CNN senior political commentator and former Obama adviser David Axelrod said former Vice President Joe Biden appeared flummoxed during the second 2020 Democrat presidential debate on Thursday evening.

“I think it was a tougher night for the most seasoned candidates on the platform,” Axelrod said. “They seemed part of the past than the future. At times, the vice president seemed somewhat confused to me in handling some of the questions and following some of the action.”

“He seemed a bit defensive,” he added.

Former Obama Adviser Axelrod: Biden seemed “confused,” “defensive,” “mired in the past” pic.twitter.com/fei0XiMzeT — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 28, 2019

Axelrod went on to joke that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) resembled a “hologram” because of the staleness in his message. “A lot of what we heard, we’ve heard many, many times before.”

“I think they seemed a little mired in the past,” he added.

Axelrod’s comments come after the former Obama advisor wondered in a CNN opinion-editorial whether Biden’s recent gaffes and flip-flops represent a “bad omen” for the 2020 frontrunner’s campaign.

The article came after Axelrod warned Biden changing his position on the Hyde Amendment “raises questions about his own performance and his own steadiness and his campaign’s performance.”

“I think that this was a parable about Biden that goes to question marks about his candidacy,” he advised earlier this month on CNN’s New Day. “His rollout was flawless in my view and he’s had a very solid spring, but this underscores questions that people have had about whether he can go the distance.”