US election 2024 - Biden vs. Trump: the most blatant moments of the TV duel
"We are damned again to be dead": The mood in Joe Biden's camp is devastating, after the US President put in a clumsy performance in the first of two television debates with Donald Trump. Instead of convincing voters that he can easily handle the most challenging job in the world for another four years, the 81-year-old confirmed all concerns regarding his physical and mental fitness. Biden stumbled over his words multiple times, lost the thread and stared blankly into space.
But Trump didn't shy away from self-deprecation either. Although he appeared focused and agile during the debate and kept a relatively low profile – possibly due to criticism of his aggressive demeanor during the 2020 debates – he resorted to misleading claims and bald-faced lies. He repeatedly dodged direct questions or gave nonsensical answers.
Five notable moments in the Biden vs. Trump TV debate
- A sentence that won't end
Biden mixed up billionaires with milliardaires and millions with billions, looked down instead of into the cameras, and got tangled up in a confusing sentence:
"We would be able to take care of all the things we need to do – childcare, elder care, making sure we strengthen our healthcare system, making sure we're able to provide for every single person ... for the thing I'm doing with ..., the Covid ... Excuse me, with the handling of ... everything we have to do ..."
The President paused, causing discomfort for viewers. He then made an incomprehensible statement about healthcare before CNN moderator Jake Tapper intervened and said: "Thank you, Mr. President."* Slick promise on a touchy subject
Abortion is typically a winning issue for the Democrats, as most US citizens and residents are opposed to the Republicans' stance on reproductive rights. However, Biden couldn't score points even on this topic due to a slip of the tongue. Abortions are necessary in some cases, the President said, and continued:
"There are many young women who are raped, and pregnant as a result of rape. I'm not going to interfere with that."
Trump, on the other hand, spread numerous falsehoods and made incorrect statements about certain economic data during his tenure compared to Biden's. He refused to commit to accepting the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. Unchallenged by the debate moderators, Trump claimed that immigrants had unleashed a crime wave and that he had actually won the 2020 election. He warned that Biden would lead the country into a third world war.
Trump labeled political violence "completely unacceptable." However, he did not provide a clear answer on whether he would accept the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. He made the caveat that he would acknowledge the result "if it's a fair and legal and honest election."
The former president addressed contentious questions regarding climate change, childcare, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead providing nonsensical answers. In response to the question of what actions he would take to combat the harmful effects of global warming, Trump gave an example by saying he would have clean water. "I want absolutely perfect clean water," Trump said. "And I want absolutely clean air. And we had it! We had H2O. We had the best numbers ever!"
Emotions run high
One of the most heated moments of the debate arose when Biden brought up reports that Trump had denied a visit to a European cemetery with US war dead in 2018, allegedly because the buried soldiers were "losers and suckers." Biden then reminded the audience of his late son Beau, who served in Iraq and later died of cancer. Beau was not a "loser and sucker," Biden asserted, but rather Trump was. Trump denied making such disparaging remarks about US soldiers during the debate.
There were also curious moments. At one point, Trump boasted that he could hit a golf ball farther than the president - to which Biden invited him to a game, but only if Trump carried his own bag. "Let's not behave like children," Trump retorted.
- Despite the disappointing performance in the first debate, Joe Biden's supporters in Atlanta and across the USA are hopeful for his prospects in the US - Election 2024.
- The New York Times criticized both candidates after the debate, emphasizing that Trump resorted to lies and misleading claims, while Biden struggled with his speech.
- Trump claimed victory in the 2020 election during the debate, but the Republicans have yet to acknowledge that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in that US election.
- In anticipation of the 2024 US election, several prominent Democrats, including some from New York, have begun rallying around potential candidates like Kamala Harris, while some Republicans, such as former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, continue to support Trump.
