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MSNBC Political Analyst Slams Biden Campaign’s ‘Demeaning,’ ‘Arrogant’ Handling Of Biden’s Debate Performance

MSNBC political analyst David Jolly slammed President Joe Biden's campaign for its “disgraceful” and “arrogant” handling of the president's disastrous debate performance.

Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida, said the campaign and White House have failed to adequately address the 81-year-old president's raspy voice and inability to finish sentences.

“I think what became clear last week was a terrible debate that left a lot of questions about the president's health,” Jolly said Wednesday. “Not only was it a terrible debate, but as Nancy Pelosi asked, 'Was it a seizure or was it an illness?' We got no information from the White House or the campaign on that. So if the debate was chapter one, chapter two was the week that followed. And the campaign's response was awful. It was insulting, it was arrogant, it was demeaning and it probably did more harm than the debate itself.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and campaign aides maintained that Biden had a cold during the debate and spoke with a noticeably raspy voice. No illness was mentioned before the debate, and Jean-Pierre confirmed Tuesday that the president was not taking cold medication at the time. (Related: CNN political director David Chalian says KJP failed to explain Biden's disastrous debate defeat)

The debate sparked panic among Democrats and left-leaning voters, with some calling for Biden to resign. Representative Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, became the first Democrat to publicly call for Biden to replace himself before the election. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough suggested Biden should drop out of the race, but later agreed with his wife, Mika Brzezinski, that Biden should stay on.

The president had postponed meetings with Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Tuesday that she had not received a call from the president since the debate.

The Biden campaign and congressional Democrats have balked at whether Biden should debate Trump after the former president's campaign repeatedly promised to participate in a debate. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois warned in January that Biden should “think carefully” about debating Trump, given Trump's alleged propensity for “outrageous” statements and actions. Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware argued that Trump's behavior in the 2020 debates and his refusal to debate his Republican primary opponents were reasons for Biden to avoid a debate with Trump.

White House aides are keeping Biden in hiding from the public to head off concerns about his mental health, Axios reported. reportMany White House aides, who had distanced themselves from the president throughout his first term, were also reportedly shocked by what they saw at the debate.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) column In May, he cited multiple sources who detailed Biden's forgetfulness and incoherent rhetoric.