- David Axelrod said Republicans should be concerned if Biden left race
- READ MORE: Biggest moments of the Biden-Trump debate in Atlanta
Former top Obama official David Axelrod suggested it is Republicans who should be concerned come November if President Biden is not at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket after his cringe-inducing debate performance.
Axelrod appeared on CNN following Thursday's first debate, in Atlanta, during which Biden, 81, stumbled through his responses and paused at times in a way that had some Democrats handwringing by the end of the crucial, 90-minute live event.
After the debate, as Democrats were sounding alarms and Republicans were declaring Trump had won, Axelrod turned to the Republican strategists appearing on the panel with him.
'If, for whatever reason, there’s a change at the top of the ticket, you guys are in trouble with Donald Trump because the guy who was up there tonight is not a guy who’s going to inspire people,' Axelrod said.
'He did not show in any way that he has changed,' Axelrod continued forcefully.
Former top Obama aide David Axelrod said it is Republicans who should be concerned if Biden were not at the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden's debate performance had some operatives concerned
One of the GOP strategists on the panel, Scott Jennings, pushed back.
'Trump won several policy exchanges tonight,' Jennings said. He mentioned immigration and the economy.
However, Jennings agreed with Axelrod’s assessment on Trump’s lack of optimism.
'He should have turned the page and sounded an optimistic note on what we could become as a people and as a country,' Jennings said. 'He did not do that.'
But Jennings argued that what people will remember from the debate is Biden 'shuffling out.'
Axelrod responded by reiterating his original point.
Axelrod did say the chances of Biden dropping out were 'pretty remote' but some strategists were calling for Democrats to replace their presumptive nominee before the debate had even wrapped up after Biden made a series of early stumbles
Axelrod said while Biden did not have a good night, neither did Donald Trump and warned he is not a candidate who would inspire people
'If Joe Biden were not the candidate, if there was another candidate, I think that Donald Trump would be in deep trouble,' the veteran political operative said.
Axelrod acknowledged that it was not a good night for the Democratic president, but he said Trump did not have a great night either during the first debate.
He also pointed out that it's 'pretty remote' that Biden would walk away.
Axelrod was not the only one who said Republicans should have concerns about the idea of Biden not being on the Democratic presidential ticket.
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley had a strong reaction on X that appeared to echo Axelrod's point.
'Biden will not be the Democrat nominee. Republicans, get your guard up!' she wrote.
