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Spanish.- The highly anticipated debate between Donald Trump, former president and Republican candidate, and Joe Biden, current president and Democratic candidate, took place this Thursday night. It aimed to provide voters, especially the undecided and those in swing states, with greater clarity on both proposals. Issues such as the immigration crisis, foreign policy, and the legal cases surrounding both politicians were brought to the forefront.
However, the most notable moments of the debate were not the arguments but rather the instances where Biden appeared confused or was left speechless. Trump did not miss the opportunity to highlight his rival’s weaknesses, even claiming that he “didn’t understand” one of the Democratic president’s statements. Social media erupted, and a report from the Associated Press cited a person “familiar with the matter” who claimed that Biden was suffering from a cold. However, the justification was not sufficient.
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Biden’s disastrous performance opens the door for his inevitable replacement. So much so that David Axelrod, a strategist who worked for Barack Obama, stated that the only person who could replace Joe Biden as the party’s candidate is the president himself. “Only he can decide,” he added. Meanwhile, a CNN panel rated his responses as “incoherent,” while Vice President Kamala Harris tried to deflect criticism by describing the president as “resolute, committed, and brave.”
Despite attempts to keep the Democratic candidate afloat, it was impossible to contain the criticism, such as that from Republican Senator Tom Cotton: “After just 13 minutes, this debate made it clear: a vote for Biden is a vote to make Kamala Harris president,” he wrote on X.
JUST IN: Trump seizes the moment after Biden completely froze on stage.
Biden: “What I’ve been able to do with the, with, with, with the covid, excuse me. With dealing with everything we have to do with, look, if we finally beat Medicare.”
Trump: “You beat Medicare to de*th.”… pic.twitter.com/Ks8LWw3LJq
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 28, 2024
Personal Attacks Abound
There was no handshake at the start of the debate between Trump and Biden, which hinted at the tense atmosphere in CNN’s studios in Atlanta from the beginning. All important topics were included, with personal attacks related to Trump’s legal case and payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels slipping in.
Biden took the opportunity to call him a “convicted felon” (the same term that Alex Soros, son of progressive billionaire George Soros, urged US media to use weeks earlier). But he quickly received a response, as the former Republican president reminded him of the guilty verdict against his son, Hunter Biden, in the case related to the purchase of firearms.
The Democratic president said he was “encouraged” minutes before the debate, as a way to respond to Trump’s accusations of alleged doping to help him stay lucid during the face-off. Even so, his intention to project strength and energy ended with criticism from Democratic officials suggesting “he’s not even meeting the lowest expectations,” as cited by local media. In other words, if there is a moment to challenge Biden’s ability to compete for a new presidential term, it is precisely now.
On Foreign Policy
Of all the topics discussed, foreign policy took up a large portion of the time. The chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 led by Biden, the war in Ukraine with Russia, and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas were, for the Republican candidate, the responsibility of the current White House occupant.
“We are a failed country. Biden’s military policy is madness. These wars will never end with him; he will lead us into World War III,” he warned in this debate ahead of the next one on September 10, organized by ABC News.
Trump assured that if he returns to the presidency, he will end all conflicts started during the Biden administration. While he made this assertion, the Democratic campaign was worried. Their candidate’s performance was not as expected.
BREAKING: CNN Anchor says Democrats are in panic mode over Joe Biden completely LOSING the debate against Trump
“The panic that I’m hearing from Democrats is not like anything I’ve heard in this campaign so far”
“Biden’s answers in a lot of cases, NOT COHERENT” pic.twitter.com/YSbRuVc2wD
— George (@BehizyTweets) June 28, 2024
