With his aplomb and despite his many lies, Donald Trump dominated the first debate of the American presidential election on Thursday against a Joe Biden who was offensive in substance but very confused in form.
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The 81-year-old president, who had called for this face-to-face meeting with his Republican predecessor to take place early in the campaign, missed a crucial opportunity to reassure the millions of Americans in front of their screens about his vitality and health.
On stage, the Democratic leader often appeared confused, mincing his words and getting confused more than once.
Donald Trump, who was convicted of criminal offences at the end of May, has largely imposed his style, multiplying exaggerations and untruths, particularly on immigration, without the intervention of the two CNN journalists hosting the evening.
Notably, the former president, who never acknowledged his defeat against Joe Biden in 2020, did not commit during the show to unconditionally recognize the result of the November 5 elections.
He also once again disavowed any responsibility for the attack by his supporters on Congress in Washington on January 6, 2021.
“Definitely a disaster”
In substance, the candidates discussed at length the questions of inflation, immigration and support for Ukraine.
Joe Biden, whose voice often sounded hoarse in front of CNN cameras – his camp indicated that he had a cold – attacked a subject that he knows is delicate for the billionaire, criticizing him for his “terrible” action against abortion rights.
He also accused Donald Trump of “lying” by asserting that illegal immigration was causing crime to soar.
But since American presidential campaigns entered the age of television more than 60 years ago with the debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, form has mattered as much as substance.
“I think we did well,” the Democrat said during a stop at a Georgia restaurant after the show, saying it’s “hard to debate with a liar.”
According to a CNN survey of viewers, the verdict is clear: two thirds of them judged that Donald Trump had won the match.
Distressed reactions and calls to withdraw from anonymous Democrats spread through the press as soon as the debate ended.
“Joe Biden’s performance during the debate was disappointing, there’s no other way to say it,” admitted Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director during his first years in office.
“It was undoubtedly a disaster,” said political scientist Larry Sabato, in communication with AFP.
Sent to try to put out the fire, US Vice President Kamala Harris conceded that Joe Biden had been “slow to start”, but that he had “finished strong”.
Turning point in the countryside
Republican Nikki Haley, Donald Trump’s former primary rival and whose votes are particularly sought by both candidates, went so far as to suggest that Joe Biden would not be the Democrats’ nominee in the election, urging Republicans to ” stay on their guard.”
Such a scenario is in fact extremely unlikely and Joe Biden should, barring a huge surprise, be invested by his party for the November presidential election during the Democratic Convention in Chicago in mid-August.
Joe Biden’s poor performance likely marks a turning point in a campaign that has been extremely close so far: the two candidates are neck and neck in the states that could swing the election.
However, it is very difficult to say whether the debate will radically move the lines, in a country where political polarization is extreme.
The stakes are nonetheless enormous: if one of the two candidates manages to attract a few independent voters, that could be enough to give them the advantage in November, given how close the election looks set to be.
Another big unknown, however, weighs on the vote: Donald Trump should be sentenced in two weeks in his trial in New York. The former Republican president theoretically risks prison in this case, even if this scenario seems very unlikely.
The US Supreme Court, largely reshuffled by the former real estate mogul, must also decide soon whether Donald Trump has criminal immunity to obtain the dismissal of the charges against him for his attempts to illegally reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election.
His fate could be known as early as Friday.
