'That Was Painful.' How Elon Musk, Jon Stewart, Gavin Newsom and Others Are Reacting to the Trump-Biden Debate What voices in the BIZ Experiencesial ecosphere are saying about what has widely been described as the worst debate performance in recent history.

By Dan Bova Edited by Melissa Malamut

The first debate of the 2024 presidential election is over and it brought a lot more — and a lot less — than many expected.

President Biden, battling a hoarse voice and often struggling to give coherent answers, gave what has been called a "disastrous" performance that shocked some members of the Democratic party who publicly and privately called for him to be replaced on the ticket. Former president Donald Trump gave a confident performance that left his team "giddy," according to Politico, but received criticism for evading questions and making numerous false statements.

The debate received swift reaction from political and business leaders across the globe. Here's what voices in the BIZ Experiencesial ecosphere are saying.

Andrew Yang
"What's Joe Biden's superpower? That he's a good guy who will do the right thing for the country. In this case, that's stepping aside and letting the DNC choose another nominee."

The editors of The Economist
"Often it is difficult to call the winner of a debate, and partisans always claim that their candidate was the victor regardless of the evidence. But last night's contest was a complete disaster for Mr Biden. He stumbled over answers, stammered indecipherably at times and did not land prepared attack lines. Mr. Trump was his usual self—meandering, mendacious, vindictive—but that did not stop him from coming out on top."

Elon Musk
"Tonight was a clear victory … for memes"

Chris Wallace
"[Biden] was incapable tonight, on the biggest of stages that he sought, he in effect dictated. And with all of that preparation, he was incapable of doing better than he was. And you can't come back from that."

Jon Stewart
"Help us Obi wan..."

Van Jones
"That was painful," he began in an emotional comment on CNN. "I just want to speak from my heart…I love that guy. That's a good man. He loves his country. He's doing the best that he can. But he had a test to meet tonight, to restore the confidence of the country and the base and he failed to do that."

Meghan McCain
"Biden's staff has a lot of god damn explaining to do about all their 'private meetings' and how incredible Biden is behind closed doors…."

Gavin Newsom
"I would never turn my back on President Biden. Never turn my back on President Biden. I don't know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back."

Stephen A. Smith
So do y'all finally want to stop arguing with me about Biden now??? Have your fears now been confirmed? @MichelleObama. @VP. Somebody. Please help! Biden's team WANTED this? His staff, His loved ones…. How could you put him out there like that! How could you!"

Scott Galloway

Dave Portnoy
"That's it folks. Cancel the election. Let's settle this on the golf course. Winner takes all. The only way to do it."
Dan Bova

BIZ Experiences Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at BIZ Experiences.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia Zone, Road & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf. 

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

By Amanda Breen
Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

By Ray Titus
Data & Recovery

We Found Four of the Top Alternatives to Dropbox That Don't Have Monthly Subscription Fees

All last for life, and not one of them is more than $200.

By BIZ Experiences Store
Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

By Eve Gumpel
Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

By Carl Stoffers
Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

By Sherin Shibu