The first debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump took place on CNN tonight, highlighting the two candidates’ deep differences on nearly every issue. The debate was characterized by personal attacks and opposing views on the economy, healthcare, immigration, and foreign policy.
Economy
Donald Trump has slammed the Biden administration, painting a grim picture of the current situation. Trump, who claimed to have left a strong economy before the pandemic, blamed Biden’s policies for causing inflation and ruining the post-pandemic economic recovery for American families.
By rejecting these accusations, Biden overturned the narrative, considering the legacy received post-pandemic: stating that the economy was in free fall, also due to the mismanagement of the pandemic by the Trump Administration. Biden then listed the successes achieved during his time in office, claiming that he had achieved significant progress on employment data, the expansion of health insurance and the reduction of inflation as evidence of economic improvement under his administration.
Immigration
The issue of immigration has also been a topic of debate: Trump accused the Biden Administration of having allowed the entry of a record number of illegal migrants who are replacing mainly African-Americans and Hispanics as a workforce.
Biden defended his immigration policies, underlining the need for a humane but controlled approach, arguing that his policies on border control are also supported by the union of border agents. This last statement was immediately denied by the Union itself.
Foreign Policy and Ukraine
On the war in Ukraine, Trump said: “I will resolve the war between Putin and Zelensky as president-elect before I take office on January 20. I will resolve it, and I will resolve it quickly before I take office,” on the international situation, the former President accused Biden of having brought the world to the brink of World War III.
Biden accused Trump of wanting to weaken NATO, calling the former president’s claims nonsense.
Events of January 6th
Trump’s role in the events of January 6, 2021 has been another controversial topic. The former President avoided responding directly, instead trying to shift attention to other topics such as the situation at the border and criticizing Nancy Pelosi. Biden instead accused him of having no “sense of American democracy,” defining Trump as “the only one condemned on stage.”
Election results
Another significant moment in the debate was over whether the candidates would accept the election results: the former President, after some hesitation, said he would only accept the results if the election was “fair and just,” a response that fueled concerns about his willingness to accept a potential defeat.
Trump wins the debate, but the game can reopen
Trump is undoubtedly the winner of the first presidential debate; a comparison that showed the obvious difficulties of President Biden, in the event of re-election at the end of his mandate he will be 86 years old, fueling the rumors of his possible replacement with another Democratic candidate and the severe reaction from the American media. Among the most quoted options are the current Governor of California Gavin Newsom, the current Vice President Kamala Harris, even if the time for new primaries in the Dem house is objectively tight. In the event that this change materializes on the fly, the game that is now a foregone conclusion could reopen, reserving unexpected twists.
