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full screen President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP/TT
The first debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden began on the theme of soaring prices and increased costs of living.
Not unexpectedly, the rivals blame inflation on each other’s presidencies.
– The economy collapsed. We needed to put everything back together, Biden said in his first reply.
– When he left, it was chaos, Biden continued.
Trump countered that he ran the best economy in US history, despite the pandemic.
– We left them with a country where the stock market was higher than before covid.
– The only jobs he created were for illegal immigrants, Trump continued.
Much is at stake in the fateful televised debate. For the first time, a sitting president and an ex-president collide in front of millions of viewers.
They both refrained from shaking hands before the debate began.
The televised debate is held earlier in the election campaign than usual, even before the party convention where the rivals are to be formally chosen by their parties as presidential candidates.
The two last met in debate in 2020.
FACT The debate rules
90 minutes long without a studio audience.
Hosted by CNN in Atlanta, with anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators.
Two commercial breaks, but none of the debaters are then allowed to have contact with their employees.
The microphone is muted when the other party is talking.
The debaters may have a pen, a pad and a bottle of water on the table. Notes with pre-written posts or lines are not allowed.
Biden chose to pick a seat, to the right of the stage. That gave Trump the right to end the debate.
Source: CNN, Politico
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