With just 40 days to go before the November election, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has once again called a “lid” on the day’s activities.
40 days until the election and the Biden campaign called a lid at 9:20 a.m.
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) September 24, 2020
40 days to go and Joe Biden calls a lid before 9:30am est.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 24, 2020
Thursday’s 9:20 am call marked the 9th day — in the month of September alone — that the campaign has called a lid before noon. (RELATED: Biden Campaign Calls A ‘Lid’ Before Noon For The Eighth Time This Month)
Joe Biden’s campaign has again called a lid on the day. No events, no questions.
September has seen a pattern of Biden taking about every third day off with lid announcements coming in the morning.
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) September 24, 2020
BBC reporter Nick Bryant drew a comparison between the Biden campaign and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying, “Calling a lid so early in the day is extraordinary this close to an election. Reminds me of following Hillary Clinton in 2016, who had days when her handlers would hardly schedule any appearances. The campaign felt listless and complacent. Is Joe Biden falling into the same trap?”
Calling a lid so early in the day is extraordinary this close to an election. Reminds me of following Hillary Clinton in 2016, who had days when her handlers would hardly schedule any appearances. The campaign felt listless and complacent. Is Joe Biden falling into the same trap? https://t.co/Ki5ONrEALH
— Nick Bryant (@NickBryantNY) September 24, 2020
Biden is campaigning lazier than Hillary. The press can ignore it, and make excuses for it but voters probably won’t. Every lid day is a day he’s not in Florida or Pennsylvania or Michigan. And journalists are too scared to ask why.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 24, 2020
President Donald Trump was quick to respond as well, adding, “Sleepy Joe Biden just closed down his campaign for the day (Again). Wants to rest! He is a very LOW ENERGY INDIVIDUAL, and our Country cannot make it in these exciting, but complex and competitive times, with a Low Energy President !!!”
Sleepy Joe Biden just closed down his campaign for the day (Again). Wants to rest! He is a very LOW ENERGY INDIVIDUAL, and our Country cannot make it in these exciting, but complex and competitive times, with a Low Energy President !!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2020
The Daily Beast’s Sam Stein argued that the lids were being called in order for Biden prep for the upcoming debates.
People. Biden is doing debate prep. That’s why he’s calling lids. It’s not that complicated.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) September 24, 2020
But as Biden himself said on Wednesday, he hadn’t really begun his debate prep and was planning to start that in earnest on Thursday.
Definitely think that’s fair for today, but I found it very interesting when he said yesterday he hadn’t been started full debate prep sessions yet in the other early lids because that had also been my assumption in previous weeks. https://t.co/SJK0cPH6Ds
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) September 24, 2020
The Biden campaign has often been criticized for refusing to take questions. “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace, who is set to moderate the first debate, called it “the damnedest thing” when none of the campaign surrogates made appearances on the Sunday shows ahead of the Democratic National Convention.