Donald Trump confidently making a series of false statements, Joe Biden offensive in substance but very confused in form: the two candidates for the American presidency fought over inflation, immigration and Ukraine during their first debate on Thursday.
“Inflation is killing our country,” declared Donald Trump, the 78-year-old former Republican president, extremely at ease, repeating an argument that he knows resonates with Americans, and assuring that his rival was doing a “bad job,” despite robust growth and employment.
The 81-year-old Democrat, whose voice often sounded hoarse in front of the cameras of CNN, the channel hosting the debate, attacked a subject that he knows is delicate for the billionaire, criticizing him for his “terrible” action against the right to abortion.
He also accused Donald Trump of “lying” by asserting that illegal immigration was causing crime to soar, before going on to more personal ground.
The Democrat recalled that his opponent was a “convict”, after being found guilty in a case of hidden payments to a former porn actress, and judged that he had the “moral sense of a depraved person” , repeatedly calling him a “whiny”.
“I did nothing wrong,” replied the former president, who is charged in several other cases, claiming that the justice system was “rigged.”
The Republican, who never conceded defeat in 2020, has not committed to unconditionally recognizing the verdict of the ballot boxes in November, assuring that he would accept it if the election was “fair and equitable.”
Donald Trump, without going as far as the insults with which he peppers his campaign speeches, affirmed that his rival was “not cut out” to be president, and presented him as a weak leader.
“He’s become like a Palestinian, but they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian. A weak (Palestinian),” the Republican said, referring to Joe Biden’s policy on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The war in Ukraine would never have taken place if the United States had a “leader”, he also assured.
Polarisation
Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to submit to a “cognitive test”, boasting that he himself had taken two and that he had “shine”, before praising his golf performances while his rival wore a mocking smile.
The former real estate developer multiplied the false assertions and exaggerations, without intervention from the two CNN journalists hosting the evening.
The latter, in addition to asking questions, essentially ensured that everyone’s speaking time was respected, cutting off the microphone as soon as it was up, which prevented untimely interruptions.
The two men, who frankly hate each other, did not shake hands when they arrived on the set of the CNN channel in Atlanta (Georgia, southeast). According to a reporter briefly admitted to the set, they did not exchange a glance during the first commercial break.
The debate, barring any surprises, is unlikely to cause much movement in a country where political polarization is extreme.
But the stakes are no less enormous: if one of the two candidates manages to attract a few independent voters, this could be enough to give him the advantage in November, as the election promises to be close.
For this, Joe Biden must in particular reassure about his vitality and his health, and in this regard, his performance on Thursday is likely to be seen as a missed opportunity, even if he gained in ease over the course of the debate.
“I don’t understand anything he’s saying, isn’t that sad?” said Hazel Reitz, 55, attending a viewing of the debate organized by the Republican Party in San Francisco. She will nonetheless vote for the Democrat in November.
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