US Presidential debate ends with Biden ‘struggling’, Trump ‘lying’

Washington: First US Presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has ended. Held at CNN’s studios in Atlanta and moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the debate marked a pivotal moment in the 2024 presidential race, highlighting critical issues from the economy and immigration to climate change and foreign policy.

Both candidates seized the opportunity to underscore their achievements and criticize their opponent’s policies, leaving voters with much to consider as the election draws nearer.

Bloomberg Opinion extract – “President Joe Biden stumbled through exchanges in Thursday’s presidential debate, a performance that risks exacerbating concerns about his age and intensifying Democratic worries about their candidate’s ability to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November’s election.

The president’s performance was punctuated by stumbles, repeated lines, coughs, misstatements and an extended freeze that will stoke fitness and acuity concerns. He stumbled over key numbers, like the amount of new jobs created under his administration, caps for out-of-pocket drug costs and insulin that are key pillars of his reelection bid.

The shaky performance threatens to wound Biden’s already sputtering campaign, fueling Republican attacks that, at 81, the oldest president in US history is not fit to serve another four-year term. Trump capitalized 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.

Biden is fighting a cold, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trump’s performance was not without missteps of his own. Asked about Americans struggling with opioid addiction, the former president talked about immigration and Russia’s detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter. He falsely claimed credit for a cap on Medicare insulin prices, claimed Jan. 6 rioters were invited into the Capitol by police, and was forced to claim he never had sex with a porn star – a central element of his hush money trial. He also repeatedly and awkwardly sidestepped questions about if he would respect the results of the election.”

Biden has said that the country has made “significant progress” on issues such as taxation and healthcare access after the “debacle” of Trump’s time in office, vowing to continue bringing down inflation.

He also said that Trump’s proposal to increase tariffs by 10 percent would amount to a “tax” on everyday people and that he would roll Biden’s efforts to increase the ability of Medicare to negotiate the price of some drugs for seniors.

In his closing statement, Trump criticized Biden for alleged failures in national security and immigration policies, accusing him of making the country unsafe. Trump condemned conflicts such as Israel’s war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, claiming they should have been prevented.

He painted a bleak picture of the current state of the nation, comparing it unfavorably to the Charlottesville incident during his presidency. Trump vowed to restore greatness to the country, contrasting his vision with what he described as a failing nation under Biden’s leadership.

During the debate, Biden and Trump bantered about their golf skills in response to questions about their age. Trump boasted about winning two regular club championships recently, emphasizing his fitness and skill.

“I just won two club championships, not even senior. Two regular club championships,” the former president said. “To do that, you have to be quite smart, and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way.”

“He doesn’t do it,” Trump said of Biden. “He can’t hit a ball 50 yards.”

Biden responded with humor, challenging Trump to a driving contest and joking about carrying his own golf bag. “I told you before I’m happy to play golf. If you carry your own bag. Do you think you could do it?” Biden responded.