'Can the bar be any lower?': Internet divided as ex-chief of staff Ron Klain says Joe Biden will have a 'better second debate' against Donald Trump

The second presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is set to take place on September 10
Ron Klain vowed President Joe Biden will have a stronger second debate against Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Ron Klain vowed President Joe Biden will have a stronger second debate against Donald Trump (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff said President Joe Biden would have a "better second debate" against former President Donald Trump.

Speaking on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Friday, July 12, Klain expressed confidence that the president will deliver a stronger performance in the upcoming debate hosted by ABC on September 10.

Ron Klain attributes Joe Biden's debate performance to exhaustion and illness

Addressing Joe Biden's shaky debate performance, Klain said, “Sometimes presidents have bad debates. And I promise you he’ll have a better second debate."

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13:  Ebola Response Coordinator Ron Klain (L), joined by  U.S. Vice Presid
Ron Klain attributed President Joe Biden's shaky debate performance to exhaustion and illness (Getty Images)

Both presidential campaigns have agreed to participate in at least one more debate before the upcoming November election.

Before the first live presidential debate, Biden underwent a week-long practice session at Camp David as part of his preparations for the event.

However, his debate performance on June 27 sparked concerns among Democrats over his capability to serve another four-year term as he lacked energy and appeared to stumble throughout the event in Atlanta.

Several members of the Democratic party raised questions against the president's age and mental fitness and even called for the 81-year-old commander-in-chief to quit the 2024 race and allow another candidate as the party's nominee.

Klain, who was part of Biden's debate preparation team, attributed the president's performance to exhaustion and a cold, according to The Hill.

“He was tired from all the back and forth travel around the world and was suffering from a cold that really constrained his voice and constrained his ability to be forceful in the debate,” he said.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13:  U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden (R) joined by Ebola Response Coordin
Ron Klain was part of President Joe Biden's debate preparation team (Getty Images)

Ron Klain says Joe Biden's press conference was 'much more typical'

Speaking about Biden's pivotal press conference on Thursday, July 11, at the close of the NATO summit, Klain said, “The press conference last night was much more typical, as what we saw in the debate preparations."

The president mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump" during the news conference.

Standing by Biden's presidential candidacy, Klain urged fellow Democrats "to end the freak-out and unite behind the Democratic nominee and the only person who has ever beaten Trump" in a post made to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, July 12.



 

Internet doubles down on Ron Klain stating Joe Biden will have a 'better second debate'

Reacting to Klain vowing Biden would have a "better second debate," netizens rallied to comment on the former chief of staff Biden's claim. Slamming the statement, several social media users expressed that they are not confident that the president would come back with a stronger performance in the upcoming debate.

One user on X wrote, "They said he’d have a great first debate and the make-up “big-boy” presser would be great too. Oops," while another user tweeted, "LOL Can the bar be any lower?!?!" and a netizen wrote, "What they all said about the first debate. Biden is incapable of performing lucid thoughts. He has major mental issues."



 



 



 

"We don’t need another debate," a netizen commented and another user wrote, "I'll believe it when I see it," while a netizen tweeted, "They’re perfecting the new animatron or something?"



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Although Trump has historically favored mail-in or Election Day voting, he is voting in person during Florida’s early voting period
2026-10-23T20:23:04.000Z
Judge Bennett disagreed with the decision, saying the appeals court should not have ruled on the case at this stage. The Trump administration wanted to withdraw its appeal and return to the lower court to discuss how the Supreme Court’s ruling would affect the case
2026-10-23T19:03:58.000Z
The lawsuit stems from the presence of a third Senate candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, whose name closely resembles that of incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan
2026-10-23T18:08:34.000Z
The charges are part of a probe into whether FBI officials sought to minimise allegations of corruption involving the Biden family and evidence linked to Hunter Biden’s laptop
2026-10-23T17:00:17.000Z
No official truce was declared as the US maintained its naval blockade of Iran and Tehran continued restricting access through the Strait of Hormuz
2026-10-23T15:44:52.000Z
Donald Trump’s 2026 midterm election stakes rise as competitive Senate races in Kansas, Texas, Ohio, Maine and Alaska threaten GOP control
2026-10-23T08:01:20.000Z
A spokesperson said that the allegations were 'completely false' and reaffirmed that Ilhan Omar is her real name
2026-10-23T04:04:58.000Z
Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing that the lower court’s order sought to address alleged misinformation about election rules rather than change the state law
2026-10-23T03:09:16.000Z
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine urged Vivek Ramaswamy to pull the Amy Acton ad, calling it 'deeply, deeply troubling' and wrong to run
2026-10-23T02:28:06.000Z
As per Pentagon officials, it gives a similar 'tingling sensation' as the blast of heat when opening an oven, resulting in a 10-15 minute itching and burning sensation
2026-10-22T20:33:58.000Z