Joe Biden said early Friday that he inherited an economy in “free fall” when he arrived at the White House and that he had spent the last few years fixing the problems left behind by his predecessor Donald Trump during the presidential candidates’ first face-to-face meeting.
“The economy collapsed, there were no jobs, unemployment was up to 15%, it was horrible,” Biden said during the debate, answering a question about high inflation and price pressure on consumers.
The debate, moderated by CNN, was the first ever between a former president and a current president who will face each other over the next four years in the White House.
“We are working hard to solve these problems,” Biden said, describing what his predecessor left behind as “chaos.” Donald Trump sharply rejected this characterization, saying that during his time in office the US had “the best economy in the history of the country” and “everybody was amazed.”
The former president defended “necessary” spending during the Covid-19 pandemic and said he never got enough credit for leading the country out of the pandemic crisis.
“The only jobs he created were for illegal immigrants,” Trump said to Biden.
The Republican also defended tax cuts that benefited big companies and the wealthiest while ensuring the government would collect more revenue at lower rates.
“Tax cuts have produced the best economy we’ve ever seen,” Trump said.
“We were ready to start paying down the debt,” he defended himself as he faced a massive increase in the deficit during his administration. For his part, Joe Biden argued that he inherited 9 percent inflation and that the Trump economy had destroyed more jobs than he had created.
“He’s the only one who thinks this is the best economy in the world,” Biden said.
“He rewarded the rich,” he continued, emphasizing that Trump led to “the largest national debt of any president” and that if millionaires paid a fair tax rate, all kinds of social programs could be funded, including child care subsidies.
Trump said that if he is elected in November, he will impose 10% tariffs on all imported goods and allow him to retaliate against countries that “cheat” the United States, specifically mentioning China.
He also contradicted Biden, saying he did not inherit any inflation.
Biden Accuses Trump of Wanting to Sign National Abortion Ban
During the debate, US President Joe Biden accused his rival Donald Trump of wanting to sign a national abortion ban during the first presidential debate between the two candidates in Atlanta, Georgia.
“What is he going to do if the MAGA wing [“Make America Great Again”, afecta a Trump] control Congress and pass a federal ban? – asked Joe Biden. – Is he going to sign this law? [a proibir o aborto]. I will veto, he will sign.”
Federal abortion rights were repealed in June 2022 when a conservative Supreme Court supermajority, with three justices appointed by Donald Trump, overturned the 1973 decision known as Roe v. Wade.
Trump denies blame for Capitol attack, Biden calls him ‘whiners’
Donald Trump has refused to take responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and Joe Biden has called him a “whiner,” pointing out that the former president wants to pardon the attackers convicted in court.
“Nancy Pelosi told her daughter that she was responsible. I offered 10,000 National Guard members and she refused it in writing,” Donald Trump said, referring to the then-Democratic leader of the House of Representatives.
“I saw what was happening and I said there were a lot of people. And I suggested the National Guard, and she admitted that she refused it. She said that she took full responsibility for the events of January 6,” the former president said.
Biden calls Trump a ‘fool and a loser’ in discussion about war veterans
US President Joe Biden called his rival Donald Trump a “fool and a loser” in a heated debate about war veterans.
“My son [veterano de guerra Beau Biden] “He wasn’t a loser or a fool. You’re a fool. You’re a loser,” the Democratic candidate for reelection said.
An emotional Biden abandoned his characteristically calm tone and recalled that he recently visited France for the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy during World War II and visited a cemetery for soldiers killed in action that Trump refused to go to as president.
Biden falters in the face of a more energetic Trump and mounting false claims
US President Joe Biden emerged with vocal problems, incoherent answers and verbal errors in the first debate with Republican rival Donald Trump, who more vigorously abused false claims about the economy, illegal immigration and other topics.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump opened their first presidential debate in 2024 without shaking hands and went straight to questions from CNN moderators, with the Democrat showing a hoarse voice – due to the flu, according to a source close to the campaign – that helped convey a weakened image from the very beginning, against a confident opponent.
Donald Trump calmly and confidently spouted falsehoods, while Joe Biden, despite the offensive nature of his answers, appeared confused and struggled with his enunciation at several points in the debate, during which the rivals clashed over topics such as inflation, immigration and Ukraine.
The first presidential debate of 2024 lasted 90 minutes with two commercial breaks and took place at the CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, moderated by journalists Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
The debate, which pitted Biden and Trump face-to-face for the first time in four years, came as polls show a bitter dispute between the two candidates and with the presidential election less than five months away.
To avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen in previous debates, unusual rules were dictated, such as debating without an audience, turning off microphones when an opposing candidate was speaking, or prohibiting candidates from exchanging ideas with their team during breaks or taking written notes on stage.
Biden and Trump will face each other again on September 10 in a second debate hosted by the ABC News network.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.