Former Obama adviser Van Jones sounds the alarm, predicting that President Biden's chances of winning re-election could be diminished if he falters in the upcoming debate with former President Trump.
Former Obama adviser and CNN commentator Van Jones has issued a stark warning to President Biden, emphasizing the pivotal importance of the upcoming presidential debate in shaping the outcome of his re-election campaign.
Jones believes that if Biden makes any significant mistakes during the debate, his chances of retaining the presidency could be severely compromised. "This is the entire election, as far as I'm concerned. The entire world will be watching," he told CNN host Jim Acosta on Thursday.
Biden's Re-election Fate Hinges on First Presidential Debate, Warns Van Jones
He further elaborated that if Biden delivers a weak performance, it could trigger panic within the Democratic Party and effectively end his chances of victory. "If he walks out there and a week later he's lower in the polls, it's panic in the party," he said.
However, Jones also expressed optimism that if Biden can effectively counter Trump's attacks and demonstrate his competence, he will have earned the right to another term in office. "But if he goes in there and he can handle himself against Donald Trump — a runaway train, a locomotive, a raging bull — then this guy deserves another shot to be president, because that is tough."
Biden's Re-election Fate Hinges on First Presidential Debate, Warns Van Jones
Legal analyst and former Trump White House counsel Jim Schulz, who was also a guest on Acosta's show, expressed skepticism about Biden's ability to dispel concerns about his mental acuity through a single debate performance. "There's just too much out there in terms of social media, television, any of the videos, everything that's been captured of him walking off-stage, lost. That's in people's minds and they're worried about it," Schulz said.
Despite these concerns, Jones believes that Biden's image as a potentially feeble candidate could actually work to his advantage in the debate. "I do think it's to Biden's advantage because they keep acting like he's going to walk out there and fall asleep or fall over so just the fact that he's not going to do that. He is sharp on policy," he said.
Biden's Re-election Fate Hinges on First Presidential Debate, Warns Van Jones
The first presidential debate is scheduled to take place on June 27 in Atlanta, hosted by CNN and moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Both candidates have agreed to have their microphones muted when it is not their turn to speak during the 90-minute debate.
