Chuck Todd’s bombshell claim has Washington buzzing. The former NBC anchor alleges Joe Biden’s team orchestrated a debate disaster to push him out of the presidential race. It’s a theory that smells of political chess, not blunder.
Fox News reported that Todd, on his podcast with The Atlantic’s Mark Leibovich, said Biden’s inner circle set the June 2024 debate to expose the president’s frailties.
Biden’s performance was a trainwreck, with stumbles that fueled talk of cognitive decline. Less than a month later, Biden quit the race, endorsing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
The debate, Todd argues, was no accident. He believes Biden’s team timed it to reveal the president’s struggles, forcing a reckoning. It’s a bold accusation, one that paints the White House as a stage for ruthless strategy.
Todd’s theory hinges on intent. He claims Biden’s advisors knew the debate would spotlight the president’s weaknesses, opening the door to his exit. The idea that a campaign would kneecap its candidate is as cynical as it is intriguing.
“Look, I will go to my grave believing that the debate was intentional,” Todd said. He’s doubling down, convinced the early debate was a calculated move. But where’s the smoking gun?
Biden’s team, predictably, denies it. Former senior adviser Anita Dunn and campaign co-chair Jen O’Malley Dillon have dismissed Todd’s claims as nonsense. Of course, they’d say that—admitting a plot would be career suicide.
“Anita Dunn and Jen O’Malley Dillon will deny it till they’re blue in the face,” Todd quipped. He’s not buying their protests, comparing the situation to unproven theories about Reagan’s team delaying the 1981 Iran hostage release. It’s a stretch, but Todd’s sticking to it.
The debate unleashed a torrent of criticism about Biden’s mental sharpness. Pundits and voters alike questioned his fitness, amplifying calls for a new nominee. If Todd’s right, the plan worked like a charm.
Leibovich, Todd’s podcast guest, backed the theory, citing earlier talks where Todd floated the idea. Some in Biden’s White House, Leibovich hinted, wanted the debate to lay bare the president’s daily struggles. It’s a whisper of confirmation, but hardly proof.
A new book, “Original Sin,” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson, adds fuel to the fire. It claims Biden’s White House team hid his cognitive decline from the public. If true, it makes Todd’s debate theory less far-fetched.
Todd’s no conspiracy nut, but he’s leaning hard into this one. “There was no other reason,” he said, scoffing at claims the debate was meant to “shake up” the race. Shaking up a race in late June? That’s a tough sell.
“They knew when the nomination was going to be,” Todd insisted, suggesting Biden’s team planned the debate to force a pivot. It’s a timeline that aligns suspiciously well with Biden’s swift withdrawal. Coincidence or masterstroke?
Biden’s representatives haven’t responded to inquiries about Todd’s claims. Their silence speaks volumes, leaving room for speculation to fester. If there’s no fire, why not douse the smoke?
Todd’s allegation, while unproven, fits a narrative of political betrayal. The progressive machine, desperate to cling to power, might just sacrifice its own to dodge a bigger loss. It’s not woke dogma—it’s cold, hard pragmatism.
