As the fiery first presidential debate unfolded between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, questions how their age may impact their competency as world leaders, caused the pair to veer off into a spat over golf abilities. Biden didn’t miss the chance to throw a jab at Trump, saying: “This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent.”
Joe Biden was questioned about managing the presidential duties well into his 80s, and he couldn’t resist taking a dig at Trump: “This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent.” Though the President himself faced criticism for how he come across in the debate, with a “raspy” start.
Trump boasted about his cognitive health, claiming he “aced” two tests, as Biden burst into laughter on stage. Then, throwing down the gauntlet, Biden dared Trump to a round of golf, quipping about his ability to shoulder his own gear and poking fun at Trump’s physique.
With a touch of sarcasm, Biden addressed the crowd saying, “You can see he is six foot five and only 225 pounds. I’m happy to play golf with you if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it? “.
READ MORE: Joe Biden freezes in ‘bad, bad moment’ and completely loses train of thought in presidential debate
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Once the political titans had made their case, CNN’s tally indicated that ex-President Donald Trump hogged the limelight for roughly 23 minutes and six seconds to President Joe Biden’s 18 minutes and 26 seconds, reports the Mirror US. Both candidates had the chance to use their allocated time fully, but chose not to max out their answers.
Curiously, despite Trump having more screen time, fact-checkers have set their sights on challenging the veracity of his statements, especially his claim that job growth has been nothing more than “bounce-back” progress under Biden, suggesting employees merely returning to former jobsa point under intense examination.
During the tumultuous Trump era, particularly in March and April 2020, the pandemic wiped out close to 22 million jobs. Yet, a flurry of substantial relief and recovery measures reversed the tide, with more than 12 million jobs resurrected from May 2020 up until December 2020, per figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Underneath Biden’s watch, the recovery stayed on course, propelling the US to leapfrog its pre-pandemic (February 2020) employment levels by June 2022.
In a rather embarrassing move for fact aficionados, Donald Trump slipped up, asserting that Joe Biden tanked the economy with ‘Covid mandates. ‘.
Dating back to March 16, Trump ushered in “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” which largely comprised CDC-guided advice focused on actions such as social distancing, self-isolation, and protecting high-risk individuals. Additionally, the administration called for school closures and discouraging social gatherings involving over ten people.
Further compounding his struggles, Trump’s response to the pandemic has been sharply criticised for its apparent lethargy and indecision, an approach some say drastically worsened the virus’s reach, leading to the horrific loss of nearly 6 million Americans.
Peppered with acerbic quips and barbs, the debate was far from civil. Biden drew first blood with personal attacks, branding Trump ‘a sucker’ and ‘a loser,’ retorting to past insults Trump once hurled at the military’s fallen heroes.
As the debate heated up, Trump brought up Hunter Biden’s recent conviction. In a sharp retort, Biden shot back with “you’re the only felon here,” slamming him for his alleged affair with an adult film actress and branding him as having “the morals of an alley cat.”
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As the first debate of the 2020 election got underway, the customary handshake between incumbent president Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump was noticeably missing.
In line with the previous two debates, Trump refrained from shaking hands with his Democratic rival, marking yet another departure from the long-standing tradition of a ceremonial handshake before debates. It’s no secret that Biden and Trump have had minimal contact since 2021 and are far from being on friendly terms.
The first personal attack of the night came from a fired-up Joe Biden, who branded Donald Trump ‘a sucker’ and ‘a loser,’ echoing the former President’s alleged comments about fallen war heroes.
In October 2023, John Kelly, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, publicly criticised his old boss for his reported derogatory remarks about service members and veterans. He also highlighted Trump’s alleged dishonesty regarding his views on various groups and his position on abortion.
The two contenders, who are only three years apart in age, have agreed to a debate before receiving official nominations from their respective committees. In an unusual move, they’ve decided against having an audience and will have automatic microphone muting for the first time.
It’s not unheard of for a moderator to have the power to mute mics, but automatic shut-off is quite rare. Biden requested this feature to stop Trump from interrupting him during the debate, something Trump is notorious for.
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Moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper should have an easier job keeping each candidate in check tonight.
In the 2020 debate, the mics were muted during each candidate’s opening statement in each 15-minute segment, but not at other times.