Political commentators and observers criticized the Democratic National Convention for delaying President Biden’s speech past primetime on Monday, calling the move disrespectful to the former president who had been forced off the 2024 ticket.
Originally scheduled to speak at 10:30 p.m. (ET), Biden started his speech roughly an hour behind schedule and finished his remarks after midnight. Some commentators, including former “View” co-host Meghan McCain and OutKick founder Clay Travis, expressed frustration over the late timing of the speech.
Biden, who dropped out of the race in July and endorsed Kamala Harris, faced intense pressure to step aside due to concerns over his ability to defeat former President Trump. Some commentators speculated that the decision to push Biden’s speech out of primetime was a strategic move to distance Harris from him.
Pollster Nate Silver suggested that the scheduling delays were intentional to diminish Biden’s visibility, while former CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller remarked that Biden was “booted” from primetime.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment, but a spokesperson for the DNC attributed the delays to excessive applause during the program. The DNC emphasized that the convention was a celebration of the broad coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket.
Overall, the scheduling issues surrounding Biden’s speech sparked controversy and criticism from political commentators, highlighting the ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party.
