Former vice president Joe Biden delivered a sloppy performance at the Democratic presidential debate Thursday night and only confirmed what many political pundits have said since he announced his 2020 candidacy: Too old, too tired, too entitled.
The late-night hosts pulled no punches and spared no rods against Joe Biden after the debate closed last night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Over at “The Daily Show,” Trevor Noah gave a tame takedown of the former vice president, who reached a low point on Thursday night when Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) blasted him for praising two white segregationists in the context of senatorial civility.
“That whole moment was so brutal on Joe Biden. I wanted to give him a massage,” said Noah.
Stephen Colbert on CBS was far less charitable in his criticism of Biden’s performance in the face of what he deemed the “Kamala Harris flame thrower.”
“I believe global warming because Kamala Harris was on fire,” Colbert said.
Colbert quipped that Biden supporters were given free ice cream (“Joe Cones”) to celebrate his frontrunner status, but that Harris really came swinging hard.
“Tonight, the ‘Joe Cone’ was met by the Kamala Harris flame-thrower. He had the ‘Joe Cone,’ but she had the I-scream-you-scream-holy-cow-she-might-be-president!” Colbert joked.
On the moment when Harris criticized Joe Biden for opposing integrated school bussing in the 1970s, Colbert said: “I believe Harris on busing because she clearly just took Biden to school.”
Colbert also likened Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) “pass the torch” hit at Biden to a “sick burn.”
Seth Meyers of NBC also focused on Swalwell’s demand that Biden “pass the torch” over to a new generation. “Damn. You’re bringing a Biden quote to take down Biden? Come on! If anyone is going to take down Joe Biden with a Joe Biden quote, it’s Joe Biden,” he said.
The late-night host also took a few jabs at Biden’s unusually white teeth. “Joe Biden uses his teeth like Wonder Woman uses her bracelets. That zinger just bounced right off the pearly white wall,” he said.
“It was clear everyone wanted a shot at Biden tonight,” Meyers said. “Man, who didn’t get a crack at Biden during this debate? Surprised one of the moderators didn’t go, ‘Hey man, you were great in “Gran Torino.”‘”
Meyers described Biden as a “defeated” candidate due to his penchant for quitting the debate at the precise moment his allotted time ran out. “Man, you know it’s bad when you’re cutting yourself off. Also when everyone is saying you’re too old to be president, don’t say your time is up,” Meyers said.
Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show” described the debate as “Operation Destroy Joe Biden.”
“Everyone went after Biden but, with 10 people on stage, it seemed less like a debate and more of a lightning round,” Fallon said.
On the moment when Harris blasted Biden over race, Fallon said, “She was so good, Trump endorsed Biden so he wouldn’t have to face her.”
Referencing Biden and Bernie Sanders’ advanced ages, Fallon quipped that their podiums looked like walkers. “I’m not saying those two are old, but their podiums were the only ones with tennis balls at the bottom,” he said.