Donald Trump and Joe Biden engaged in a heated argument on Thursday, vehemently criticizing one other’s behavior and record in an attempt to sway the extremely competitive race for the presidency.
Biden responded to Trump’s aggressive attacks, trying to portray him as a failure in both the global and economic arenas. However, Biden’s response was hesitant, as he spoke rapidly in a quiet, trailing voice and repeatedly stammered over his remarks.
Far earlier in the election cycle than typical, a severely divided nation still reeling from the chaos and violence of the 2020 election faced off against each other, accusing the other of being the worst president in history.
At CNN’s Atlanta headquarters, Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, walked to their podiums without exchanging a handshake and with their microphones muted while each other talked.
Claiming to be suffering from a cold, Biden struck back at Trump with well-practiced words, trying to remind the millions of television watchers that the next president will be the first person with a criminal record.
“Think of all the civil penalties you have. How many billions of dollars do you owe in civil penalties for, for molesting a woman in public,” Biden said, and “for having sex with a porn star on the night, while your wife was pregnant?”
“You have the morals of an alley cat,” Biden said.
Trump, a veteran of rallies and reality television, spoke forcefully as he rushed through a long list of complaints about Biden’s record.
“It’s a shame what’s happened to our country in the last four years,” Trump said
“I’m friends with a lot of people. They cannot believe what happened to the United States of America. We’re no longer respected.”
Trump sought to seize on Biden’s delivery, saying at one point, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
