Biden lags behind Trump in 1st Prez debate

Joe Biden

Rama Krishna Sangem

President Joe Biden made several verbal missteps on June 27 Thursday in the opening minutes of his debate with his Republican rival, Donald Trump, as both took the stage seeking to define their presidential rematch.

Biden had a raspy voice, struggling repeatedly to clear his throat, and had a halting delivery as he tried to defend his economic record and criticise Trump. Biden appeared to lose his train of thought while giving one answer, drifting from an answer on tax policy to health policy, at one point using the word Covid, and then saying, excuse me, with, dealing with, and he trailed off again.

Look, we finally beat Medicare, Biden said, as his time ran out on his answer. Trump picked right up on it, saying, That’s right, he did beat Medicaid, he beat it to death. And he’s destroying Medicare. Trump falsely suggested Biden was weakening the social service program because of migrants coming into the country.

Biden, the 81-year-old Democratic incumbent, entered the debate with the chance to reassure voters that he’s capable of guiding the US through a host of challenges as he moved to sharpen the choice voters will face in November. Trump, 78, had the opening to try to move past his felony conviction in New York and convince an audience of tens of millions that he is temperamentally suited to return to the Oval Office.

 

Avoid shake hands

Trump and Biden entered the night facing stiff headwinds, including a public weary of the tumult of partisan politics and broadly dissatisfied with both, according to polling. But the debate was highlighting how they have sharply different visions on virtually every core issue abortion, the economy and foreign policy and deep hostility toward each other.

The two candidates strode on stage and walked directly to their lecterns, avoiding a handshake. The debate did not start with any of the fiery exchanges that defined their first meeting on the debate stage in 2020. Instead, each man stayed relatively measured as he defended his record and blamed the other for steering the country off track.

Biden, pressed to defend rising inflation since he took office, pinned it on the situation he inherited from Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump assailed Biden’s withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, saying, It was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country’s life.

Biden said that when Trump left office, things were in chaos. Trump disagreed, declaring that during his term in the White House, Everything was rocking good.

The current president and his predecessor hadn’t spoken since their last debate weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration after leading an unprecedented and unsuccessful effort to overturn his loss that culminated in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection by his supporters.

Rama Krishna Sangem

Ramakrishna chief editor of excel India online magazine and website

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Chief Editor

Rama Krishna Sangem

Excel India national news magazine is a media startup founded and piloted by Rama Krishna Sangem, a Hyderabad based senior journalist with over three decade experience in the field of media, mostly in print journalism. His rich experience in reporting for both Telugu and English newspapers and heading a TV news channel and some online outfits will be of immense use to this venture. Excel India English news magazine seeks to fill the gap of analytical understanding to our readers who today are confronted with myriad media platforms. Our online version not only offers regular updates and commentary on happenings around us, but also gives larger stories not limited by space constraints of a print magazine. Excel India is ably run by a team of senior journalists committed to values and quality standards in the profession. We urge you all to support and guide us in this endeavour. Reach us at excelindiaweb123@gmail.com