More than four months before the American presidential elections, incumbent Joe Biden and his challenger Donald Trump fought a tough war of words in their first TV duel. The Democrat wanted to appear demonstratively young, but that didn’t really work.
In the 90-minute debate in Atlanta on Thursday, the two debated, among other things, the state of the economy, abortion and the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Swear words such as ‘idiot’ and ‘mutt’ were also used. It was the first direct meeting between the two opponents since October 2020.
US President Biden is often timid
Biden often sounded hoarse, sometimes seemed hesitant, and sometimes hesitated. He accused Trump of lying and exaggerating. Trump rejected this, accusing Biden of being the worst president ever. He is also responsible for a wave of immigrant crime because he failed to adequately secure the border with Mexico. Trump also promised that if he won the election, he would end the war in Ukraine before he was sworn in.
Trump violently attacked Biden over his economic policies in the TV match. “Inflation is killing our country. “It’s absolutely killing us,” Trump said. Biden did poorly. The Democrat defended his record. “But there is still more to do. (…) The working class is still in trouble.”
Economics dominates
The topic of economics was the first debate topic of the match. The American economy is actually not in bad shape. Inflation has fallen significantly and the situation on the labor market is also good. Despite the rapid interest rate increases by the US Federal Reserve in the fight against high consumer prices, no recession has occurred.
But that doesn’t seem to resonate with people in the US. Many citizens are frustrated by the persistently high prices in supermarkets or the high costs of loans.
The Democrat described his opponent as an “idiot”:
Biden repeatedly called Trump a liar during the televised debate. “He exaggerates, he lies,” the incumbent president said, referring to Trump’s comments about the situation at the border. Biden said of his rival’s comments about veterans: “Everything he says is a lie.” The Democrat also called Trump a “loser” and a “sucker,” referring to an alleged statement Trump made about war veterans while in office.
Biden’s age is always an issue
Trump questioned Biden’s mental state. “He is unfit to be president, you know it and I know it. It’s ridiculous,” the Republican said. “He is without a doubt the worst president – the worst presidency in the history of our country,” Trump continued to complain. Biden spoke softly and sometimes slurred his speech. Trump used the performance as a frontal attack. “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. “I don’t think he knows what he said either,” Trump said after Biden’s statement on migration.
The age of the two opponents is an ongoing theme in the election campaign. Biden was the oldest American president ever to enter the White House and is now 81 years old. Trump is 78 and therefore hardly younger. Both regularly make mistakes in public appearances. But Biden in particular has had to contend with discussions about his physical and mental condition during the election campaign – also because he is the sitting president and in this powerful role regularly makes headlines with slips of the tongue and faux pas. Trump and his Republicans are ruthlessly exploiting Biden’s mistakes for their own purposes.
The age of the candidates was a major problem:
A survey by CNN, the organizer of the first televised duel, showed that Trump was significantly better received by the public. 67 percent of respondents saw him ahead of his opponent Biden, who often seemed shaky.
Democrats without options
Biden is running for a second term in the presidential election in early November. The Democrat originally served as a bridge builder for a younger generation, but Biden could not fulfill these promises with his renewed candidacy. Trump wants to go to the White House again for the Republicans. Research shows that there is a neck-and-neck race between the two.
Unusually, the first TV debate between the two presidential candidates takes place at the end of June. It is expected that Trump and Biden will only be appointed as official candidates of their parties at the nominating conventions in July and August. However, they managed to secure the necessary delegate votes early in the race in the primaries – which is why they are listed as candidates.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
