Biden and Trump to debate age, crime and immigration at first TV debate

As the stage is set for Joe Biden and Donald Trump to go head-to-head in the first of two official presidential debates tonight, American voters are on tenterhooks to hear their views on a range of issues.

But what could the incumbent and former president possibly discuss in the debate steered by CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper?

From immigration to abortion rights, several burning issues are at the top of American voters’ minds, and many are keen to see how each candidate plans to tackle each one. Inflation and the Israel-Hamas conflict are two potential stumbling blocks for Biden, just as Trump‘s brash personality and recent criminal convictions could be his downfall.

Both candidates are also older than any previous president – Trump has just celebrated his 78th birthday, while Biden is due to turn 82 in November. That’s the age they’ll be when one of them almost certainly reclaims or retains the Oval Office in January, and there have been worries about both men’s cognitive abilities, with rumours circulating that both may have some degree of dementia – or, at the very least, the normal cognitive decline associated with their advanced years, reports the Mirror US.

At 9pm EDT on Thursday (2am GMT on Friday), both candidates will step onto the stage in a private CNN studio in Atlanta, and America will hopefully get the answers it so desperately needs. Here are some of the key points to keep an eye on.

Age and potential cognitive decline

At the age of 81, there are concerns within Biden’s team that he may not perform as well as Trump in Thursday night’s main event.

Trump has consistently ridiculed the Democrat for his on-stage blunders, such as stumbling over words, appearing to soil himself at the D-Day commemoration ceremony in Normandy, France, in early June, and freezing at random moments, including mid-speech.

According to the debate rules set by Biden – which Trump agreed to follow – neither candidate will stand. They’ll be seated, a condition that Trump has mocked Biden for, claiming that the president is weak and wouldn’t be able to stand for a full 90 minutes anyway.

Trump also questioned how Biden could possibly run the country if he can’t stand for that long.

However, Trump has had his own slip-ups, confusing and forgetting names on stage, failing to stay awake during his hush money trial in Manhattan a few weeks ago, and gripping the railing of his private jet as he descended onto the tarmac ahead of a campaign event in Michigan.

Democrats are hopeful that Biden can bring the same vigour to the CNN studio on Thursday that he brought to the State of the Union in March, where he spoke with strength and conviction for most of the event.

Trump’s team are hoping the former president will tone down his insults and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, which he claims was rigged in favour of Biden, and instead focus on the future of the nation and issues that matter to all Americans, not just his own ego.

During the 2020 debates, Trump frequently interrupted Biden, but this time around, mics will be cut off when a candidate’s speaking time is up.

Rumours have circulated suggesting both candidates may have dementia due to their age. Dr. John Gartner previously told TheMirror.com that he believes Trump suffers from some form of mental syndrome for various reasons, including his gait, name mix-ups and falling asleep in court.

Many believe Biden exhibits similar behaviours and makes gaffes in speeches and at events, indicating possible dementia.

Criminal Convictions

Just a few weeks ago, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, making him the first current or former president in American history to become a convicted felon.

The charges were related to the illegal cover-up of a $130,000 repayment to his former lawyer and fixer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen, who testified against him in the trial.

Prosecutors claimed that Trump had Cohen pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her allegations of an affair with him in 2006 at a Nevada resort. She gave explicit details of the affair during her testimony, which Trump‘s defence lawyers labelled as shocking.

Trump’s campaign team feared that if Daniels revealed this information before the 2016 election, it could damage his chances of beating Democrat Hillary Clinton and becoming President. So, they decided to silence her.

Trump refuted the claim that the payment to Cohen was reimbursement for hush money – he insisted it was simply honest legal fees. However, the jury disagreed, and he was found guilty of 34 felonies.

He is due to be sentenced on July 11. Biden is likely to use the conviction – along with the three other serious criminal trials Trump faces across the East Coast – as ammunition in Thursday’s debate. The other charges are related to his illegal attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, the incitement of the deadly Jan.

6 Capitol riot linked to his scheme to overturn the 2020 election results, and the unlawful storage of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump has pointed the finger at Biden, accusing him of instigating the legal battles he’s currently embroiled in by directing his Justice Department to target the former president. This is likely to become a contentious issue and could potentially put Biden on the back foot if Trump brings it up during the debate.

Survey results suggest that approximately half of American adults are in favour of Trump’s recent conviction in Manhattan, with even fewer believing his efforts to hide an affair with an adult film actress make him a desirable candidate.

Biden’s son, Hunter, was recently found guilty on three counts related to his federal gun charges trial in Delaware. He was accused of lying to a federally licensed gun seller, providing false information about his drug abuse and history with illegal substances on the application form, and possessing the gun for 11 days before his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, discarded it in a dumpster near a supermarket.

Hunter has made history as the first son of a sitting president to face trial and also the first to be declared a convicted felon. This is something Trump is likely to use against his opponent during the debate.

Hunter had previously asserted that the trial was a political manoeuvre against him and his father as the elder Biden campaigns for reelection. Trump has also targeted Hunter over his foreign business dealings during his father’s vice presidency in the Obama administration.

Abortion

For Biden, the issue of abortion is straightforward – he views it as a fundamental right for women nationwide. However, for Trump, who appointed Supreme Court justices that played a key role in overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 through the Dobbs decision, the matter is far more intricate.

Trump has frequently boasted about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, taking pride in the accomplishment. Yet, he’s also stated that he wouldn’t back a nationwide ban on abortion if reelected.

He’s under pressure from the extreme right, particularly Evangelical Christians and others vehemently opposed to abortion, to enforce such a ban. However, he also risks alienating the majority of the country’s women, who could lose all remaining faith in the former president if he takes such a step.

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion restrictions have emerged across the nation, something Biden is likely to criticise as he lambasts Trump for claiming responsibility for the Dobbs decision.

Immigration

Just as abortion is a clear-cut issue for Biden, immigration is equally so for Trump. He advocates for stricter border controls and bans similar to a contentious one he implemented via executive order during his presidency, effectively preventing Muslims from entering the country.

The Biden Administration has had difficulty controlling the influx of immigrants into the country, particularly at the US-Mexico border. His allies have privately admitted this is a problem – and one that will inevitably become a liability come November.

Recently, eight Tajik nationals with alleged links to ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) were arrested in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York City. This led the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s chief security official to issue a terrorism warning, stating that the city should be on high alert for an attack, though he didn’t specify of what kind.

Soon after, leaked data showed that hundreds had crossed the border from the same region in recent years, but it wasn’t immediately clear how many were suspected of being ISIS-K plants.

Trump could potentially focus on this, but even if he doesn’t, he’s known for highlighting Biden’s lax stance on the border, so he’s almost certain to criticise the president about his policies in that area.

Inflation

Inflation is another issue Biden faces. Trump and his team blame Biden for the steadily increasing prices of gas, groceries and other common necessities.

Americans are struggling to afford the cost of living amid soaring gas prices and spikes in produce costs, and many have already indicated, based on several polls released ahead of the November election, that inflation and the economy are issues that are important to them.

But inflation rates can be traced to both candidates as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw rates plummet as stocks also did. Whether one president was better for the economy or the other is a hotly debated topic and one that doesn’t exactly have a tangible, correct answer.

Despite this, surveys suggest that around 60% of Americans reckon Trump handled the economy better than Biden – a perception he’ll need to tackle with concrete actions or a strategy before the November election.

Israel-Hamas conflict and terrorism

Biden is also under severe scrutiny for his management of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with many deeming his leadership during the crisis as weak – particularly in relation to criticising what many label as war crimes committed by Israel against Gaza’s residents.

Biden has firmly backed Israel, distancing large segments of potential supporters, specifically Muslims and significant parts of the nation’s youth who hold more liberal views on Israel and its very existence.

Since the conflict escalated again on October 7, 2023, protests have erupted nationwide and globally against the atrocities being perpetrated by Israel, with campaigners demanding an immediate ceasefire in the region at the least and, at most, the total dissolution of Israel as a country.

Many perceive it as a coloniser that seized the land of the Palestinians, who were already residing in the region before Israel was formed post-World War II.

In the US, pro-Palestine voters, who constitute a substantial part of Biden’s voter base, are calling for a total divestment from Israel, meaning they want the US to withdraw any and all support – whether military or financial – from the Middle Eastern nation.

On October 7, Hamas militants stormed into Israel, taking the lives of 1,200 civilians, many of whom were enjoying an outdoor music festival near the Gaza border. Others sought refuge in their homes in nearby kibbutzim, only to be brutally killed when discovered.

In a retaliatory move, Israel responded with relentless airstrikes on Gaza, escalating to ground invasions and raids that targeted hospitals, refugee camps and other areas deemed safe by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF’s mission became clear – to obliterate Hamas completely after the events of October 7.

The death toll has risen to over 37,600 Palestinians, including numerous women and children, as a result of Israel’s unyielding war of attrition. This has sparked global outrage and prompted a UN investigation into potential war crimes committed by Israel in the region.

Aid flow into the region has been significantly hindered by Israeli forces, leaving millions of Gazans displaced and living in fear in refugee camps. Despite these camps being labelled as safe zones, residents live in constant dread of airstrikes and targeted attacks that could annihilate them and their families.

Biden has voiced his concern over the high civilian casualty count in Gaza due to the IDF’s actions, warning Netanyahu that US support for Israel could be withdrawn if what many are labelling as genocide continues.

However, Netanyahu has largely declined to do so, stating that Israel will not stop until it achieves its objectives – and Biden hasn’t taken any action since. This could result in him losing the support of thousands of voters. Many will be keenly observing how the president handles any questions about the situation.