Philadelphia Inquirer calls for Trump to drop out of race after Biden's poor debate performance

The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board has called for former President Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race following his recent debate performance, which they described as a "bombastic litany of lies."

In the aftermath of the debate, President Joe Biden's performance has sparked significant media speculation and calls for him to withdraw from the race from within his own party. Critics highlighted Biden's poor cognitive state during the debate, where he appeared dazed, confused, and lost his train of thought multiple times. Many Democrats have expressed concern that Biden’s continued presence on the ticket could result in a loss to Trump.

Despite this, the Inquirer editorial board argued that it is Trump, not Biden, who should exit the race.

"The debate about the debate is misplaced. The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump," the editorial board stated in a piece published on Saturday. The board also criticized the decision to include Trump in the debate, questioning why he was given a platform.

"Yes, Biden had a horrible night. He’s 81 and not as sharp as he used to be. But Biden on his worst day remains lightyears better than Trump on his best," they asserted.

The editorial board praised Biden's “substantive record” and “accomplishments” on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic,  climate change, infrastructure, and support for working families. In contrast, they criticized Trump for allegedly lying throughout the debate, claiming he told “30 lies during the debate to go with the more than 30,000 mistruths told during his four years as president.” The board also accused Trump of dodging questions and blaming others, mostly Biden, for the country’s issues.

"The debate served as a reminder of what another four years of Trump would look like. More lies, grievance, narcissism, and hate. Supporters say they like Trump because he says whatever he thinks. But he mainly spews raw sewage," the Inquirer wrote.

The editorial, however, largely avoided pointing out the debunked and false conspiracies that Biden pushed regarding Trump’s presidency. During the debate, Biden referenced the debunked Charlottesville hoax, incorrectly claiming that Trump called Nazis “fine people.” Biden also repeated false claims that Trump called soldiers “suckers and losers” and inaccurately stated that Trump incited violence by predicting a "bloodbath" if he were not elected in the fall.

Notably, Biden said no US soldiers died on his watch, forgetting the 13 who died during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and the three American soldiers killed in Jordan in January.