The floodgates of dissent have opened on the Democrats after Biden's debate performance

Joe Biden's halting performance has raised questions about his health, US Correspondent Dan Rivers explains.

It’s difficult not to understate the jaw dropper in Georgia.

The bar was low for President Joe Biden. All he needed to do was dispel concerns he was past it. But all he did was confirm he was.

From the shuffling gait as he made his way to the podium to the stumbling incoherence within the first 15 minutes of the debate in Georgia, it was a train wreck.

The press room in Atlanta where I watched with hundreds of other journalists was in shock. There were audible in-takes of breath as we watched the unfolding disaster. At times, peels of laughter erupted as Donald Trump made obvious outrageous claims.

At times, there was wincing from the barbs Trump inflicted on his rambling opponent.

Biden’s rasping voice added to the impression he was frail and infirm. His campaign insists he was suffering from a cold.

The man many Democrats want to replace him, California Governor Gavin Newsom admitted to me in the "spin room" that this wasn’t Biden's best performance.

He referred to Biden’s cold and his strained voice, but insisted that wasn’t what he was looking for in a leader, that he wanted a president who can deliver results.

It was a brave attempt to put a positive spin on a political catastrophe. Everywhere this morning across the US media, there are Democrat voices suggesting Biden needs to stand aside for someone else.

Suddenly, the floodgates of dissent have opened. The party is facing a crisis as it stares towards a possible electoral disaster in November.

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