American President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump, neck and neck in the polls, faced off on Thursday June 27 on the American channel CNN in Atlanta. This first televised debate of the presidential campaign gave rise to lively conversations where inflation, abortion, immigration and the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, in particular, were discussed.
Donald Trump has been very confident in his false statements, while the outgoing president has been very offensive but very confused.
L’inflation
It’s one of Americans’ biggest concerns: the cost of living. “Inflation is killing this country”said the 78-year-old Republican, assuring in the same breath that under his mandate, America was “the largest economy in the world”.
For his part, the 81-year-old Democrat replied that the economic situation “was in free fall” when he took over the reins of the country, while boasting of his record in terms of employment and social reforms.
Two different tones
Donald Trump has been openly aggressive from the start, while Joe Biden was initially hesitant, stumbling over words several times and repeating them on certain occasions. His big challenge is to reassure Americans about his mental acuity and vitality.
Joe Biden, however, had some renewed combativeness, throwing at his rival “you’re the poor guy, you’re the loser”referring to comments the former Republican president made about American soldiers killed in combat, whom Donald Trump reportedly called “poor guys and losers”which the billionaire defended himself on Thursday, ensuring that it was a quote “invented”.
Never before have the Americans had to decide between such old candidates. The two men also frankly hate each other, and did not even shake hands when they arrived on the set of the channel.
Right to abortion
Asked about abortion, Donald Trump said he believed “to exceptions”specifying “I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. I think it’s very important. (…) The problem they have [les démocrates], is that they are radical because they will take the life of a child in the eighth month, in the ninth month and even after birth, after birth. »
For his part, on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which protected the right to abortion at the federal level, Joe Biden accuses Donald Trump of having done “a terrible thing”. “The idea that states can do this is a bit like saying that we are going to make [aussi, la question des] civil rights to the States, and that each State will have a different rule. »
Immigration
Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of exaggerating and lying about the migration crisis in the United States, while the latter had just painted a catastrophic picture of the situation. “We had the most secure border in the history of our country. All he had to do was leave it that way. He decided to open our border, to open our country to people coming from prisons, people coming from mental institutions, people coming from insane asylums, people coming from terrorists.”
“There is no data to support what he says”retorted Joe Biden, while immigration is one of the main subjects of this presidential campaign. “Once again he exaggerates, he lies.”
International conflicts
The war in Ukraine would never have happened if the United States had a « leader », Donald Trump said to President Joe Biden. The Republican candidate was also very critical of the billions of dollars spent by the United States to support kyiv in its war against Moscow.
Donald Trump also accused his Democratic rival of behaving “like a Palestinian” in the context of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. “He has become like a Palestinian, but they don’t like him because he is a very bad Palestinian. A weak (Palestinian)”launched Mr. Trump.
Court cases and storming of the Capitol
The debate then turned to the legal affairs of Donald Trump, who was convicted of criminal charges a few weeks ago. Denouncing a case “set up by the Democrats”the Republican announced that he will appeal. “The only person who is a convict is the man I’m watching on stage now”launched the Democratic leader to his predecessor.
Joe Biden also denounced Donald Trump’s comments on the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. « He encouraged these people to go to the Capitol. He sat in the Oval Office for three hours, three hours, while his vice president and a number of his colleagues and Republicans were asking him to take action to stop this.”he said.
Donald Trump took the opportunity to point out that the American president’s son had recently been convicted. “His son is convicted, and he probably should have been convicted many times before. But his Justice Department let the statute of limitations expire on the most important things. But he [Biden] could be a convicted felon the moment he leaves office. Joe could be a convicted felon with all the things he’s done. He’s done horrible things. (…) This man is a criminal. We have a rigged, disgusting system. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Cognitive test
Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to pass a “cognitive test.” I took two tests, cognitive tests. I passed them with flying colors (…) He (Biden) didn’t take any of them. I’d like to see him take one, just one, a very easy one.”launched the former Republican president.
On the question of his age, Joe Biden evaded, answering: “First of all, I spent half my career in politics being the youngest person elected to the United States Senate. And now I’m the oldest. This guy is three years younger than me and he is much less competent if we refer to my career, to what I have done. »
Final words
Joe Biden welcomed the achievement of a price cap on certain drugs. “You know what that means. It’s reduced the deficit threat by $160 billion over 10 years, because the government doesn’t have to pay exorbitant prices. I’m going to make that available to every senior citizen and every member of Congress right now. And everyone in America.”
He also spoke about progress in taxation. “We’re in a position where, number one, we need to make sure that we have a fair tax system. I ask everybody in the audience if they think the tax system is fair. … This guy raised your taxes because of the deficit. And inflation went up because of the debacle that he left behind after he handled the pandemic. And he’s in a position now where he wants to tax you more by putting a 10% tariff on everything that comes into the United States.”
For his part, Donald Trump replied: “Everything he does [Biden], it is making our country dangerous by allowing millions and millions of people to flock there. Our soldiers do not respect it. We look like fools in Afghanistan. We didn’t stop [la guerre en] Israel. It was such a horrible thing that would never have happened. It should never have happened. Iran was bankrupt. Anybody who did business with Iran, including China, couldn’t do business with the United States. Iran was bankrupt. They had no money for Hamas or Hezbollah for terrorism, no money at all. Again, [la guerre en] Ukraine should never have happened. He talks about lots of things, but he hasn’t done them for three and a half years. We live in hell. »
