• Two presidential candidates trade barbs on immigration, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, handling of economy
• ‘Poor show’ may trigger calls for Biden to step aside

ATLANTA: President Joe Biden delivered a shaky, halting performance while his Republican rival Donald Trump battered him with a series of often false attacks at their debate on Thursday, as the two oldest presidential candidates exchanged personal insults ahead of the November election.

The two men traded barbs on abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, their handling of the economy and even their golf games as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.

Biden’s allies tried to put a brave face on the evening, and two White House officials said Biden had a cold. But the president’s poor performance rattled his fellow Democrats and will likely deepen voter concerns that the 81-year-old is too old to serve another four-year term.

One top Biden donor, who did not want to be identified while criticising the president, called his performance “disqualifying” and said he expected a fresh round of calls for him to step aside ahead of the party’s national convention in August.

A hoarse-sounding Biden stumbled over his words on several occasions during the debate’s first half-hour. But he found his footing at the halfway mark when he attacked Trump over his conviction for covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, calling him a “felon”.

In response, Trump brought up the recent conviction of Biden’s son, Hunter, for lying about his drug use to buy a gun.

Moments later, Biden noted that almost all of Trump’s former cabinet members, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have not endorsed his campaign. “They know him well, they served with him,” he said. “Why are they not endorsing him?”

Trump, meanwhile, unleashed a barrage of criticisms, many of which were well-worn falsehoods he has long repeated, including claims that migrants have carried out a crime wave, that Democrats support infanticide and that he actually won the 2020 election.

Biden and Trump, 78, were both under pressure to display their fitness for office. The two men — who have made little secret of their mutual dislike — did not shake hands or acknowledge each other before or after the debate.

But there were plenty more moments in which their bad blood was evident. Each called the other the worst president in history.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024