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Biden struggles in fiery debate
A pause In a heated discussion with Donald Trump that featured accusations to his personal life, Joe Biden found it difficult to alleviate fears that he is too elderly to serve a second term as president on Thursday.
A flamboyant Trump unleashed a tirade on his successor, branding him an economic and global disaster.Biden attempted to respond, but his delivery was stuttering as he talked quickly in a scratchy, trailing voice, stammered while staring blankly.After spending the previous week in seclusion preparing, his performance aroused fresh worries inside his Democratic Party, since polls indicate that Trump is either tied or leading in the November election.In what was the first-ever presidential debate, the two men accused one another of being the worst presidents in history.Trump and Biden, who were each the oldest president when first elected, even accused each other of being childlike as they argued over their golf swings.
Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, did not shake hands as they walked to their podiums at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. There was no live audience and their microphones were muted as the other spoke.
Claiming to be sick, Biden struck at Trump with well-practiced phrases, trying to remind the millions of TV watchers that Trump would be the first convicted felon to hold the presidency.
Biden remarked, "You have the morality of an alley cat."
Speaking forcefully, Trump—a seasoned speaker from live events and reality TV—ran through a lengthy list of grievances with Biden's record.
"I have a wide circle of pals. They find it hard to comprehend the fate of the United States of America. Trump declared, "We're no longer respected."
At one point, in an attempt to capitalise on Biden's delivery, Trump added, "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence." He may not have known what he said, in my opinion.
"Slow start"
Kamala Harris, the vice president, resorted to damage control.
While praising Biden's "extraordinarily strong" record, Harris raised reservations about his debate in a live CNN interview.
Harris admitted that the game had a sluggish beginning but had a good conclusion.
Former Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield claimed on CNN that the president's evening was "really disappointing."
"I don't believe there's another way to cut it," she remarked.
According to a CNN survey, 67 percent of those who saw the debate said Trump had won.
There won't be much opportunity for Democrats to veer from their plan unless the president steps down. Democrats are scheduled to formally announce Biden as their nominee in Chicago in August.
In an attempt to refute Trump's claims that Biden has the necessary vigour for the position, Biden
However, Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer predicted that Biden's fans would be "extremely concerned."
He remarked, "Biden fed the fundamental perception that has continued to overshadow him."
Hazel Reitz stated she would still support Joe Biden at a watch party in San Francisco, but she couldn't comprehend a word he said. Isn't that depressing?
Personal assaults
In the majority of the debates, which focused mostly on criticising the other's record, neither candidate proposed any new initiatives.
In one of the most intimate exchanges, Biden mentioned reports that Trump had called the soldiers who lost their lives during the Normandy invasion "suckers," mentioning his own son Beau, who served in Iraq and later died of cancer.
"My son was not a loser or a gullible person. The fool is you. "You're the loser," declared Biden.
Trump vehemently refuted the statements and charged Biden with being illogical.
Regarding foreign policy, Trump charged Biden with failing to assist Israel in "finishing the job" against Hamas, citing the latter's backing for Israel as a reason for anger from some members of the Democratic base.
"He's not inclined to do it. He's turned into a Palestinian, but they dislike him because, in their opinion, he's a weak and extremely lousy Palestinian, according to Trump.
Trump called Biden's exit from Afghanistan the "most embarrassing moment in our nation's history" and claimed it paved the way for Russia to attack Ukraine.
But Biden pointed out that as the first recent president, he had not had any soldiers in danger abroad.
Two other major topics for each of Trump and Biden's respective bases were immigration and abortion.
"It's been a terrible thing, what you've done," said Biden, criticising Trump for nominating judges to the Supreme Court who overturned the ruling that legalised abortion nationwide.
Anti-establishment activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was one candidate who did not make it onto the stage; in four national surveys, he did not receive the required 15 percent of the vote, according to CNN.
Rather than that, Kennedy answered questions live on a webcam for ninety minutes.