‘Unmitigated disaster’ for Biden in TV debate with Trump – as he faces calls from Democrats to step aside
Joe Biden and Donald Trump have faced off in the first debate in the 2024 presidential election campaign.
The format, with each taking turns to speak with their opponent’s microphone muted, was designed to prevent a shouting match with both candidates talking over each other.
In truth, it served to highlight the differences in the performances of the two men.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump during the presidential debate. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump appeared confident, on the front foot and in command, even if his claims sometimes stretched the truth to breaking point.
Mr Biden on the other hand was hesitant, sometimes stumbling over his words and at one point appearing to freeze, less than 10 minutes into the debate.
The only time the US president appeared to land any blows was when he lost his temper and attacked Mr Trump and his “alley cat morals”.
After the debate, political figures and commentators broached the idea of replacing Mr Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.
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Joe Biden appears to stall during debate
It’s “time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic nominee,” one Democratic politician told Sky’s US partner network NBC News.
Another said: “This was like a champion boxer who gets in the ring past his prime and needs his corner to throw in the towel.” They added he meant Mr Biden should exit the race.
David Axelrod, a senior aide to former President Barack Obama, told CNN: “There is a sense of shock at how he came out at the beginning of this debate. How his voice sounded. He seemed a little disoriented.
“There are going to be discussions about whether he should continue. Only he can decide if he’s going to continue,” Mr Axelrod added.
Sky’s US correspondent Martha Kelner said some Democrats had described Biden’s debate performance as an “unmitigated disaster”, “a meltdown”, and “a slow-motion car crash”.
Read more:
Excruciating Biden debate performance was among worst in presidential history
The presidential debate as it happened
Changing candidates at this stage of the campaign would be difficult and unprecedented. Unless Mr Biden chooses to step aside, delegates at the Democratic National Convention would have to revolt – despite being elected on their pledge to nominate the president.
The debate mediators divided the time in to subjects, beginning with the economy.
Mr Trump claimed under his presidency the US had the “greatest economy in the history of our country”, only stalling when COVID struck.
Mr Biden hit back saying he inherited “an economy that was in freefall”.
“The pandemic was so badly handled… the economy collapsed,” he said.
“What we had to do is try to put things back together again. That’s exactly what we began to do.”
For much of the debate, Mr Trump was forthright while President Biden, his voice hoarse, came across as hesitant.
On the issue of abortion, Mr Biden appeared to have slightly more success, describing the decision to overturn Roe v Wade as horrendous.
Pic: AP
“It’s been a terrible thing what you’ve done,” he told Trump.
For his part the former president said it was right for individual states to decide policy on abortion.
Next came immigration, previously something of a “trump” card for the former president.
Mr Biden was asked about his record.
“The Border Patrol endorsed me, endorsed my position,” he said, before turning on Mr Trump.
“He was separating babies from mothers, putting them in cages, making sure that the families are separated [when he was in office],” he said.
Mr Trump responded: “We have the largest number of terrorists coming into our country right now.”
Pic: Reuters
“That’s simply not true,” Mr Biden said.
“There’s no data to support what he said, once again, he’s exaggerating. He’s lying.”
Asked what he will do to address the crisis, Mr Trump said “we have to get them out” but didn’t specify any particular policy.
On Ukraine, Mr Trump was the first to answer, taking aim at Mr Biden’s handling of it.
“As far as Russia and Ukraine, if we have a real president, a president that was respected by Putin, then he would have never invaded Ukraine.”
Pic: AP
Asked what he thought of Mr Trump’s comments, Mr Biden replied: “I’ve never heard so much malarkey in my whole life.”
He warned that if Mr Putin wins the war there is a risk he will go after other countries like Poland and Belarus. However, the strength of his argument was undermined by appearing to confuse Mr Trump and President Putin at one point.
The Middle East was next, with Mr Biden saying the US had “saved Israel”, referencing the ongoing support from his government and the organised defence against a massive Iranian air attack.
Pic: AP
Trump however slammed his opponent’s handling of the crisis in the Middle East.
“He’s become like a Palestinian, but they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian. He’s a weak one,” he said.
Next came topics where Mr Biden genuinely had the chance to land some heavy blows: the Capitol riots and the litany of criminal cases facing Trump.
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The odd punch did hit home but – as throughout the debate – Mr Trump appeared in charge, confident in his own version of the truth. He repeatedly said he did nothing wrong, claiming any action he encouraged was to be carried out “peacefully and patriotically”.
Mr Biden retorted: “He encouraged his folks up on Capitol Hill.
“Now he says if he loses again, [he’s] such a whiner, it is basically [going to be] a bloodbath.”
Joe Biden embraces first lady Dr. Jill Biden after the conclusion of the presidential debate. Pic: Reuters
The only time Mr Trump appeared even slightly uncomfortable was when Mr Biden pointed out his recent criminal charges and called him a convicted felon.
“The only person on this stage that is a convicted felon is this man I’m looking at right now,” he said of the former president.
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The former president denies ‘sex with a porn star’
In one of his most forceful moments of the debate, Mr Biden referred to Mr Trump’s alleged sexual relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels, telling him: “You have the morals of an alley cat.”
The debate continued, covering racial inequality, climate change and the US opioid crisis, but in truth the optics varied little.
People at a watch party for the first presidential debate at Union Pub on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump – a chin-jutting picture of arrogance and self belief. Mr Biden – often seeming to feel his age, only coming into his own when he lost his temper over what he clearly regarded as his opponent’s lies.
The debate revealed little of substance with regard to policy, with podcaster and analyst Tim Miller tweeting that it was “the worst debate in history”.
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Biden and Trump squabble about golf handicaps
The level of the debate was put into sharp relief with the two candidates defending their mental capabilities and squabbling about golf.
Taking a shot at Mr Biden, Mr Trump said the US president “can’t hit a ball 50 yards”.
Mr Biden replied, saying: “I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris says Biden had a ‘slow start’
The hour and a half of to-and-fro is unlikely to have done Mr Trump any harm, but it may well have damaged President Biden.
As one observer pointed out, the problem for Joe Biden and the Democratic Party is “that Trump lies so well and Biden tells the truth so badly”.
US
Biden says Supreme Court immunity ruling means presidents can ‘ignore the law’ – as Trump celebrates ‘big win’
Joe Biden has said the historic ruling that former presidents have immunity violates the principle “that there are no kings in America” – and means they can now “ignore the law”.
He was speaking after the US Supreme Court decided absolute immunity exists from criminal prosecution for official acts while in office, but not for unofficial ones.
“Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Mr Biden said on Monday evening.
The ruling is a victory for Donald Trump, who is accused of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
“I know I will respect the limits of presidential power as I have for the three-and-a-half years,” Mr Biden said.
“But any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law.”
The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of Trump’s case, but referred it back to a lower court to decide how to apply the ruling.
It must now decide whether Trump was acting officially or privately in relation to the charges.
The decision is a big win for Trump’s legal case over the 2020 election. Pic: Reuters
President Biden said Monday’s ruling also means the ex-president is now “highly unlikely” to go on trial before US voters have their say again in four months’ time.
“It’s a terrible disservice to the people in this nation,” he said.
If Trump becomes president again in November, he may be able to use his powers to dismiss the charges against him.
He earlier celebrated the ruling, posting online: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
The three liberal justices all dissented with the majority opinion – with Sonia Sotomayor warning it was a dangerous step for democracy.
She said it made a “mockery” of the principle that “no man is above the law”.
“In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law,” she wrote.
The chief justice, John Roberts, insisted that wasn’t true but said they have “at least presumptive immunity from prosecution” for official acts.
The decision passed with the help of the three conservative judges Trump appointed when he was president.
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Biden v Trump: Highlights from the TV debate
Mr Biden’s comments follow his poor showing in the TV debate with Trump last week, a performance that prompted speculation the Democrats might try to replace him as candidate.
The 81-year’s remarks were his first from the White House since then, and he put in a far more assured and coherent performance – even sporting a glowing tan.
However, Mr Biden was reading from an autocue – something he did not have the benefit of during his stumbling face off with Trump.
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Read more:
Could Biden be replaced as election nominee?
Former Trump aide Bannon ‘proud’ as he begins sentence
Mr Biden admitted last week his debating skills were not what they once were but said it was his substance and actions that mattered.
His family have also urged him to carry on.
Democrat insiders spoke of panic after the TV debacle, but any effort to force him to withdraw against his will is extremely unlikely – with the only realistic route being if he stepped down himself.
The US Supreme Court has sent Donald Trump’s claim he is immune from prosecution for his actions while president back to a lower court.
Trump faces prosecution over his role in the deadly January 6 riots in 2021 at the Capitol in Washington DC, after he encouraged his supporters to gather at Congress to oppose the approval of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win; and alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election result.
The former president had been charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiring against the right of Americans to vote and corruptly obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to do so.
In a historic 6-3 ruling, the justices said for the first time that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for their official acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts.
But instead of deciding for themselves, the justices ordered lower courts to work out precisely how to apply their decision to Trump’s case.
The lower court must now decide whether he was acting officially or privately.
Trump’s legal team had argued he was immune from prosecution as he was serving as president when he took the actions leading to the charges.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges in August last year, has opposed presidential immunity from prosecution based on the principle no one is above the law.
A trial had been scheduled to start on 4 March, before the delays over the immunity issue.
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The Supreme Court’s decision adds further delays. If Trump becomes president again in November, in reality he may be able to use his powers to dismiss the charges against him.
The court’s slow handling of the case has already helped Trump by making it unlikely any trial on these charges could be completed before the election on 5 November.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has said this case and three others are politically motivated attempts to keep him from returning to the White House.
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US
US election: Joe Biden’s family urge president to stay in White House race as donors discuss alternative scenarios in Trump battle
Joe Biden’s family has urged the US president not to quit the election campaign, even as donors discussed the alternatives if he pulled out following his disastrous performance in last week’s first presidential debate with Donald Trump.
Mr Biden’s family discussed the future of his campaign when they met for a long-planned photo shoot at Camp David in Maryland on Sunday, and told him he should “keep fighting”, NBC, Sky News’ US partner said, quoting two sources familiar with the discussions.
His wife Jill Biden and Mr Biden’s son, Hunter, the people whose opinions he values most, both insisted he should stay in the race as he’s the best-placed candidate to defeat Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
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‘Biden, you are fired’
It was a view echoed by the rest of the family, who instead blamed the president’s advisers for failing to prepare him properly.
Around 40 of Biden’s top financial backers were briefed by campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who told them most of the campaign’s significant war chest would fall to Vice President Kamala Harris, with a smaller pool of money kept by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
It was one of several meetings in recent days in which campaign managers have tried to shore up support for Mr Biden, whom, they insist, can still win November’s election.
But a Biden victory appeared a long way away as the 81-year-old Democrat candidate paused and stumbled his way through a gruelling TV debate on Thursday in Atlanta, his performance dismissed as an “unmitigated disaster” by some in his own party.
A poll of polls maintained by analysts FiveThirtyEight had the pair roughly neck and neck until the debate, but Donald Trump has since pulled ahead, if only by one percentage point. RealClearPolitics put Trump 1.9 percentage points in front.
Watched by an estimated 51 million people, Mr Biden, whose age was already seen as a liability by voters, sounded raspy, trailed off, and at times gave convoluted answers during the debate.
The president’s showing sparked alarm among supporters, donors and campaign surrogates, worried that Mr Biden’s age, already targeted by Trump, 78, had caught up with him, and this was one campaign too far.
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Vice President: Biden had ‘slow start’
Mr Biden’s campaign has been working hard to persuade them that is not the case ever since.
Prominent Democrats made a public show of support for him on Sunday, among them congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, who said: “I do not believe that Joe Biden has a problem leading for the next four years.”
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But former senator Tom Harkin called the debate “a disaster from which Biden cannot recover” and Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said there were “serious and rigorous conversations taking place” over replacing Biden, according to NBC.
Democratic National Convention (DNC) chairman Jaime Harrison and Mr Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, spoke to some of the most influential members of the party on Saturday, presenting a rosy outlook and taking no questions.
Multiple Democrat officials on the call, most speaking on condition of anonymity, said it felt like they were being asked to ignore a serious predicament.
Joe Salazar, an elected DNC member from Colorado, said they were being “gaslit”.
It comes as a YouGov poll for CBS News found that the percentage of respondents who felt that Mr Biden did not have the mental and cognitive health required to be president was now 72%, up from 65% in the previous poll carried out in early June, before the debate.
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