The New York Times editorial board is urging Biden to withdraw from the presidential race

The New York Times editorial board called on President Joe Biden on Friday to withdraw from the presidential race against Donald Trump, citing the Democrat's poor performance in the debate the night before.

“The president appeared Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant,” the Times editorial said. “He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his lurid plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.”

“Mr. Biden has said that he is the candidate with the best chance to confront and defeat this threat of tyranny. His argument is largely based on the fact that he defeated Mr. Trump in 2020,” it said. “That is no longer a sufficient reason why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year.”

The stunning comments came a day after Biden made a gaffe during his first debate against Trump in the 2024 White House race.

“We must remember that Mr. Biden challenged Mr. Trump to this verbal duel,” the editorial said. “He set the rules, and he insisted that the date be months earlier than any previous general election debate. He understood that he had to address longstanding public concerns about his mental acuity and that he had to do so as quickly as possible.”

“The truth that Mr. Biden must now face is that he failed his own test.”

The editorial comes as some Democrats and fundraisers consider urging Biden to withdraw from the fight.

The Times editorial board has been the leading editorial voice of liberal newspapers in the United States for decades.

But in recent years, the paper's news section has been criticized by some liberals for its coverage of Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, and Biden.

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