Trump and Biden, remote television duel

Published on: 10/16/2020 7:14 AM

Long-distance television duel between Donald Trump and Joe Biden just over two weeks before the US presidential elections. However, October 15 was supposed to be the day of the second debate, after announcing earlier this month that he was positive for the coronavirus and was hospitalized for three days, Trump was in Miami, Florida, responding to voters to via NBC. Biden was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the ABC spotlight.

Trump denied knowing about the QAnon movement, claiming it had “denounced white supremacism for years.” “But it always starts with this question, nobody asks Joe Biden if he condemns Antifa,” said the US president.

“I denounce the supremacists and these left-wing people who burn our cities,” Trump said, sparing no accusations against the Democrats. And then – pressured to QAnon by the moderator Savannah Guthrie, protagonist of the evening – insisted: “I don’t know anything. I know that I am against pedophilia, that they fight it firmly. But I don’t know anything about it.”

Then, on the coronavirus emergency, a clear reference to when Joe Biden was accused of hiding in the ‘basement’ of his home in Delaware amid the pandemic. “I’m the president. I have to meet people. I can’t stay in the basement – he said – I can’t stay in a room. I have to stay outside.”

Trump also answered questions about the tax collector. “The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats me very badly. They treat me very, very badly,” he repeated, adding that “there are people from previous administrations” who “like to change the rules, do everything.”

The mogul denied reports in The New York Times in late September that he would pay in 2016 and 2017, the first two years of his presidency, only $ 750 in income taxes and would accumulate $ 400 million in debt.

Regarding the vote, Trump said he will accept a “peaceful transition” if he is defeated in the presidential election, but not in the event of electoral fraud. “The answer is yes, I will – said the American president addressing the voters during the NBC town hall – but I want fair elections.” “When I see thousands of ballots thrown away – he insisted – I’m not happy.” Then he added: “I really feel like we will win, but I want them to be fair elections.”

“Peaceful transition … Absolutely yes, but ideally I do not want a transition because I want to win,” said the president who in recent weeks had refused to guarantee a “peaceful transition of powers” and had insisted on the possibility of not recognizing results. . electoral votes against him.

In the long-distance television duel, Joe Biden on ABC challenged Trump over foreign policy, a policy that deserves “a little, but not a lot of credit.” “We are less confident than we were – said Biden from Philadelphia, responding in particular to the American mediation to facilitate negotiations between Israel and the Arab countries – I congratulate the president on the recent agreement, but if you look closely we do not enjoy much trust”. in the world”.

In what The Hill called a “quiet” meeting with voters, Biden answered general questions from justice to climate change to the coronavirus pandemic. The second debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled for October 22.