An hour and a half of throwing personal attacks at each other, the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump has left Americans more worried of the outcome of the upcoming elections in November.
During the debate, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, Biden and Trump were asked to answer questions regarding some of the most pressing issues in the world and the United States, and they did not deliver.
From the overturning of Roe v Wade and the Supreme Court's latest ruling in Idaho to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, here are the key takeaways from the presidential debate.
Biden Vs Trump: Abortion Ban, Immigration, Personal Attacks And More | Key Takeaways
On Roe V Wade
Former president Donald Trump took credit for the overturning of Roe v Wade which ceased the right to abortion of women across America. Trump backed the decision and stated that he would ensure that it stays this way and they states have control over the civil rights of their people.
While addressing the debate, Trump added that overturning Roe v Wade was a decision that "everyone wanted", which was later countered by Biden. Calling the overturning a "great thing", Trump added that there will be exceptions for abortions such as in the cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.
Biden countered by saying the overturningt of Roe v Wade has been a "terrible thing" and stated that if he is elected for another term, his administration would bring back Roe v Wade.
On Age Concerns
Both the presidential candidates are old. With Trump at 77 and Biden at 82, voters across America have raised their concerns regarding their ages if they are elected in office.
Trump, who will be 82 by the end of term, claims he is in the "best shape ever". "I took two congintiive tests and I aced them both," stated Trump and his delivery of answers and speed definitely came to his aid.
Biden, who is already the oldest sitting president in US history, will be 86 by the end of the next term. Addressing voters' concerns, Biden stated that "he's gone from being the youngest in the room to being the oldest". Taking more jibe at Trump and calling his predecessor incompetent, Biden stated he would be more than happy to take a driving test with Trump.
However, Biden's overall delivery of answers tonight, constant stuttering and slurring has caused panic amongst Democrats and Americans.
On Ukraine War
As per Trump, these wars should not have happened in the first place and the main reason why they have occurred is because "Biden is not a respectable leader".
Speaking on the war in Ukraine, Trump stated if "we had a president that Putin respected, Ukraine would have never been invaded". Citing US' pullout from Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul to Taliban in 2021, Trump claimed that this "embarrassing moment" triggered Putin to take over Ukraine.
Trump also criticised the funding and aid for Ukraine, stating that "everytime Zelenskyy comes he walks out with $60 billion", the former president stated that Kyiv would not be in this position if he were in office.
Biden countered to this and stated that Trump's comments regarding NATO and to let Putin "do whatever he wants" has encouraged the Russian leader and intensified the war. Calling Putin a war criminal, Biden also clarified the aid going to Ukraine and stated that its just weapons, which have been approved by other NATO allies as well.
On Gaza War
President Biden stated that the US would work towards establishing peace in the region. Citing his three-phase ceasefire plan , Biden stated that from the UN Security Council to the G7, everyone is pushing for the war to end, except for Hamas. The current president has been criticised for his lack of action for Gaza and the unconditional support US has offered to Israel in his response.
While answering the questions regarding the war, Biden seemed to have kept this in mind and stated that Israel has weakened the Palestinain militant group and must eliminate them, but at the same time, urged Tel Aviv to be careful about how it uses its weapons and reduce civilian harm.
Former President Trump one again reiterated that if he was in office, Hamas would have never attacked Israel and the Middle East would have been stable. Countering Biden, Trump stated that Israel is really the one that wishes to continue to the war - "and to that I say, let them! Let them go in and finish the job once and for all".
When asked if they would support the creation of an independent Palestian state, Trump stated "he would have to see". The Biden administration on the other hand has reiterated its support for a two-state solution between Israel and Hamas.
On Childcare
When asked about some of the most pressing issues for Americans, neither Trump nor Biden answered properly. When asked what they would do to make childcare more affordable, Biden and Trump continued to throw personal attacks at each other.
Towards the end of the segment, Biden stated that his administration will continue to do more to make childcare affordable.
“We should significantly increase the childcare tax credit. We should significantly increase the availability of single parents to be able to go back to work. And we should encourage businesses to have childcare facilities,” the president added.
On Immigration
Immigration was one topic that made its way into every question asked. As per Trump, Biden is responsible for letting in thousands of "prisoners, terrorists and people with mental issues". As he continued his attacks on Biden, Trump did not give a solid answer but blamed Biden's immigration policy for the rise of violent crime in the US.
Biden, on the other hand, slammed Trump's family separation policy. Biden added that he would continue to reglularise immigration into the US and is also working on a deal with Mexico to address the issue of border crossings.
Biden Vs Trump: Did Anyone Win The Debate?
With snap polls yet to be conducted, the two men appeared to be tied. As per the latest numbers from FiveThirtyEight, Trump is ahead with 41.1 percent of support whole Biden trails closely with 40.9 percent support in the national polls.
However, after the 90-minute-long debate filled with personal attacks against each other, the outcome for November 5 remains is certainly one to watch out for.
