ATLANTA — A calm and measured former President Trump leveled blows at President Biden’s job performance as Mr. Biden struggled at times to provide cogent answers as the two faced off in the first presidential debate.
Mr. Trump dodged much talk of the “rigged” 2020 election and instead riffed off Mr. Biden’s mental stumbles and blasted him for ruining the economy and opening the border to illegal immigrants wreaking havoc on the country.
The 81-year-old Mr. Biden spoke in a raspy voice and was at times difficult to understand. He occasionally lost his train of thought and trailed off, or said something nonsensical.
When Mr. Biden vowed to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans as a way to raise money to pay down the national debt and strengthen the health care system, he inexplicably quipped: “Look, we finally beat Medicare.”
Mr. Trump shot back, “Well he is right, he did beat Medicaid, he beat it to death.”
Mr. Trump noted Mr. Biden’s difficulty answering questions, at one point telling CNN moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper he couldn’t understand what Mr. Biden said.
SEE ALSO: Biden says ‘we need to beat’ Trump in first post-debate remarks
During a question on immigration, Mr. Trump took a shot at Mr. Biden’s struggling answer to a question.
“I don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either,” Mr. Trump said.
Aside from Mr. Biden’s struggles, it got ugly, fast, as the two debated immigration, the economy and taxes, and Mr. Trump’s recent conviction in Manhattan for doctoring business records to conceal a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Mr. Biden called Mr. Trump a “loser,” accusing him of saying disparaging things during his presidency about soldiers killed in battle. Mr. Trump accused Mr. Biden of allowing murderers and rapists to cross freely over the border and said he has turned the country into an international disgrace.
“The whole world is blowing up under him,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Biden, emphasizing Mr. Trump’s legal troubles and his recent felony conviction, accused him of molesting a woman in public and having sex with a porn star while his wife, Melania, was pregnant.
SEE ALSO: Trump defends Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade
“I didn’t have sex with a porn star,” Mr. Trump said.
Beyond the ugly exchanges, the debate questions focused on Ukraine, border security, the war in Israel and the future of democracy.
Mr. Tapper asked Mr. Trump about his commitment to upholding democracy following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by a throng of his supporters contesting Mr. Biden’s win.
Mr. Trump said he offered 10,000 National Guard troops that day, and both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser turned him down.
“I offered 10,000 because I could see what was happening,” Mr. Trump said. “Everybody was saying they were going to be there on Jan. 6. I could feel it. You could feel it and I said, they ought to have the National Guard there.”
While Mr. Biden tried to put Mr. Trump on defense over his past statements and felony convictions, Mr. Trump repeated his mantra that Mr. Biden’s first term in office had been a disaster.
“The worst president in the history of our country,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden had some strong exchanges and improved as the debate progressed, particularly on struggling Black families.
Mr. Biden said he has made progress for minority communities, touting the record-breaking expansion of small Black-owned businesses and the low unemployment rate as proof he is fighting for minorities.
Asked what he would say to Black voters who are disappointed in them. Mr. Biden said, “I would say I don’t blame them for being disappointed, inflation is still hurting them badly.”
But his stumbles blew up social media and raised new questions about his mental acuity.
“The voice, open-mouthed look, and visual contrast between President Biden and former President Trump all have Democrats I’m talking to nearly beside themselves watching this debate,” MSNBC host Katie Hunt posted on X.
Another media figure posted a report from the Biden camp that the president was suffering from a cold.
Mr. Biden fiercely fought back against Mr. Trump’s blows and tried to spin the immigration fight into an attack on Mr. Trump’s stance on abortion.
“It has been a terrible thing what you have done,” Mr. Biden said of the role Mr. Trump played in the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Mr. Biden said Mr. Trump is eager to dwell on the stories of migrants committing crimes against women, but turns a blind eye to other rape victims.
“Here is the deal: there are a lot of young women who are being raped by their in-laws, by their spouses, brothers and sisters,” Mr. Biden said, getting a bit tongue-tied. “It is just ridiculous and they can do nothing about it.”
Mr. Trump snapped back, saying Mr. Biden has rolled out the welcome mat for migrants to rape and kill Americans and said abortion should be decided by the states.
Mr. Trump said the high court decision “is bringing it back to the vote of the people, which is what they wanted.”
Mr. Trump often flipped around a Biden jab and clobbered the president.
When the president attacked Mr. Trump over firing generals, Mr. Trump said: “Did you fire anybody? Did you fire anybody that’s on the border that’s allowed us to have the worst border in the history of the world? Did anybody get fired for allowing in 18 million people? Many from prisons, many from mental institutions?”
Mr. Trump then asked Mr. Biden: “Did you fire anybody that allowed our country to be destroyed? Joe, our country is being destroyed as you and I sit up here and waste a lot of time on this debate.”
The two men debated amid polls showing Mr. Trump with a slight lead both nationally and in critical battleground states. The same polls registered deep dissatisfaction with Mr. Biden’s job performance and doubts about his ability to serve another term. But the race remains close in the handful of battleground states that will likely decide the election.
There was no live audience for the debate and even the White House press pool that accompanies the president to every public event was shut out of the studio.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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