On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term at the White House, faced Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden in the first of three presidential debates.
Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden battled fiercely over various issues including the economy, coronavirus pandemic, riots in the US in the fiery first debate on Tuesday that was marked by repeated interruptions from both sides.
The 90-minute debate was held on six different topics that included a discussion on records of both candidates, COVID-19 pandemic, economy, Supreme Court, Race and violence in the US and the integrity of elections in the US.
During the first presidential debate ahead of US elections slated for November 3, the Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden targeted the United States President Donald Trump on coronavirus pandemic. Claiming that Trump had no plan, Biden said, “He waited and waited and waited”.
Hitting back at Joe Biden, Trump responded by saying that if it was left for Biden, then millions of people would have died and added that the Democratic candidate had never have done the job he did.
President, Trump said that the US’ death toll due to the pandemic is lower than other countries and targeted Biden on his handling of H1N1.
Donald Trump responds to tax returns controversy
On the question of Trump evading income tax by just paying in 2016 and also no income taxes at all for 11 years before that, the US President rejected the reports and said, “I have paid millions of dollars in taxes.”
“I paid $38 million one year, I paid $27 million one year,” the US president said during the debate.
The New York Times had earlier claimed that the US president had paid only $750 in federal income tax for 2017, his first year in the White House.
Healthcare
The moderator asked President Trump on his healthcare plan with regards to his opposition to Obamacare. “I’m cutting drug prices by 80-90 per cent, and going with favourite nations,” President Trump responded.
However, attacking Trump, Biden said that he did not have a plan. “This man doesn’t know what he is talking about,” Biden said
Interestingly, the debates comes a week after Trump had launched his “vision” for health care in the United States.
On US Economy
Donald Trump, on the issue of economic growth in the US, said that he has brought back “economic recovery” and jobs to the United States. “Ohio had the best year they have ever had,” Trump said.
Trump also targeted Biden on his son Hunter Biden, who is alleged to have “cashed in” on his father’s position by joining the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas firm, in 2014.
Trump has attacked Biden’s son Hunter over him getting lucrative jobs overseas during his father’s tenure as US vice president, alleging that the younger Biden was not qualified for them.
Race and violence in the US
Trump also accused Biden of calling the African American community “super predators”. Attacking Biden, Trump said Biden abandoned the nation’s law enforcement.
“We believe in law and order and you can’t even say the words because if you say those words, you’re going to lose all of your radical supporters,” the President said to Biden accusing him supporting radical left-elements and stoking riots in the US.
“They’ve got you wrapped around their finger to the point where you won’t say anything about law and order. Are you in favour of law and order?” Trump continued.
Responding to Trump, Biden said, “I am in favour of law and order with justice, where people get treated fairly”.
Integrity of Elections in the US
In his closing statement, Trump also strongly reiterated that mail-in ballots were a disaster.
“This is going to be a fraud like you have never seen. We are going to do well. But, who knows? We are not going to know [the election result] for months,” Trump said.
The Ohio debate was the first of three debates scheduled ahead of the US elections on November 3. The next debate is scheduled to take place on October 15, followed by October 22. The Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will be held on October 7.
