Trump and Biden in the first presidential debate (Image Via: France24)

Biden vs Trump in the Initial US Presidential Debate

The United States is approaching a presidential election this coming November. A first debate was organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates on September 29, featuring the two candidates, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. Debates were inundated with heated clashes and hostile exchanges between the two candidates.

Several pressing issues were discussed in the debate. This included covid-19 pandemic, the economy, racial justice, among some others.

Joe Biden criticized the way Trump’s administration dealt with the covid-19 pandemic. He brought up the fact that 200,000 Americans were dead from the virus. Biden also accused Trump of downplaying the covid-19 as he reopened the country. Biden said that the 45^th president was only concerned with the stock market. Trump reacted to Biden’s criticism, saying that Biden would never have been able to get the job done if he were in his shoes.

Biden also attacked Trump on the rise of unemployment since he assumed office in 2017. Trump then responded with an accusation that Democrats schemed to politicize covid-19 so that the economy could shut down until the election to derail his chance of winning the US election.

On the issue of racial justice, Trump and Biden had seriously confrontational exchanges. Biden accused Trump of dog-whistling to the white supremacists, while Trump refused to condemn Proud Boys, a far-right militia group.

The first debate was marked with chaos, many said. DW News’ Chief International Editor Richard Walker argued that the debate had torn the image of democracy in the eyes of the world. He mentioned that countries which run under authoritarian regimes could make fun of the US, upon observing how the debate went. He added that they could brag about the non-democratic way they managed the countries, claiming that they had better system.

Source: https://bit.ly/3iifhs1