A former aid to President Joe Biden has called out a defender of the president's polling after his debate performance with former President Donald Trump.
During a Sunday appearance on CNN's State of the Union, former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said the presidential race had "not fundamentally changed" despite many pundits sounding the alarm following the debate.
"I think there's universal agreement it wasn't a great night for Joe Biden. He said as much," Bedingfield said. "But what we see in all the data that has emerged since Thursday is the fundamental head-to-head hasn't shifted."
Bedingfield went on to say Trump's debate performance was a "disservice" and suggested Biden's perception to voters would recover.
Former press secretary to First Lady Jill Biden, Michael LaRosa, took issue with Bedingfield's remarks and claimed she was "gaslighting" voters and "spinning" Biden's lackluster performance.
“The data!? If there is data that counters the impact of what we all saw then WHERE THE HELL IS IT??? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? SHOW US!” LaRosa demanded. “Jesus Christ with the gaslighting, the talking points, and the damn spinning. Enough already.” The data!? If there is data that counters the impact of what we all saw then WHERE THE HELL IS IT??? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? SHOW US! Jesus Christ with the gaslighting, the talking points, and the damn spinning. Enough already.
Show your supporters or the media… https://t.co/qSuwNOTgU5
— Michael LaRosa (@MichaelLaRosaDC) June 30, 2024
“Show your supporters or the media this data so we can help you help him! You’ve told us for A YEAR that data and polling can’t be trusted … no one is paying attention … and all of the polling and data are unreliable,” he continued. “Are we NOW supposed to believe it? You’ve been undermining all of the public data and polling and attacking news outlets and their independent data for a year! Is it now safe to trust the data? Should we believe your data instead of independent media data and polling??? Ok, cool. WHERE THE HELL IS IT?”
Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton threw support behind Biden following Thursday's debate.
"Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know." Obama wrote in an X post. "But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. "Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit."
"Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November," Obama added.
Clinton said he would leave debate recaps to pundits, though said "facts and history matter."
"Joe Biden has given us 3 years of solid leadership, steadying us after the pandemic, creating a record number of new jobs, making real progress solving the climate crisis, and launching a successful effort in reducing inflation, all while pulling us out of the quagmire Donald Trump left us in," Clinton wrote.
As of Monday, Trump holds a 2-point lead over Biden, according to RealClearPolitics.
