US elections 2020: Trump and Biden lock horns in first presidential debate, here are 7 key highlights

The 74-year-old president and the 77-year-old former vice president though similar in age, differ starkly in style and substance. All of that was evident from the outset on the Cleveland stage.
US President Donald Trump (left) and Democratic Party opponent Joe Biden (right) (Photos | AP)
US President Donald Trump (left) and Democratic Party opponent Joe Biden (right) (Photos | AP)

US President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden engaged in a heated war of words at the debate stage in Ohio, Tuesday night as the country heads towards the polling booths in 34 days.

The 74-year-old president and the 77-year-old former vice president though similar in age, differ starkly in style and substance. All of that was evident from the outset on the Cleveland stage.

Here are the key takeaways:

Trump displays hesitation in denouncing White Supremacists

Trump seemed visibly defiant and showed hesitation when asked about his thoughts on white supremacy, in light of recent events be it George Floyd or Breonna Taylor protests, that have transpired in US.

Calling the 'Antifa' a "left-wing issue", Trump said he wants to 'see peace' and is 'willing to do anything' for that, deflecting from giving a concise answer. Biden on the other hand alleged that Trump has used everything as a "dog whistle" to try to generate racist hatred and division.

Paris climate agreement:'Disaster' for Trump, election promise for Biden

Justifying his administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, Trump termed it a  "disaster" and claimed people were happy being out of it, while Biden vowed to rejoin the historic accord if voted to power.

The Trump administration notified the United Nations in November last year that the US would withdraw from the climate agreement as the deal puts an "unfair economic burden" on Americans.

The notification begins a one-year process of exiting the global climate change accord, culminating the day after the 2020 polls on November 3.

Trump denies tax evasion claims

When moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump about The NYT report which claimed that the Republican leader paid USD 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, and also he avoided federal taxes for years.

"This guy paid a total of USD 750 in taxes," Biden said in a nasty exchange with Trump during the course of the debate.

"That's wrong," Trump responded alleging that he has paid over 65 million dollars as tax in two years.

Biden evokes deceased son Beau's to criticize Trump's remarks

 Joe Biden has evoked his son Beau Biden to criticise President Donald Trump for reportedly calling members of the American military who lost their lives "losers" and "suckers."

Biden described his son Beau, who died of cancer five years back as a 'hero'. Trump responded by pivoting to a familiar attack, on Biden's other son, Hunter.

 "I don't know Beau. I know Hunter," and accused Hunter Biden of having collected millions of dollars from overseas interests, including China, while working as a consultant during his father's tenure as vice president.

Cannot escape COVID-19

Trump has wanted the election to be about anything but the coronavirus pandemic, but he couldn’t outrun reality on the debate stage.

“It is what it is because you are who you are,” Biden told the president, referring to Trump’s months of downplaying COVID-19 while he said privately he understood how deadly it is.

He proceeded to blitz Biden with a mix of self-defense and counter-offensives. 200,000 dead? Biden’s death toll would have been 'millions,' according to Trump. Silver lining? A possible vaccine "soon", the president promised.

Amy Coney Barrett's appointment to Supreme Court

Trump defended his decision to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in place of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just weeks before Election Day, saying “elections have consequences.”

Biden said he was “not opposed to the justice,” but said the “American people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is, adding that Barrett would become the sixth justice on the nine-member court to be appointed by a Republican and would endanger the Affordable Care Act and tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions, and would imperil legalised abortion.

Family Business

Trump's potshots at Biden's son Hunter did not go unanswered. Biden called Trump’s litany “discredited” and fired back, “I mean, his family we can talk about all night" but sidestepped any of the specifics of Trump’s international business dealings and addressed the audience with: “This is not about my family or his family,” Biden said as Trump tried to talk over him. “This is about your family.”

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