CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Just as the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and his Republican challenger Donald Trump came to an end, there was a viral comment on social media, that it was like a lying toddler and a nearly dead man arguing with each other. In a way, it summed up the whole debate: Trump confidently repeated lie after lie, while Biden stumbled, his voice hoarse, and his train of thought interrupted. On a few occasions at least, Biden was plainly incoherent. It was clear that Biden fell flat against a much superior performance by Trump.
Both candidates squared off in their first debate of this election season in Atlanta on the night of June 27. Trump agreed to participate in the 90-minute debate organised by CNN, a liberal network with which he has an acrimonious relationship, even as he faced criminal prosecutions over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Despite Trump’s obvious handicaps, it was Biden who came up short on the debate stage. His team was forced to explain the disaster, telling reporters that the president appeared tired and sounded hoarse as he was suffering from a “cold”.