On June 28, the first duel took place between the current President of the United States, Joe Biden, and his main opponent in the election, Donald Trump. This year’s debates started unusually early, which can be explained by the early completion of the primaries in both parties. The Democrats nominated their 46th president, Biden, while the Republicans nominated their 45th president, Trump.
Two seniors: whom to listen to is more difficult
Unlike previous campaigns, this time there will be only two debates since both candidates have already expressed all their thoughts and will not add any new arguments. Additionally, we currently have a situation where one candidate finds it physically hard to speak, and the other is just hard to listen to.
The main electorate of each candidate will remain loyal to their preferences, regardless of their statements. However, the so-called independent voters who have not yet made up their minds will face a difficult choice on November 5, and the debate results are unlikely to significantly influence their decision. It is worth reminding that in 2016, Hillary Clinton, who by general consensus won over Trump in the debates, still lost the election, even though she accumulated 3 million more votes.
Debate winner and loud statements
According to a CNN poll, which usually leans towards Democrats, Trump won the first debate. There were no major scandals or grave mistakes this time. Trump spoke plainly, avoided specifics, exaggerated and lied, as usual. Biden, on his part, maintained his stance, stayed on point, and even allowed himself to call Trump a “clown and a fool,” quoting Trump’s own words when he called American military personnel that in 2018.
Biden also hit Trump hard by reminding of his convictions and scandals involving payments to a porn star, leaving Trump with only the option to declare himself a victim of political persecution.
Main topics: economy versus foreign policy
The content of the hour-and-a-half debate boiled down to mutual accusations and discussions on who was the worst president in the history of the United States. Setting aside insults, the main themes of the debate were economic problems, while foreign policy took a back seat, which is logical as it reflects the concerns of the American people. Trump actively accused Biden, and Biden refuted his allegations and added his own, as Trump found himself in the disadvantageous position of the predecessor.
The Biden administration can boast record low unemployment, successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, creation of new jobs, taming inflation, and social programs. However, for the average Americans, it is difficult to understand macroeconomic indicators; they find it easier to grasp ideas about rising gasoline and meat prices, while the reasons for these remain secondary.
