US Presidents Engage in Heated Debate on CNN
US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump engaged in a televised debate on CNN, exchanging insults and derogatory comments while defending their respective administrations.
Trump accused Biden of “destroying” the country during his four-year term, stating that his “poor work” in the White House turned the nation into part of “the third world.” Biden countered by saying that his administration is “rebuilding” the country from the legacy of Trump, who bequeathed an economy “in free fall” due to “terrible” management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Conflict in Ukraine and Gaza
Trump accused Biden of leading the country into a third world war after causing the world to “not respect” the United States after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he considers the “most shameful moment in American history.” Biden, however, said it was Trump who would allow a global conflict to begin, citing remarks in which the tycoon threatened NATO allies with “letting Russia do whatever it wants” if they did not increase their military budgets.
Regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Biden defended his proposal for a three-phase ceasefire, while Trump did not specify how he would address the situation, continuing to blame the president for allowing the attacks of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Block on Migration
The immigration issue has been a major point of contention between the two leaders, with Trump accusing Biden of opening the country’s borders and allowing in “terrorists from all over the world.” Biden denied the accusations, claiming that “they are not true” and that “there is no data” to support such claims.
About Abortion
One of the major controversies between Democrats and Republicans in recent years has been abortion, particularly since the Supreme Court reversed in 2022 the historic ruling that enshrined abortion as a right at the federal level. Trump has expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision to preserve access to birth control pills, while Biden defended the restoration of the Roe vs Wade ruling.
Legal Problems for Trump and Hunter Biden
Regarding the different judicial proceedings opened against Trump, he said that “he has not had sex with a porn actress,” in reference to his conviction for bribing the former porn film actress Stephanie Clifford, known as ‘Stormy Daniels’, in exchange for his silence. Trump also evaded responsibility for the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2020, defending that his actions and words were “peaceful and patriotic.”
Criticism of Biden for his Interventions
Following the end of the debate, political analysts on CNN criticized Biden’s remarks, calling his performance “painful,” and said some members of the Democratic Party are calling for him to step down from the presidential race. However, Biden himself defended that he had a “good performance” and that it is difficult to debate “a liar,” citing figures from the newspaper ‘New York Times’, which counted up to 26 “big lies” by Trump.
