NYT writers ridiculed for saying disastrous Biden debate ended in 'draw' as Jill Biden feared he had a stroke
Two New York Times columnists are getting pummeled by critics for their poorly-aged ruling of the infamous Trump-Biden debate after former first lady Jill Biden claimed she thought her husband was "having a stroke."
Then-President Joe Biden shocked the nation in June 2024 with his disastrous debate performance, resulting in his exit from the presidential race weeks later.
"I don't know what happened," Jill Biden told CBS News this week. "I mean, when I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he's having a stroke,’ and it scared me to death."
The Atlantic also reported an excerpt from her forthcoming book that she thought her husband might've been "drugged."
What has since resurfaced in the wake of her comments were the charitable takeaways from two Times columnists from Biden's ill-fated debate.
"Well, we had a raspy and stumbling President Biden and a deranged and incoherent Donald Trump, who spent two hours unleashing a stream of lies. Is there a winner here? Nah," Times columnist Jamelle Bouie said at the time.
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER JILL BIDEN REVEALS SHE WAS 'HORRIFIED' WATCHING JOE'S DISASTROUS DEBATE
"No one won this debate, but there is no question who lost: anyone who plans to cast a ballot for president in November," fellow Times columnist Lydia Polgreen wrote. "It was a debacle for Biden. He was barely audible at times. He flubbed answers on his strongest issues, from abortion to democracy. Trump just lied, lied and lied, and no one — certainly not the moderators and, worse, not even Biden — rebutted him in the smallest way. Trump blustered and glowered. He attacked Biden viciously and looked like a bully. This is the choice Americans are facing. This was a disaster for America."
Bouie and Polgreen were greatly outnumbered by their ten colleagues, all of whom declared Trump the winner of the debate.
"Biden's own wife thought he was having a stroke. Two NY Times columnists insisted he'd fought Trump to a draw," National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin shared an image of the Times' scoring chart on X.
McLaughlin's post went viral, fueling other critics to weigh in.
"Positive spin: Even while having a [stroke], or possibly drugged, Biden miraculously fought Trump to a draw!" The Atlantic's Ashley Parker joked.
"I think of this chart all the time lol," CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski reacted.
"Hahaha!" replied "Ruthless" podcast co-host Josh Holmes.
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"Too funny," Washington Post columnist and Fox News contributor Mac Thiessen said.
Fox News Digital asked Bouie and Polgreen whether they stand by their ruling or have changed their minds since the debate. Neither responded to requests for comment.