Biden Struggles Against Trump in High-Stakes 2024 Debate (1)

President Joe Biden stumbled through exchanges in Thursday’s presidential debate, a performance that exacerbated concerns about his age and intensified Democratic worries about their candidate’s ability to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November’s election.

The president’s performance was punctuated by blunders, repeated lines, coughs, misstatements and an extended freeze that will stoke fitness and acuity concerns. He tripped over key numbers, like the amount of new jobs created under his administration, caps for out-of-pocket drug costs and insulin that are key pillars of his reelection bid.

The shaky performance threatens to wound Biden’s already sputtering campaign, fueling Republican attacks that, ...