Biden – Trump debate: “disaster”, “shipwreck”, the president falters live before the American presidential election

The first major debate of the 2024 American presidential election, which will take place at the end of the year, gave place à a bombardment of lies from Donald Trump in the face à a slow, weak and confused Joe Biden…

Can Joe Biden still be a candidate? the American presidential election in November 2024. The question arises in the Democratic camp after a face-to-face debate. Donald Trump catastrophic for the tenant of the White House. The 81-year-old president, who had demanded that this face-to-face meeting with his Republican predecessor took place early in the campaign, missed the point. a crucial opportunity to reassure the millions of Americans in front of their screens about its vitality. and his health.

On stage, Joe Biden often appeared confused, slurring his words and mistaking his brushes more than once.  Donald Trump, convictedé in criminal court at the end of May, largely imposed on him his style, multiplying exaggerations and untruths, particularly on immigration, without intervention from the two CNN journalists hosting the evening.

Notably, the former president, who never acknowledged his defeat in the face of opposition, Joe Biden in 2020, did not commit to during the broadcast unconditionally recognize the result of his duel against the Democrat on November 5. ; once again of all responsibility in the attack led by his supporters against the Congress. Washington, January 6, 2021.

"Definitely a disaster" for Joe Biden

On the merits, the candidates discussed at length; the issues of inflation, immigration and support for Ukraine. Joe Biden, à often hoarse voice in front of CNN cameras – his camp has indicated that he had a cold; – attacked on a subject that he knows is delicate for the billionaire, reproaching him for his "terrible" against the right &agrav; abortion.

He also accusedé Donald Trump of "lying" by asserting that illegal immigration was causing crime to soar. But since American presidential campaigns entered into the In the age of television, there are more than 60 years with the debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, the form counts as much as the substance.

US President Joe Biden during the presidential debate facing Washington Donald Trump in the offices of CNN à Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024 © AFP – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Joe Biden tried to the Coué à took her out of the debate, not really far from denial. "I think we did well", swepté Democrat during a stop at a Georgia restaurant after the show, saying he is “hard to debate face to face” a liar. According to a CNN survey conducted among viewers, the verdict is clear: two thirds of them judged that Donald Trump had won the match.

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The distressed reactions and calls for help calls to withdraw from anonymous democrats have spread in the press to date. The debate is barely over. “Joe Biden's performance during the debate was disappointing, there's no other way to say it& ;quot;, admitted Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director during her first years in office. "It was undoubtedly a challenge. sastre", estimatedé political scientist Larry Sabato à AFP. On this sideé of the Atlantic, Le Monde also analyzes this morning the "shipwreck" of the Democratic candidate, "appeared é repeatedly overwhelmed, stumbling over words, unable to follow the thread of his thoughts.

Sent to try to put out the fire, American Vice-President Kamala Harris herself responded. té forced to concede that Joe Biden had been "slow to start" but that he had "finished strong".

The Trump-Biden debate, a turning point in the campaign

Republican Nikki Haley, former rival of Donald Trump in the primaries and whose votes are particularly courted by the two candidates, went as far as ;#39;&agrav; suggest that Joe Biden would not be the Democratic nominee the 'election", urging Republicans to "stay on guard".

Can Joe Biden step down, willingly? or by force, &agrav; a few months before the American election of November 5 ? Such a scenario is in fact extremely implausible and Joe Biden should, except & huge surprise, to be nominated by his party for the presidential election in November during the Democratic convention in Chicago in mid-August.

Joe Biden's poor performance, however, very probably marks a turning point in a campaign that has so far been extremely close: both candidates are neck and neck in the states likely to tip the election. It is, however, very difficult to say whether the debate will radically move the lines, in a country where political polarization is extreme.

Former US President Donald Trump during the presidential debate facing President Donald Trump Joe Biden in the offices of CNN à Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024 © AFP – ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Donald Trump still threatened by justice

The stakes are no less enormous: if one of the two candidates manages to succeed to attract a few independent voters, that could be enough to give him the advantage in November, as the vote promises to be close.

Another big unknown, however, weighs on the ballot: Donald Trump should be fixed. in two weeks on his sentence in his trial à New York. The former Republican president theoretically risks prison in this affair, even if this scenario seems very serious. s unlikely.

The Supreme Court of the United States, largely overhauled by the former real estate mogul, must also decide soon whether Donald Trump has immunity criminal proceedings in order to obtain the annulment of the prosecution. against him over his attempts to illegally reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election. on his fate as of Friday.

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