Ex-Republicans and anti-Trump conservatives expressed serious doubts about President Biden remaining at the top of the ticket for the Democratic Party ahead of a likely rematch with his predecessor in November.
"It was terrible," former Republican Becky Hofer told CNN after watching part of Biden's debate with former President Trump during a segment Wednesday.
Hofer is one of a number of former Republicans who told CNN that while they could not support Trump, Biden's performance at the debate did not inspire confidence that he could beat the Republican frontrunner.
"I'm completely disillusioned," Hofer said. "They're both a joke. It felt like elder abuse. So yeah, I think [Biden] needs to be replaced, if for anything, just out of respect for his humanity."
But she emphasized that she would still vote for Biden over Trump.
"Right now, if these are the two options that we have in November, I'll vote for Joe Biden's head in a jar before I'll vote for Donald Trump," Hofer said. "I'm angry, and I mean I'm angry, to the point where if Joe Biden stays on the ticket and Donald Trump is still on the ticket I'm fast-tracking moving to Costa Rica."
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Robin Hawkland, who became a registered Democrat and moved from Georgia to Utah because of her dislike for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said Biden did not perform well during the debate.
"[M]y initial reaction was shock," she said. "Then, just sadness and then I think I moved into anger."
"It hurts me to say that, but yes," Hawkland said when asked if Biden should be replaced as the leading candidate. "I don't think he's electable. I don't know how you dig out of this hole. He could do more events where he looks better — he's looked better since then — and they can time it right."
"But everyone knows deep in their existence what they saw may happen again," she said.
Hawkland said she did not appreciate the reaction of the Democratic Party to Biden's debate performance.
"You feel like you're being condescended to," she said. "To be talked to from the Democratic Party like, ‘just get behind the candidate,’ was very frustrating and angering."
"Trump is a criminal and [has] many other issues," Hawkland said. "Biden is just aging, and there is no reason that people should not be concerned with what they see."
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
