GOP revels in Democrats’ “five-alarm fire” after Biden debate showing
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Speaker Mike Johnson at a Capitol Hill news conference. Photo by Tom Williams / POOL / AFP)
House Republicans are taking a post-debate victory lap, arguing Thursday's face off demonstrated Joe Biden is "not fit to be president."
Why it matters: What multiple GOP lawmakers are describing as a "bloodbath" could become an electoral boon for the party as they rush to fundraise off Trump's performance.
The big picture: Republicans reveled in what they viewed as a strong night for Trump, with members optimistic the debate served as an inflection point in the 2024 election that could help them pick up seats next fall.
- "DEFCON 1, five-alarm, fire, emergency flare gun for Democrats all the way down the ballot," Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) told Axios.
- Multiple GOP members speculated whether Democrats would ultimately swap candidates in light of Biden's debate performance.
What to watch: The National Republican Congressional Committee said they plan to try using clips of House Democrats praising Biden's mental acuity against them.
- "It's time for Democrat politicians to apologize to voters for putting political party allegiances over the good of the country," said NRCC spokesperson Will Reinert.
What they're saying: Senior GOP lawmakers said they are feeling even more bullish than ever about Trump's chances in November, with Republicans looking to seize on moments that highlighted Biden's age.
- "President Trump won the debate by delivering a strong and presidential performance ... Joe Biden demonstrated he is not fit to be President," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a statement.
- "I feel bad for the vegans. Their vegetable lost the debate," Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) told Axios.
Zoom out: Democrats also expressed concerns about Biden's performance, with some questioning how to regroup and recover.
- "We're getting a lot of text messages that are basically starting to ask, 'Okay, well, where's this race going? What's the trajectory? What does it mean for the House as well'," one Democratic lawmaker told Axios.
The other side: Biden campaign official Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement that the president presented a "positive and winning vision," while Trump "reminded the American people why they fired him four years ago."
- Biden campaign pollster Geoff Garin said on X that the "freak out over the debate is way overwrought," arguing that Trump was increasingly "incoherent and deranged" as the event progressed.
- "President Biden is the only person who has ever beaten Donald Trump. He will do it again. Donald Trump did not give voters any reason to vote for him tonight. On the issues, the American people are with Joe Biden," said a Biden campaign advisor.
Go deeper: Congress' Democrats in "state of shock" over Biden debate performance
