Left: US President Joe Biden, Right: Former US President Donald Trump
It was one of the biggest debates in the US electoral history marking the first time a sitting president debated a former president over matters of great interests to the common American. Expectations were set which included immigration, jobs, inflation and age were to take the centre stages as Joe Biden debated his arch-rival, Donald Trump.
However, what dominated in the debate was Biden’s capability to contest in the upcoming elections. His performance has sent the Democrats into frenzy, with many speculating if he should be replaced. Here is a roundup of the 90 min CNN debate in Atlanta, USA.
In a high-stake face-off that will turn the tides for the rest of the campaign, President Biden appeared struggling and froze several times. The moment that most of his opponents were waiting came for early when Biden appeared to freeze for several seconds while answering a question on economy. Most of the time he stumbled during the exchanges over key numbers, like the number of new jobs created under his administration caps for out-of-pocket drug costs and insulin that are key pillars of the election bid.
The shaky performance is not being used as fodder by the Trump supporters to call him the decisive winner of the debate. Biden’s team quickly rushed in for a damage control by claiming that the President has a cold. Biden just didn’t have the spark we needed tonight, Rosemarie De Angelus, a Democrat of South Portland said from her watch party at Broadway Bowl. Trump, on the other hand showed more spunk or mor vigour even if he was telling a pack of lies.
Despite his awkward moments of silence and struggling, Biden called out Trump labelling him an alley cat with no moral, a whiner over rigged election claim, having slept with a sex worker and sucker for attacking his son Hunter Biden. On the contrary, Trump capitalised on Biden’s missteps swiping at his opponent during an exchange on immigration. “I really don’t know what he said on this, and I don’t think he knows what he said either,” Trump said.
However, his aggression seemed to elope the factual errors he tried to use during the debate to emerge victorious on sticky points that have marred his presidentship. His performance during the debate showed moments of controversy and missteps. He veered off the topic when asked about Americans battling opioid addiction, instead of focusing on immigration and unrelated international issues.
Trump made false claims including taking credit for Medicare insulin price cap that wasn’t his doing and reiterated conspiracy theories about the January 6 Capitol Rioters being invited in by the police. He also faced uncomfortable questions regarding his alleged affair with a porn star, a topic central to his legal troubles. Moreover, Trump awkwardly dodged inquiries about whether he would accept the election results adding to the contentious atmosphere of the debate.
“Donald Trump spent the night talking about himself, his lies, his legal woes, his affairs with porn star, and the golf championships at his own club,” claimed Joe Biden. The debate which began with a handshake left no doubt that these men do not like each other. Despite getting a platform to display their views on issues that matter and the two indulged in personal barbs. From Biden blasting his rival as the convicted felon to Trump musing that I don’t think Biden knows what he said, the person animus was glaring.
“You have the morals of an alley cat.” Biden hissed after laying out Trump’s various legal woes and verdicts against him. “You are the sucker and you are the loser,” Biden said. Trump punched back and saying everything he does is a lie and he is the worst president of our country fumed Trump. The helter -skelter tumult of their first 2020 debate where then president Trump ran roughshod over Biden and the debate moderators was but a memory on June 26, 2024.
An American media agency strategy to avoid a shouting match worked, with Robert Rowland, a communications professor at the Kansas University noting, “I think the rules may have aided Trump because they prevented him from yelling over Biden’s answers.”
Without a studio audience cheering or jeering, both candidates had greater opportunities to focus on issues. However, the American media moderators failed to offer real time fact checks. Trump, to lesser degree, Biden were unrestrained in making misleading and false statements on a variety of topics, from immigration and crime to economy.
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