President Joe Biden’s halting answers, weak voice and often unfocused answers during Thursday’s debate left Arizona Democrats notably silent immediately afterward.

It deepened the immediate sense that Biden has left Democrats with an urgent need to reconsider putting the 81-year-old on the ballot against former President Donald Trump.

In Arizona, a critical battleground state, none of the state’s congressional Democrats had a public message about the debate fully 60 minutes after it ended.

About 90 minutes after the debate, the Arizona Democratic Party said, “President Biden was the clear winner of tonight’s debate, outlining a positive vision for our country and state, not a vendetta for revenge.”

The Biden campaign later offered its view of the debate with a statement that didn’t address his performance at all.

“Biden presented a positive and winning vision for the future of America — one in which every American has a fair shot at the American dream, where every one of our rights are protected, and where our president fights to strengthen our democracy — not to tear it down,” the campaign said.

By contrast, Arizona’s congressional Republicans actively posted on social media throughout the debate and taunted Biden by the end of the event.

“Biden is mumbling and trying to catch his breath … I can’t believe he is running for President,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., in a tweet.

Trump’s campaign tied Biden’s debate performance to his record in office as well.

“Joe Biden … showed exactly why he deserves to be fired. Despite taking a week-long vacation at Camp David to prepare for the debate, Biden was unable to defend his disastrous record on the economy and the border,” the Trump campaign said.

“Throughout the debate Biden lied, invented stories, and could not articulate a single plan to make things less expensive and keep our people safe, choosing instead to change the subject and dwell on the past.”

One of the more glaring non-responses on Thursday night involved U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who, like Biden, is running statewide. Gallego will face a Republican rival for the U.S. Senate seat now held by departing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., didn’t post on X for more than two hours after the debate. When he did, he focused on Biden’s support of veterans.

“Donald Trump tried to lie but the truth is he has no idea what it means to serve and sacrifice for your country. And while Trump spent his presidency disparaging those who served, Joe Biden has continued to deliver results for veterans,” Kelly said.

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The state’s two most visible Democrats in Washington have long made clear how significant Arizona is to the party’s hopes to keep the White House, yet neither man publicly weighed in on Biden’s performance in the debate.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona’s most prominent Democrats silent about Biden’s poor showing