The recent first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden has sparked discussions around the potential impact of their age on their ability to lead the nation. Notably, the discussion took an unexpected turn when the topic of their golf abilities resulted in a heated exchange. Joe Biden took the opportunity to make a comment about Trump’s age and competence, stating, “This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent.”
In response, Trump boasted about his cognitive health, claiming that he “aced” two tests, which elicited laughter from Biden. In turn, Biden daringly challenged Trump to a round of golf, making light of Trump’s physique and questioning his ability to carry his own golf bag.
While both candidates had the opportunity to utilize their allotted time fully, neither chose to maximize their answers. Despite Trump having more screen time, fact-checkers have questioned the accuracy of his statements, particularly regarding his claim about job growth, which they argued was merely a “bounce-back” progress under Biden.
Despite the devastating impact of the pandemic on the economy, a series of relief and recovery measures resulted in the creation of over 12 million jobs from May 2020 to December 2020, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Under Biden’s leadership, the recovery continued, leading the US to surpass its pre-pandemic employment levels by June 2022.
Throughout the debate, both candidates engaged in a heated exchange, with Biden delivering personal attacks on Trump and Trump bringing up Hunter Biden’s recent conviction. The debate reached a tipping point when Biden retaliated, accusing Trump of having “the morals of an alley cat” and branding him as “the only felon there” due to his alleged affair with an adult film actress.
The absence of the customary handshake between Trump and Biden at the beginning of the debate highlighted the tense relationship between the two political rivals. Trump’s former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, publicly criticized his old boss for disparaging remarks about service members and veterans, further adding to the intensity of the discussion.
In a departure from tradition, Biden and Trump opted against having an audience at the debate and chose to implement automatic microphone muting for the first time. This decision aimed to prevent Trump from interrupting during the debate, reflecting his past behavior in similar settings.
As the nation tuned in to witness this highly anticipated debate, the palpable tension between the candidates emphasized the urgency and significance of the upcoming election.