Trump: Biden is a failure - Biden: Trump is a liar
After four years, Donald Trump and Joe Biden face each other in another TV debate. The challenger attacks the incumbent on the issues of migration and economic policy. The Democrat attempts to counter. Commentators deliver a scathing judgment - on Biden.
Former US President Donald Trump criticized Joe Biden severely during the first TV debate in the ongoing presidential campaign, attacking him for his economic policy. "Inflation is killing us. It's absolutely killing us," Trump said Thursday evening (local time). Biden had done a bad job, Trump claimed. The topic of economy was the first debate topic. Biden defended his record. "But there's still more to do. (...) The working class people are still struggling," Biden said.
Biden stated that he had taken over an economy at the beginning of his tenure in January 2021 that was "on the verge of collapse." Trump, on the other hand, praised his record during his tenure. He also praised his handling of the Corona pandemic. Time and again, Trump veered off the given topic and spoke about migration policy instead. He accused Biden of failure, while the incumbent accused his predecessor of lying.
The US economy is actually doing well. The inflation rate has significantly decreased, and the labor market situation is good. Despite the rapid interest rate hikes of the US Federal Reserve to combat high consumer prices, a recession has been avoided. However, this does not seem to be the case for the people in the US. Many citizens are frustrated over the still high prices in supermarkets or the high costs for credits.
Biden to reinstate nationwide abortion rights
When asked about abortion, Trump pointed out that he had appointed judges to the Supreme Court who had overturned the federal right to abortion from the federal government to the states. "All experts have demanded this," Trump said. The Supreme Court decided in 2022, after nearly 50 years of dispute, that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion from 1973 was no longer valid. While conservative groups celebrated the decision as a victory, it has cost Republicans crucial votes in elections since then.
Biden, on the other hand, announced a return to nationwide abortion rights. If he wins the election and a second term, he will reintroduce the "Roe v. Wade" regulations in the US, according to the designated Democratic presidential candidate.
Abortions are necessary in some cases, Biden added. "There are many young women who are raped, by their husbands, by their brothers and sisters," Biden said and seemed to have made a promise. It is unclear whether Biden, after the election, would have the necessary majority in the US Congress to fulfill his promise.
Trump: Biden responsible for Russian war in Ukraine
Trump held Biden responsible for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and called on Europe to give more money to Kiev. If the US had a "real president" who respected Putin, this would never have happened in Ukraine, Trump argued. Biden had even encouraged Putin, Trump claimed.
Trump again promised to end the war if he was re-elected before his inauguration in January, the 78-year-old further stated. He didn't reveal how he would accomplish this. Biden called Putin a war criminal once again. "He has killed thousands and hundreds of thousands of people," the 81-year-old said. Biden warned that Putin would not stop with Ukraine.
Trump did not commit to accepting the election results of the ballot count in November. The moderators pressed him several times, but Trump answered evasively only on the third attempt and then only conditionally: "If it's a fair, legal, and good election, then of course," Trump replied. "There's nothing I'd rather do," he added later.
Biden expressed doubt that Trump would accept the election results, "because you are such sore losers." Biden countered Trump's accusation: "You can't handle the truth."
Devastating Verdict for Biden
In initial assessments of the debate, US political commentators expressed shock, particularly at President Biden's performance. At CNN, several experts criticized the 81-year-old for unclear statements and confused behavior. "There will be discussions about whether he'll continue," said David Axelrod, Chief Strategist of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
The expert John King explained that the TV duel had caused "a deep, broad, and very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party." US political journalist Abby Phillip said: "Biden's answers were often disconnected."
- The US presidential election 2024 is expected to feature debates between incumbent Joe Biden and potential challenger Donald Trump, similar to their TV debates during the 2020 election.
- During the US presidential election 2024 debates, Joe Biden may face criticisms on his economic policies, as Trump did in their previous TV debates, where Trump accused Biden of causing high inflation and prices.
- In the context of the US presidential election 2024 TV debates, various political commentators might deliver scathing judgments on Joe Biden's performance, echoing the critical assessments made after his debates in the 2020 election.
