The highly anticipated presidential debate between former United States President, Donald Trump and the incumbent, Joe Biden, quickly devolved into a personal and bitter showdown, with both candidates trading insults and attacks rather than focusing on policy issues.
The debate, which was expected to be a substantive discussion of the candidates’ visions for the country, instead became a series of personal jabs and counterattacks.
Trump and Biden repeatedly interrupted each other, with Trump mocking Biden’s verbal gaffes and Biden accusing Trump of lying and spreading conspiracy theories.
The debate did little to illuminate the candidates’ positions on key issues, instead highlighting their bitter rivalry.
Despite the confrontational tone, neither candidate landed a decisive blow, leaving voters to wonder if the debate would make any impact on the election outcome.
The debate between Biden and Trump was more about personal attacks than policy. They didn’t even shake hands when they walked on stage. The night was filled with insults and name-calling. At one point, Biden said Trump had “the morals of an alley cat.
Trump made fun of Biden’s golf skills, saying he couldn’t hit the ball far, in response Biden brought up Trump’s alleged affair with a porn star, while Trump attacked Biden’s son Hunter over his criminal conviction. The debate didn’t focus much on important issues like immigration and abortion.
President Biden struggled during the debate, often standing silently with a confused expression. In contrast, Trump smiled and waited for his chance to attack.
Despite improving slightly over the course of the debate, a group of undecided voters thought Biden should drop out of the race by the end. After the debate, Biden said he thought he did well, but he now faces two months of criticism before the Democratic National Convention and over 10 weeks until his next debate with Trump.
The debate highlighted Biden’s biggest weakness: his age. His supporters had hoped he would perform well to ease voters’ concerns, but that didn’t happen. Biden struggled to remember details and stumbled over his words. He even confused trillionaires with billionaires and lost his train of thought at times. His responses were often unclear.
Trump mostly didn’t attack Biden’s weakest moments, instead letting Biden struggle with his words until his time was up. Trump even mocked Biden’s confusing sentences, saying: “I don’t know what he meant, and I don’t think he knows either.”
Just 30 minutes into the debate, top Democrats were secretly messaging each other in panic about Biden’s performance. The debate didn’t ease concerns about 81-year-old Biden’s fitness for office – it made them worse.
