs on the planet the place the president appears to be compromised,” Mr. Graham stated. “What we noticed tonight was a person who was extra confused than not. The dangerous guys are watching, too.”
Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Mr. Trump who has orbited across the former president for years and flew to Atlanta aboard Mr. Trump’s airplane, stated that Mr. Trump “put collectively coherent sentences” whereas Mr. Biden “appeared out of his depth.”
In a ballroom throughout city, patrons of a debate-watch occasion waited for Mr. Biden to seem and do some spinning of his personal.
The primary woman, Jill Biden, praised her husband for answering the questions he was requested. Mr. Biden stated that his opponent had lied the entire means via.
“I can’t consider one factor that he stated was true,” Mr. Biden stated. He targeted extra on Mr. Trump’s efficiency than his personal.
“We’re going to beat this man,” Mr. Biden stated later. “We have to beat this man. And I want you to beat him.”
The group responded, “We’d like you!”
At a Waffle Home after the talk, Mr. Biden briefly spoke with reporters, telling them his hoarse voice was due to a sore throat. He stated he had felt he had achieved effectively.
“It’s exhausting to debate a liar,” the president stated.
Alan Blinder contributed reporting from Atlanta.
