As with the U.S. media, international media outlets are absorbed by the ghostly figure of President Joe Biden at Thursday's presidential debate in Atlanta. Here are some snapshots of what different publications around the world are saying.
Mexico's El Universal lamented that Biden's "hoarse, weak voice and his erratic statements ended up giving victory to a Donald Trump who lied again and again."
In Europe, Germany's Der Spiegel cut to the chase, stating : "After TV disaster," "these seven men and women could be considered as Biden replacements." France's Le Monde went with a similar theme, noting that "in the United States, the media are questioning whether Biden will continue to run." Spain's El Pais headed with "Democrats panic over Biden's visible failures in the debate against Trump."
In London, the Times agreed that "Democrats panic as president stumbles." The paper's deputy U.S. editor suggested that former President Donald Trump's victory in the debate was "immediately obvious." The Guardian said that the debate "felt like a Greek tragedy, Trump didn’t win the first presidential debate of 2024 — but Biden certainly lost it."
Russia's Kommersant broadsheet quoted numerous American pundits in assessing Biden's poor performance, observing that "despite the many flaws of both candidates, even Joe Biden's fellow party members admitted that his performance looked much weaker." Moscow newspaper Muscovy Komsomolets columnist Mikhail Rostovsky assessed that while Biden is an "analogue of Brezhnev" in the latter part of the former Soviet leader's tenure (plainly senile), that concern is largely irrelevant. According to Rostovsky, what matters is that neither man is likely to offer Russia sympathetic policies.
In the Middle East, the Times of Israel saw a "shaky, halting performance" from Biden. It added that "the president’s poor performance rattled his fellow Democrats and will likely deepen voter concerns that the 81-year-old is too old to serve another four-year term." The National, based in the United Arab Emirates, said Biden "was incapable of swatting down a stream of falsehoods from Donald Trump, who appeared calm and energized in contrast to a bewildered looking President who struggled to maintain thoughts."
Iran's Javan newspaper, close to the security hard-liners, paid attention to the debate's focus on Middle Eastern topics. Javan noted Trump's self-congratulation over the killing, or what it described as the "martyrdom," of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
A little further afield, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper explained that "a hoarse Biden stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought at times, especially early in the debate." The newspaper added that "one Biden donor, who asked for anonymity, called his performance 'disqualifying' and predicted that some Democrats would revisit calls for Biden to step aside in favor of another candidate before the party’s national convention in August." Next door, the New Indian Express, the Times of India, and the Hindustan Times focused on reporting Democratic concerns but with a less obvious editorial slant. The New Indian Express centered on what each candidate said about the various issues, for example.
The Australian saw a "disciplined Trump" meet "Biden’s stumbles: Democrats in a tailspin." In South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo said that Biden "appeared listless during Trump's remarks on this day, staring blankly into space or frowning with his mouth open. His voice was hoarse and he often stuttered, making his comments difficult to hear." Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun rather politely said that "Biden was often lackluster, stumbling over his words, which may increase anxiety about his age." Its left-leaning counterpart, the Asahi Shimbun, similarly assessed that Biden "made slip-ups and showed a lack of energy in front of the nation's attention."
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Chinese state media outlets have been notably quiet on the debate thus far. This, perhaps, is an indication of Beijing's caution about being seen to insult either Trump or Biden in advance of the candidate's return/sustainment in office. Beijing prizes public respect for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and does not want to open the door to insults against his person.
Top line: The world shares in the shock as to just how frail Biden has clearly become.
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