Biden disappoints, Trump lies

The incumbent's appearance in the debate sparked concerns within the Democratic Party, as he failed to respond to the attacks and false claims of his Republican rival. Biden was often unable to clearly express his differences with Trump. And at one point, after Biden got confused in defending his positions on border security, Trump even mocked him

The American president, Joe Biden, is three years and seven months older than his predecessor Donald Trump. But in the first presidential debate between them, the age difference between the 81-year-old Biden and his Republican presidential rival seemed much greater.

With a hoarse voice, Biden was often unable to clearly express his differences with Trump. At one point during the debate, after Biden veered into defending his stance on border security, Trump mocked him. "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence, and I don't think he knows either," he told her.

Trump on several occasions reiterated his opposition to the outcome of the 2020 election. He said that he would accept those of 2024 if they are "right and legal", and then he returned to the lies about fraud in the elections of four years ago.

"You only know how to complain and you lost the first time," Biden replied.

It is the first time that Biden and Trump debated after 2020 and made history: The first time ever that a sitting president and a former president faced each other. Clashes between them were not absent in many areas, starting from abortion, immigration, foreign policy, inflation and a range of other issues.

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The confrontation also took a personal turn. When Biden mentioned the criminal cases to Trump, the Republican reminded him of his son, Hunter Biden, who was recently convicted. The current president accused Trump of having sex with porn star Stormy Daniels while his wife was pregnant. To this Trump answered with denial.

Biden's age made matters worse

The biggest job for Biden in Thursday night's debate in Atlanta was to quell voters' concerns about age and turn the election into a referendum on Trump. But it failed. 

When he spoke in a hoarse voice, his words were often not understood. There were also confusions, especially when he cited statistics and laws. He rarely raised his voice to try to attack Trump during his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Supreme Court appointments that led to overturning protections for abortion rights and more.

Two sources on Biden's team said after the debate that he recently came down with the flu. And although the Democratic primaries are long over, his performance fueled clashes among party members over whether a second Biden nomination was the right decision.

Trump gives "a little" blow to Biden

Even though he is known as a candidate who regularly attacks Biden, Trump was restrained in the face of the president's numerous entanglements. When Biden fumbled while talking about the national debt, trying to explain the benefits of raising taxes on the super-rich before losing and ending with the statement, "We finally beat Medicare," the impression was that Trump would was thrown "on the attack". But even as he was seen biting his lip, Trump did something uncharacteristic of him: he responded like a typical politician.

“Well, he's right: he beat Medicare. He beat him to death," Trump said. And then he jumped into criticism of Biden's immigration policy.

Speculation about Biden's intentions

Unlike the showdown four years ago, when Biden dissected Trump's claims and offered a hopeful vision, his messages on Thursday came across as ambiguous. He was clearly on the defensive for most of the debate. The attacks on Trump turned out to be uneven as he tried to get the facts out of the former president's lies. On the biggest issue for Democrats, abortion, it failed. 

His statistics-soaked retorts were hard to follow. 

"We have 1000 trillionaires in America, billionaires in America, and what's happening, they're in a situation where they're actually paying 8.2% taxes. If they just pay 24% or 25%, or one of those numbers, when they raise $500 million, billion dollars, for example, over a 10-year period, we would be able to write off his debt," he said. .

Throughout the debate, Biden's strategy has been to use an offensive phrase to attack Trump.
"Everything he said is a lie. Everything," he said at one point. "I have never heard so many regrettable things in my life." 

And in a potentially bright spot for Biden, the president cited a 2020 report from The Atlantic in which Trump referred to the American war dead as "failures" and "losers." He mentioned his son, Beau, who died of brain cancer after being exposed to toxic fumes in Iraq.
"My son was not a failure. You are a failure. You're a loser," Biden said.

The Clash for Israel and Gaza

Biden and Trump appeared with opposite approaches to the war in Gaza. 

"Let Israel finish the job," he told Biden, suggesting the president made numerous attempts to rein in the Israeli government and its bombing of Palestinians. Trump did not say whether he would support a Palestinian state, but insisted that the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel would "never have happened" if he were in the White House. He also said that Biden is "made like a Palestinian, but they don't like him because he is a bad Palestinian." This was perhaps intended as a jab at suggesting that Biden is respectful of the Palestinians, but also ineffective at earning their respect.

Biden spoke about the US alliance with Israel, as he emphasized the weapons offered to Israel. 
The next president - whether it's Biden or Trump - will have a lot of work to do in the region. And this is especially important in Israel and Gaza, where after the fighting ends, the US and other world powers will be called upon to negotiate some kind of peaceful way forward.

Trump "avoids" deportations

On the subject of immigration, Trump did not shy away from directly answering the question of whether the tough immigration crackdown he promised would include deporting those who have been in the US for decades, those with jobs and those whose spouses are US citizens. .

Instead, he launched into an attack on Biden, accusing him of shouldering the blame for the crimes of undocumented immigrants since he took office.

And Biden replied: "Everything he said is a lie."

The Republican blamed the president for the bleak landscape of global politics. He refused to express a clear position on NATO, boasting about his efforts in order to inform member countries about their obligations. 

Meanwhile, Biden accused Trump of encouraging the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to start the invasion of Ukraine. Biden's justification for the continued support of the US for Ukraine was divided into two lines: First, that it is a priority and essential step because Putin, as he believes, will not stop at the western border of Ukraine. He also argued, as he has in the past, that the existence of NATO essentially strengthens the US, and that such a close alliance with Western Europe provides the US with stronger assistance in all its interactions. her in the world.

Trump's offer to black and Latino voters

When the debate turned to black voters, Trump took the opportunity to give them and Latino voters an offer to beat Biden on inflation.

Biden's chances of winning in November depend on the support of black voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and the outcome in Georgia and North Carolina. 

When asked what his message is to black voters who are unemployed and face disparities in wages and other areas, Biden praised his policies, including efforts to reduce student loan debt.

"I don't blame those who are disappointed, inflation is still hurting them badly," he said. "There's more to do, but we've done a lot so far, and I'm not giving up and they know that." 

Trump blamed Biden for creating inflation and said his immigration policies have led to job losses for black people. He falsely accused Biden of referring to black people as "super predators" during the 90s.

Same stances on inflation

Both leaders expressed the same position when asked to explain their data on the pandemic. 
Asked early in the debate about one of the issues facing his re-election bid - inflation - Biden said he inherited an economy "in free fall" because of Trump's Covid-19 decisions. He said that the pandemic was "handled extremely badly" by his predecessor. It quoted Trump as saying the coronavirus was "not that serious" and mocked Trump's suggestion of injecting disinfectant into the body.

And Trump blamed the pandemic for halting an economy that "was the best in the history of the country."
Trump, who amassed twice as much federal debt as Biden according to a new nonpartisan report, claimed he was ready to start paying down the nation's debt when the coronavirus first appeared. He then shifted the conversation to his successor's handling of the pandemic, criticizing him for mandating vaccines created by the Biden administration.

The second debate is expected to be held on September 10, when Biden and Trump will face each other for the last time before the elections.

False statements by both candidates 

January 6

Trump: It talks about a relatively small number of people who went to the Capitol and who in many cases were directed there by the police.

facts: False. The attack on the Capitol was the bloodiest attack on an American institution in the last 200 years. As documented by video footage, photographs and eyewitnesses, thousands of people flocked to the Capitol, turning it into a scene of clashes with police.

According to an internal document dated March 7, 2023, Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger stated that claims that "our officers have assisted protesters by acting as 'cicerones'" are "offensive and false." Over 850 people pleaded guilty to the crimes and another 200 were tried and convicted.

Trump, to then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi on January 6: "I offered her 10,000 National Guard soldiers and she turned them down."

facts: Pelosi did not order the National Guard. As the Capitol was under attack, she and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for military help, including from the National Guard.

The Capitol Police Board is the authority that decides whether National Guard troops should be called out. It consists of the Sergeant Major of the House of Representatives, the Sergeant Major of the Senate and the Architect. The board decided not to call the Garda before the attack, but called for help after the riots had started and the troops arrived hours later. The House Sergeant Major reports to Pelosi and the Senate Sergeant Major reports to McConnell. There is no evidence that Pelosi or McConnell told security officials not to call the guard ahead of time. 

Taxes and regulations

Trump for Biden: He will quadruple your taxes.

facts: It is not correct.

Trump made this statement at election rallies, but it was not based on facts. Biden wants to prevent tax increases for those earning less than $400, which is where the vast majority of taxpayers fall.

Biden's budget proposal does not include tax increases as Trump claims, although the increase is focused on corporations and the wealthy. The tax cuts approved by Trump expire after 2025, under the law passed while he was president.

Trump, referring to January 6, 2021: “On January 6, we had the lowest tax rate. We had the lowest rate of regulation in history on January 6th."

facts: The current federal income tax first went into effect in 1913, and the tax rate has fluctuated significantly since then. The lowest rates were in the 1920s. Trump cut taxes during his administration, but rates have not been the lowest in history. 

Government regulations have also fluctuated throughout history, but generally there has been an increase in the number of regulations as the country modernizes and the population grows. There are now more regulations on environmental issues, employment, financial exchanges and other aspects of everyday life. Although Trump has repealed some regulations, he has not returned the country to the past, when there were fewer regulations.

Insulin

Biden: An insulin injection costs $15, not $400.

facts: It is not correct. The price ceiling for insulin for older Americans covered by Medicare is $35 based on the 2022 Inflation Relief Act approved by Biden. This price ceiling went into effect last year, when many drugmakers announced they would drop the price of the drug to $35 for most users who have private health insurance. But Biden exaggerated that people have paid up to $400 a month in the past. 

Climate change

Trump said that "during the four years of government, I had the best indicators on environmental issues" and that he supports "clean" air and water.

facts: Far from the full picture of the situation. During his presidency, Trump repealed several articles of the Clean Water Act, eased regulations on coal, oil and gas companies and withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. When wildfires hit California in 2020, he rejected the scientific consensus that the wildfires were a result of climate change. He also dismissed warnings about climate change and repeatedly proposed deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. The cuts were blocked by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

abortion

Trump: The problem is that they are radical because they would take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, even after birth.

facts: Trump made an incorrect statement when he referred to postnatal abortions. Infanticide is a criminal offense in all states, and no state has passed any law allowing infanticide after birth.

Abortion rights activists say that this designation and phrases like "late-stage (pregnancy) abortion" are attempts to stigmatize late-stage abortions. Such abortions are very rare. 

Abortions in late pregnancy are also mostly the result of serious complications, such as abnormalities in the fetus, which endanger the life of the mother or the fetus, according to medical experts. 

Russia

Trump on "Wall Street Journal" journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia: He should have been released a long time ago, but of course Putin is asking for billions of dollars, because this man pays every time.

facts: Trump is wrong to say that Biden pays "every time" to secure the release of hostages and wrongfully arrested Americans. There is also not a single proof that Putin is asking for money for the release of the journalist Gershkovich. 

COVID-19

Biden: Trump told Americans to "inject disinfectant cleaners" to treat COVID-19.

facts: This is an exaggeration. In fact, Trump has asked if it is possible to inject the disinfectant into the lungs.

"The disinfectant destroys (the virus) within a minute," he declared at a press conference in April 2020. "Is there a way to do that, by injecting into, or near a cleaning (preparation), because the virus it gets into the lungs and damages the lungs, so it would be interesting to look into that possibility, we need doctors to do that, but it seems interesting to me. This whole concept of light, the way it destroys it in a minute. It is very powerful."

LANDED IMMIGRANTS

Trump, referring to Biden: He's the one who killed people with a bad border allowing the flood of hundreds of thousands of people dying and also killing our people when they come here.

facts: The massive flow of immigrants entering the United States illegally through the southern border was an issue about which Trump made numerous false and misleading claims. For example, it repeatedly claims that other countries are emptying prisons and mental health institutions to send them to the United States. There is no evidence to support this claim.

Trump has also argued that the influx of immigrants is causing increased crime in the United States, even though statistics show that violent crime is on the decline.
There have been recent reports of serious crimes allegedly committed by people who entered the United States illegally. But FBI statistics do not classify crimes by the immigration status of their perpetrators, and there is no evidence of an increase in the number of crimes committed by immigrants, either along the US-Mexico border or in cities. that are facing their greatest influx, such as New York. According to study findings, people living in the United States without documents are less likely than US-born Americans to be arrested for violent, drug or property crimes. 
Texas is the only state that records crimes based on immigration status. A study published in 2020 by the National Academy of Sciences found a "significantly lower rate of criminal offenses" among people who were in the United States illegally compared to legal immigrants or those who were born here.

Charlottesville

Biden, referring to Trump after the bloody rally of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017: The one who said he thinks there are good people on both sides.

facts: Trump used these words to describe the participants of a bloody rally that was planned by white nationalists. But as Trump's supporters have said, he also said that day he was not talking about the neo-Nazis and white nationalists who were in attendance.

"There were some very bad people in that group," Trump declared during a press conference a few days after the rally, "but there were also people who were very good people, on both sides."
He then said he wasn't talking about "neo-Nazis and white nationalists, because they should be fully condemned." But, according to him, the media were unfair in their treatment of people who were there to legally and without malice protest the removal of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The rally planned by white nationalists erupted into chaos, shaking the country: violent street brawls, racist and anti-Semitic chants, smoke bombs and a car speeding into a crowd of a counter-protest, leaving one dead and dozens injured.

The economy

Trump: We had the best economy in history

facts: This is not correct. First, the pandemic caused a massive contraction of the economy during his presidency. The government borrowed $3.1 trillion in 2020 to stabilize the economy. Trump left the White House with fewer jobs created than when he entered office.

But even if the consequences of the pandemic were removed from the analysis, the average economic growth was 2.67 percent during its first three years. That's steady, but nowhere near the 4 percent average during President Bill Clinton's two terms in office from 1993 to 2001, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In fact, actual economic growth is stronger under President Biden than under President Trump.

The unemployment rate during Trump's presidency fell to 3.5 percent before the pandemic. But still, the 25-54 age group – which makes up the majority of the US workforce was higher during Clinton's presidency, and it is also higher during Biden's term than during Trump's presidency.

Trump is also keen to talk about the low rate of inflation during his administration. The price of fuel had dropped to $1.77 per gallon. But, of course, the price drop happened during the lockdown due to the pandemic when few people used the cars. The low prices were the result of the global health crisis, not Trump's policies.

30-year mortgage rates also suffered similar reductions, dropping to 2.65 percent during the pandemic. These low rates were a consequence of the State Reserves efforts to stimulate the weak economy and not a sign of its strength, as it currently claims.

Deaths of soldiers

Biden: The truth is that I am the only president in this century - in this decade - that soldiers around the world have not died as (died) during your term."

facts: At least 16 soldiers have been killed in combat since Biden became president in January 2021. On August 26, 2021, 13 soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, during the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. On January 28 of this year, an enemy drone killed three American soldiers at a desert military base in Jordan.

Presidential legacy

Biden: 159, or 58, I don't know the exact number, presidential historians have met and voted on who is the worst president in American history... They said he (Trump) was the worst in American history. It is a fact. It's not a guess.

facts: About right, but not quite. The survey, a project of professors from the University of Houston and Coastal Carolina University, included 154 usable responses from 525 respondents who were invited to take the survey.

Protests for George Floyd

Trump on the protests in Minneapolis after the killing of George Floyd: If I had not sent the National Guard, the city would have been destroyed.

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facts: Trump did not send the National Guard to Minneapolis during the unrest after the death of George Floyd. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent the National Guard to the city.