US President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday launched a personal attack on each other over their conduct, US economy, climate change and various issues in their first debate ahead of the November election.
While former US President Donald Trump went loudly on the offensive, Joe Biden repeatedly stumbled on his words.
While mounting attacks on each other, Biden and Trump called each other “a liar” and “the worst president in the history of the US”.
On age factor
Biden: I was the second-youngest person ever elected in the United States, and now the oldest. This guy (Trump) is three years younger, and a lot less competent.”
Trump: I took two tests, cognitive tests. I aced them, both of them, as you know, we made it public. He took none. I would like to see him take one, just one, a real easy one, like go through the first five questions. He couldn’t do it.”
On economy
Biden: We had an economy that was in freefall. The pandemic was so badly handled. The economy collapsed (under Trump) and when we came into office, what we had to do is try to put things back together again. We created 15,000 new jobs. There’s more to be done.
Trump: We have the greatest economy in the country. We had never done so well. Other countries were copying us. By the time we finish, we have got a lot of credit for the economy, for the military. But the thing we never got credit for, and we should have been for the Covid-19 mess. The only jobs he (Biden) created were for illegal immigrants. He’s done a poor job and inflation is killing our country. It is absolutely killing us a lot.
On the border issue
Trump: We had the safest border in the world. Now it is the most dangerous place in the world. He decided to open up our border, our country to people who are from prisons, terrorists. We have the largest number of terrorists coming into our country and this guy left it open.
Biden: He is exaggerating, he’s lying. Forty per cent fewer migrants are now crossing the border since the imposition of tighter entry restrictions.
On Immigration policies
Trump: He opened the borders nobody’s ever seen anything like, and we have to get a lot of these people out, and we have to get them out fast because they’re going to destroy our country. They (illegal immigrants) are living in luxury hotels in New York City and other places. Our veterans are on the street.
Biden: Every single thing he said is a lie, every single one…. Veterans are better now. One million of them now have insurance and their families have it.
Personal attacks
Trump: America’s trade deficit with China is now the largest in history… He gets by China. He is a ‘Manchurian candidate’ who favoured China over the US.…. Chins is going to own us if you keep allowing them to do what they are doing. They are killing us as country. You are destroying our country… Joe could be a convicted felon for all the things that he’s done. He’s done horrible things. This man is a criminal. This man, you’re lucky, you’re lucky, I did nothing wrong. We have a system that is rigged and disgusting.
Biden: I did something wrong is simply wrong. The only person on this stage who is a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now,” accusing Trump of having sex with a porn star. “You have the morals of an alley cat.”
Trump: I did not have sex with a porn star. When he talks about a convicted felon, his son is a convicted felon… He could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office, Joe could be a convicted felon, with all the things that he’s done. He’s done horrible things.
On climate change
Trump: I want absolutely immaculate, clean water and I want absolutely clean air, and we had it. During my administration, we used all forms of energy. We had the best environmental numbers ever.’
Biden: Citing the 2022 passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which authorises billions for clean energy, Biden said, “Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity” and said Trump “didn’t do a darn thing about it.”
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