What happened Joe Biden and Donald Trump faced off last night in the first of two televised debates ahead of the November US presidential election. The showdown saw frequent fumbles from the hoarse-voiced current president and a more composed performance from his Republican rival, though one littered with "lies and falsehoods", said The Independent.
Who said what The debate "veered from policy to personal and back", said The New York Times, with Biden "struggling to fend off attacks" from Trump.
Trump "could have really leaned in hard on Biden's acuity issues", said Fox News political commentator Kayleigh McEnany. Instead "he showed grace and answered with only substance this entire debate".
Democrats are "worried by President Joe Biden's performance", said CNN, which hosted the debate. It was a "disaster", one lawmaker told the broadcaster.
During the ill-tempered event a question about childcare led to an exchange between Trump and Biden in which the Republican said the US had been "destroyed" while the president argued the nation was the "most admired country in the world".
The back and forth was a "clear encapsulation" of the very different messages of each campaign, said The Guardian, as they "seek to win allegiance" in November.
What next? Trump and Biden will waste no time following the debate, heading straight back on to the campaign trail. Biden will host a post-debate rally in Raleigh, North Carolina today. Trump will appear at his own campaign event in Chesapeake, Virginia where he has promised to "deliver remarks on Joe Biden's incompetent presidency". |