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Biden’s descent: the five worst debate moments

CNN

Can Joe Biden cling on? That’s the question being asked in Washington DC after a painful performance from the US President in the first debate of the contest. While there’s still plenty of time between now and the November election debate, even dedicated Democrats are struggling to shrug off Biden’s performance. There’s already talk that the upcoming Democrat convention in August could provide on opportunity to change course.

So, how bad was it? To let readers decide for themselves, Mr S has compiled Biden’s five worse debate moments. Warning: painful viewing ahead.

1. Medicare

CNN broadcast the debate in a split-screen format that proved brutal for the President. When he spoke, Trump was muted, so just stared at his Democratic rival. At one point, trying to explain… something about what his administration would do with a strong economy, Biden said: 

Making sure that we’re able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I’ve been able to do with the… uh… with, with, with the Covid… excuse me… with… um… dealing with… everything we have to do with… uh… look… If we finally beat Medicare.

When it was Trump’s turn to speak, he said: ‘He’s right. He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death.’ Biden looked forlornly at the floor.

2. ‘I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence.’

As far as slapdowns go, this was a pretty cutting one. Biden had tried to regale his (semi) success in reducing the number of people crossing the US-Mexico border; numbers are down on the month, but up since he took office. On a roll, he continued:

I’m going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the… the… the total initiative relative to what we’re going to do with more border patrol and more asylum officers.

Donald Trump spoke for a nation when he responded: ‘I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.’

3. Biden lost for words on abortion

One area Democrats feel the strongest in this election is on abortion rights. So when the topic came up there was an open goal for the US President. Alas, he not only missed it, but appeared to go to the other end of the pitch and score an own goal. Rather than attack Trump on abortion rights, he started talking about immigration – an old time weak spot for the Democrats:

There are so many young women who have been… including a young woman who just was murdered and he went to the funeral. And the idea that she was murdered by an immigrant coming in… talk about that.

Pardon?

4. ‘A thousand trillionaires’

According to Forbes, the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, is worth about $220 billion. To Joe Biden, however, Musk is a minnow. At one point last night, talking about tax, the President declared that America has ‘a thousand trillionaires.’ If that were true, the American economy would be about 30 times it’s current size. Biden tried to correct himself afterwards (‘I mean billionaires’), but even then he was a little out. There are around 800 billionaires in the US.

5. Golfing handicap

Away from policy, the candidates covered other important ground… such as golf. ‘I just won two club championships’, Trump said. ‘To do that you have to be quite smart, and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way. And I do it. He doesn’t do it. He can’t hit a ball 50 yards.’

‘Look, I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him’, Joe Biden responded. ‘I got my handicap when I was vice president down to a six.’ Trump turned away from the podium and laughed. Joe Biden struggled to speak: could he hit a golf ball?

Listen to Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Sarah Elliott from the Legatum Institute discuss the presidential debate:

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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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