Liberals fawned over President Biden’s farewell address on Wednesday night with one political fanboy barely able to speak while holding back tears.
On CNN, progressive fanboy Van Jones was overcome with emotion as he waxed poetic about his ‘hero’ Joe Biden.
‘The kid with a stutter did good. He did good. That’s a good man,’ Jones said, referring to Biden’s childhood struggles with speech.
Senior Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, thanked Biden for his service, hailing him as a ‘great American president’ who demonstrated ‘wisdom’ and ‘magnificent leadership’.
But on Trump Force One, the unimpressed former president simply grimaced while the image of a befuddled Biden played on TV in the background.
‘Crooked Joe Biden’s Oval Office speech was barely understandable, and sooo bad!’ Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
![Liberals have fawned over the president's farewell address, with one political pundit even choking back tears](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/06/87736321-13670699-image-a-24_1721887176318.jpg)
Liberals have fawned over the president’s farewell address, with one political pundit even choking back tears
Biden’s candidacy faced a crisis of confidence from Democrats after his debate against Trump nearly a month ago, where he spoke haltingly, appeared ashen and failed to rebut his predecessor’s attacks.
He finally bowed of the race on Sunday in a letter posted to his account on X announcing his decision to leave the race, followed by an endorsement of Harris. He also pledged to remain focused on being president until his term expires in January.
Biden on Wednesday finally addressed the nation from the Oval Office, prompting a wave of admiration from liberal fans.
‘He fell on his sword. He fell on his sword. Most heroes, they fight ’til the bitter end. He fell on his sword,’ Jones added while struggling to hold back tears.
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The CNN analyst’s reaction mirrored his response on Sunday when Biden first announced he was axing his re-election bid and he grappled to keep composure.
‘I don’t know anything about politics,’ Jones gushed at the time. ‘I just know that I love this man, I care about this man.’
On MSNBC, Rachel Maddow was equally effusive as she addressed her audience on Biden’s ‘timeless’ delivery.
‘This is one of those speeches that is going to go down in history, not just as a great Joe Biden speech but as a great moment in the American presidency,’ she said.
‘The way he started, talking about honesty, decency, respect.’
The liberal anchor lavished praise on Biden for taking the helm after the Trump Administration. She blamed the former president for ‘the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War’.
‘An elegant speech at an emotional and very moving moment for this president and I think timelessly for the presidency,’ Maddow said.
‘This is a tent pole for what patriotism and selfless service looks like.’
![CNN's Van Jones became emotional as he discussed his 'hero' Joe Biden, who he said 'fell on his sword' by stepping aside](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/07/87745761-13670699-image-m-32_1721887334208.jpg)
CNN’s Van Jones became emotional as he discussed his ‘hero’ Joe Biden, who he said ‘fell on his sword’ by stepping aside
![But presidential hopeful Donald Trump was less impressed with the performance, which he watched live from his private jet](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/07/87745675-13670699-But_presidential_hopeful_Donald_Trump_was_less_impressed_with_th-a-21_1721887932465.jpg)
But presidential hopeful Donald Trump was less impressed with the performance, which he watched live from his private jet
![He took to to Truth Social to bash the 'barely understandable' speech - Biden's first major address since announcing his decision to withdraw from the election](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/06/87744439-13670699-image-a-22_1721887070910.jpg)
He took to to Truth Social to bash the ‘barely understandable’ speech – Biden’s first major address since announcing his decision to withdraw from the election
‘His personal ambition, his belief that his record does warrant a second term and he wants it and you can hear that in his ambition, even talking about what he plans to do in the next six months, that that itself can’t be bigger than the needs of the nation,’ Maddow said.
‘I am sure this could not have been easy for him but it was beautifully done.’
David Axelrod, a former political advisor for President Obama, compared the speech to a missive from America’s first president, George Washington.
‘I was reminded… of this poignant, admirable line from the farewell message of President George Washington: ‘Every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome.’
Top Democrats also weighed in, saying they were ‘proud to serve’ his Administration.
‘President Joe Biden has profound compassion for the people of our country. We are all deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation. Thank you, Mr. President,’ Harris wrote on X.
‘Tonight, we saw President Joe Biden – one of America’s most consequential presidents – show that he is not only on the right side of history, but on the right side of the future,’ added Pelosi.
She added that America has been ‘blessed by the wisdom and magnificent leadership’ of Biden whom she claims ‘protected our democracy and led our nation with progress, hope and unity’.
‘He has truly made a tangible difference in the lives of the American people,’ Pelosi tweeted.
Buttigieg said that Biden’s address ‘reminded me once again why I am so proud to serve under the leadership of a deeply good man who is also a great American president’.
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![Senior Democrats fawned over President Biden's farewell address on Wednesday night, branding him a 'great' leader and 'one of America’s most consequential presidents'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/11/87754179-13670699-image-a-20_1721904853153.jpg)
Senior Democrats fawned over President Biden’s farewell address on Wednesday night, branding him a ‘great’ leader and ‘one of America’s most consequential presidents’
Newsom and Mitch Landrieu, who was the co-chair of Biden’s re-election campaign, both thanked the president for this service.
But many, including Donald Trump, were considerably less enamored with the performance. The GOP candidate slammed Biden’s address to the nation as ‘barely understandable’.
The Republican nominee posted the reaction on his Truth Social app as he watched from aboard his private jet Trump Force One.
Trump was clearly unimpressed as he followed up his initial post up with another that also took aim at the Vice President.
‘Crooked Joe Biden and Lyin’ Kamala Harris are a great embarrassment to America – there has never been a time like this!’ Trump wrote.
He tuned into a live stream of the speech shortly after attending a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The event was Trump’s first major speech since Biden’s withdrawal and the announcement of Harris as the Democrat heir apparent.
He used the opportunity to shift his focus from attacking Biden to taking on Vice President Harris.
![MSNBC's Rachel Maddow hailed Biden's performance as 'timeless' and 'a great moment in the American presidency'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/07/87745799-13670699-image-a-33_1721887427592.jpg)
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow hailed Biden’s performance as ‘timeless’ and ‘a great moment in the American presidency’
![From right: Jill Biden, Ashley Biden and husband Howard Krein, and Hunter Biden and his daughter Finnegan listen to Joe Biden speak](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/07/87736825-13670699-From_right_Jill_Biden_Ashley_Biden_and_husband_Howard_Krein_and_-a-22_1721887932478.jpg)
From right: Jill Biden, Ashley Biden and husband Howard Krein, and Hunter Biden and his daughter Finnegan listen to Joe Biden speak
He touched on the border crisis and U.S. relationship with Israel at his first event since Harris became his presumed general election opponent.
But leading Trump’s list of attacks was Harris’ record on abortion – even though the issue is seen as something that could be his downfall among women voters in swing states.
‘She wants abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy – that’s fine with her,’ Trump said of Harris, who he called a ‘lunatic’ to massive jeers from a crowd of 10,000 gathered at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.
But in his address to the nation, a faltering Biden, 81, explained he had chosen to ‘pass the torch’ to Harris because it was time for ‘younger voices’ and he believed that would ‘unite’ the country and ‘save’ democracy.
Biden looked intently into the camera during the primetime address for which he was seated behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
He said: ‘I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term.
![Trump tuned in after attending a political rally in Charlotte, North Carolina where pivoted to slamming the Democrat presumptive nominee Kamala Harris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/25/06/87745677-13670699-image-a-23_1721887089366.jpg)
Trump tuned in after attending a political rally in Charlotte, North Carolina where pivoted to slamming the Democrat presumptive nominee Kamala Harris
‘But nothing, nothing, can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition, so I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.’
He added: ‘There is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices. Yes, younger voices.’
Biden did not address questions over his own age, health and mental acuity, which have plagued his presidency from the start.
Doubts about his ability to do the job intensified following a disastrous debate performance last month, which shocked senior Democrats into calling for him to leave the 2024 presidential race.