CNN’s David Axelrod Pans Joe Biden’s Debate Performance: ‘Very Much Sort of Low Energy’

In the round-up after the first Democratic primary debate of 2020, CNN panelists David Axelrod and Nia-Malika Henderson both panned former Vice President Joe Biden’s performance.

After praising Sen. Elizabeth Warren for having her “best debate,” Axelrod turned to the former vice president. And while the former Obama campaign strategist praised Biden’s strong closing statement, he criticized Biden’s performance over the previous two hours and lackluster.

“You wonder where that energy is throughout the debate,” Axelrod noted. “There were times when he seemed, you know, very much sort of low energy. And the debate itself, we expected some fiery moments. There were some confrontations, but for whatever reason, and it may be that people are uneasy in a race where people are well liked, generally, to take on folks that might drive second choices away, drive the undecided away.”

Henderson echoed Axelod’s points: lauding Warren and slamming Biden.

“She had, I thought, the best energy,” Henderson said of Warren as well before pivoting to the national frontrunner. “I thought Biden had a terrible debate. This is a moment where he has come into this debate saying that he’s the one who can take on Donald Trump, that he is steady and strong and he seemed none of those things in the debate, certainly not the whole way through. His closing statement was good. But many people watching the debate may not have watched it all the way through to see his strongest moment.”

Watch above, via CNN.