'Deep Panic' Among Democrats after Biden's Debate Performance, CNN Says

There is a "very aggressive panic" throughout the Democrat Party following the first presidential debate Thursday, according to panelists on CNN.

Many commentators agreed that President Joe Biden's demeanor caused "damage" for his party ahead of the election in November. Questions were again raised about the president's health early into the night, and some progressives called for Democrats to pick a different candidate before voters head to the polls.

"This was a game-changing debate in the sense that right now as we speak, there is a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party," said John King, chief national correspondent for CNN.

"It started minutes into the debate, and it continues right now," he continued. "It involves party strategists. It involves elected officials. It involves fundraisers. And they're having conversations about the president's performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and they're having conversations about what they should do about it."

CNN's Abby Phillips said that she agreed with King's takeaways and that the "panic" she was receiving from members in the Democratic Party "is not like anything that I have heard in this campaign so far."

David Axelrod, who served as chief strategist for former President Barack Obama's campaigns, said that he could not "argue" with King and Phillips' points regarding how Democratic leaders were "reacting" to the debate.

Biden took on former President Donald Trump for the first time in the 2024 election season Thursday night. Preliminary polling has shown that the candidates are in a head-to-head battle for another term in the White House. Many Americans have also indicated that they are dissatisfied with either candidate being the presumptive choices for their respective political parties in November.

One major point of concern from viewers that circulated online was the sound of Biden's voice throughout the debate, which appeared at times to be raspy and shallow. An aide for the president told Newsweek late Thursday night that the president has been battling a cold.

Political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz posted to social media that he watched the debate along with a focus group of undecided voters, who he said appeared "surprised and concerned" about the tone of the president's voice.

Later in the night, Luntz posted that the focus group "wants Joe Biden to step aside."

"They like him and respect him—most voted for him in 2020," Luntz added to X, formerly Twitter. "But they want him to go. Tonight was a political earthquake."

Several progressives also called for Biden to be replaced before voters hit the polls. The Democratic National Committee is scheduled to make its official presidential nomination at its convention, set for August 19.

"Guys, the Dems should nominate someone else - before it's too late," said Andrew Yang, a 2020 presidential Democratic candidate, in a post to X roughly halfway though Thursday's debate.

Democratic consultant and former Obama aide Johanna Maska also raised calls to replace Biden before November. In a video posted to X, Maska said that Trump was "lying in so many ways" throughout the debate night and is a "terrible" choice.

"But we can not do this Democrats," Maska continued. "Joe Biden can't put a sentence together. We have to change our candidate, and we have so many good candidates who are sitting on the sidelines."

Maska floated several names as a potential replacement for Biden, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Representative Ro Khanna and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

"We have so many candidates right now, and this--we can't combat this guy?" Maska said, referring to an image of Trump on the screen behind her.

Trump often sidestepped questions from the moderators Thursday and repeated many of the false tropes he has used throughout his campaign, including claims about abortion, trade policies and job growth.

Vice President Kamala Harris offered a supportive view of her running mate while speaking with CNN after the debate Thursday night, telling the network, "There was a slow start but there was a strong finish."

Biden also appeared to have no plans to leave the race following the debate, telling a group of supporters at a watch party nearby the event's venue, "See you at the next one," according to the Associated Press.

Newsweek reached out to Biden's campaign via email for further comment Thursday night.

Update 06/27/24, 11:57 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.