Biden: "I Inherited a Falling Economy" vs Trump: "Inflation Is Killing Us"

"We inherited a crashing economy. (President Joe Biden)"

"Inflation is killing us. (Former President Donald Trump)"

In the upcoming November U.S. presidential election rematch, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clashed over the 'economy' issue right from the start during their first TV debate held on the 27th (local time).

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Democratic presidential candidate Biden attended the debate held at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and when asked the first question, "What would you say to voters who feel the economy is worse than during Trump's time?" he immediately turned his arrows at former President Trump.

Biden stated, "You have to look at what Trump left behind when I became president," and claimed, "We inherited a crashing economy." He also pointed out, "(Trump) did not properly respond to the pandemic, causing many deaths. Yet he said it was not serious and told people to inject bleach into their arms," adding, "The economy collapsed, jobs disappeared, unemployment soared to 15%, and it was terrible." He continued, "Trump's administration did very little. It only left chaos," and added, "What we had to do was bring everything together."

In response, Republican candidate Trump rebutted Biden's claims by saying, "We had the greatest economy in history," and "Everyone was surprised because it had never been that good. Other countries were following us." He argued, "When COVID-19 hit, we spent the necessary money to avoid falling into a Great Depression like in 1929," and claimed, "We did a great job." He also emphasized his tenure by stating, "I was recognized for many achievements in both the economy and national defense," and "There was no war." Furthermore, he mentioned the surge in illegal immigrants and soaring inflation under the Biden administration, asserting, "He did not do well. Inflation is really killing us."

The two candidates also clashed over abortion rights, one of the major issues in this election. Biden expressed support for the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling that guaranteed women's abortion rights two years ago, saying, "I support the Roe v. Wade decision." He blamed former President Trump, who appointed the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, stating, "What you did was terrible." In response, Trump argued that the ruling returned the abortion issue to state governments.

The debate, which started at 10 a.m. Korean time on the 28th, is being held in a studio without an audience under pre-agreed rules, with the two candidates facing off for about 90 minutes carrying only pens, paper, and a bottle of water. Bringing pre-written notes or prepared materials is prohibited. Additionally, candidates cannot communicate with their campaign staff during the two commercial breaks in the debate. This face-to-face debate between President Biden and former President Trump is the first in about four years since October 23, 2020. Locally, there is a flood of evaluations that this debate could be a crucial turning point in the extremely close race of this U.S. presidential election.