Jill Biden enthusiastically supports Joe after debate: 'You did such a great job'
First Lady Jill Biden gave President Joe Biden a warm welcome as he stepped on stage at an Atlanta hotel after Thursday night's debate − despite his performance sparking concerns about his candidacy.
"Didn't the president do a great job? Yes!" said Jill Biden to supporters who gathered at the hotel after Joe stepped on stage. After a brief pause, the crowd starting chanting "four more years!" before Jill joined in on the chant.
"Joe you did such a great job," she went on. "You answered every question, you knew all the facts." Then she turned to the crowd to ask, "And what did Trump do?"
"Lie!" they all shouted in unison.
Other reactions to the first debate were mostly negative. Here's a look at what people are saying.
Swing state voters react to Trump-Biden debate
Reporters for USA TODAY's network partners interviewed swing-state residents shortly after the debate ended to see how they thought each candidate fared.
A voter in Nevada compared President Joe Biden’s performance to elder abuse.
A voter in Georgia was so disgusted with what he was hearing from the Democratic incumbent and former President Donald Trump that he quit watching, walked to a liquor store and bought a six-pack of beer.
Another voter in Wisconsin called it “a painful experience.”
Debate reactions from morning television
Morning show anchors had a variety of reactions Friday morning to what happened on stage Thursday night.
"The president struggled with answers...Trump struggled with the truth," "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos said Friday morning at the opening of the show.
Pres. Biden and former Pres. Trump go head-to-head and trade personal attacks in first debate. @rachelvscott reports. https://t.co/ld2zv1VO9B pic.twitter.com/USbMbiObPu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 28, 2024
"Both presumptive nominees were hoping to shake off concerns about their age and their fitness for office, but President Biden failed to land any knockout blows, and his stumbling performance is raising a lot of alarm bells for many Democrats this morning," "CBS Mornings" host Gayle King said.
"His struggles drew attention away from a blizzard of false claims from Donald Trump," "CBS News" Chief White House Correspondent Nancy Cordes said in the post-debate report.
Both candidates are facing criticism after last night’s presidential debate, with Democratic lawmakers using words like “disappointing” and “painful” to describe President Biden’s performance.
Some are now openly questioning whether it’s too late to replace him. pic.twitter.com/GgUkKtLAnM— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 28, 2024
"Today" kicked off their Friday morning show with reactions and analysis to the debate with anchors from "NBC Nightly News" and "Meet the Press."
"President Biden's struggles in some ways overshadowing the multiple lies and grievances from former President Trump as both candidates now look ahead to rallies today in states they hope to win," "Sunday NBC Nightly News" anchor Hallie Jackson told hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.
Contributing: Michael Collins, Melissa Cruz, Christina Avery, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Sabine Martin, Kerria Weaver, Laura Schulte, Matthew Rink, Chris Ullery, Mark Robison, Emily DeLetter & Karissa Waddick; USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden supports Joe after debate: 'You did such a great job'
