Joe Biden‘s handlers took no risks, whisking the president from the White House and all view of the public for nearly a week, bunkering down in Camp David to train the incumbent for his first debate against former President Donald Trump for the 2024 election. His campaign planned a staggering $50 million in ad buys before the CNN debate, building up momentum both on social media and with his surrogates.

The result was a cataclysmic failure.