In a heated and contentious debate on Thursday, President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger Donald Trump exchanged sharp personal insults and clashed on a range of critical issues including abortion, immigration, and foreign policy.
The two oldest presidential candidates in history, Biden and Trump, aimed to sway a tightly contested race that has been deadlocked in opinion polls for months.
Biden’s halting performance and Trump’s barrage of often false attacks underscored the high stakes of the upcoming November election, raising concerns among Democrats about Biden’s viability for a second term.
The two men clashed on issues including abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, their handling of the economy, and even their golf games.
Biden’s allies attempted to maintain a positive outlook, however, the president’s poor performance is likely to intensify voter concerns about the 81-year-old’s ability to serve another four-year term.
Vice President Kamala Harris, told CNN after the debate “I’m not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I’ve been watching the last three-and-a-half years of performance”.
Biden stumbled over his words on several occasions during the debate’s first half-hour, however, he regained his composure halfway through, attacking Trump over his conviction for covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, calling him a “felon.”
In response, Trump mentioned the recent conviction of Biden’s son, Hunter, for lying about his drug use to purchase a gun.
Moments later, Biden pointed out that almost all of Trump’s former cabinet members, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have not endorsed his campaign. “They know him well, they served with him,” he said. “Why are they not endorsing him?”
Biden has been persistently questioned about his age and mental sharpness, while Trump’s incendiary rhetoric and extensive legal troubles remain a significant vulnerability.
“Obviously, the biggest factor is that Biden still seemed old and raspy and less coherent than when he ran last time,” Matt Grossmann, a political science professor at Michigan State University stated. “I don’t think Trump really did anything to help himself beyond his existing supporters, but I think it’s eclipsed by people’s impressions of Biden on his biggest vulnerability.”
When asked about the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, the former president refused to accept any responsibility and claimed that many of those arrested were innocent.
Biden also blamed Trump for enabling the elimination of a nationwide right to abortion, while Trump accused Biden of failing to secure the southern U.S. border, supporting that scores of criminals were allowed to enter.
The two men had plenty of moments when their animosity was evident. Each name-called the other, and at one point, the rivals bickered over their golf games.
Voter concerns
The debate took place amid profound polarisation and deep-seated anxiety among voters about the state of American politics. Two-thirds of voters said in a May Reuters/Ipsos poll that they were concerned violence could follow the election, nearly four years after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Neither Biden nor Trump is popular, and many Americans remain deeply ambivalent about their choices.
About a fifth of voters say they have not picked a candidate, are leaning toward a third-party candidate, or may sit the election out, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The second and final debate in this year’s campaign is scheduled for September.
(information from reuters.com)
