By BortN66 @Adobe Stock
… Trump Didn’t Bite Off Joe Biden’s Ear
Pundits will focus of last night’s debate on President Joe Biden’s overall poor performance. Biden, a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory, seemed unable to “marshal credible response” on Donald Trump’s criticisms, claims Kimberley Strassel in the WSJ:
Perhaps because there isn’t much by way of rejoinders, Mr. Biden rolled out the usual stock claims about economic success. But Americans haven’t bought these arguments up to now, and this debate won’t have changed many, if any, minds about his record.
President Joe Biden attempted to bait the former president, plainly looking to provoke Donald Trump. Accusations:
- that Trump admires neo-Nazis
- that he called veterans “suckers and losers”
- that Trump is a “whiner”
- that he has the “morals of an alley cat”
Of course, Mr. Biden also taunted the “convicted felon.” Mr. Trump responded to some of these pokes, but for the most part he pivoted back to Mr. Biden’s failures in office.
For his part, continues Ms. Strassel, former President Trump hit the president on inflation, taxes, regulation, jobs, investment, spending, climate policies, a politicized Justice Department, the Afghanistan withdrawal, an emboldened Vladimir Putin, Iran, Israel, illegal border crossings, human trafficking, fentanyl, late-term abortion, and (in the weirdest exchange of the night) his golf handicap.
A number of these attacks came accompanied by stats or comparisons, suggesting to Ms. Strassel that Mr. Trump also did a bit of debate prep.
Again, a surprise to the oddsmakers.
The restrictions imposed for the debate (particularly the mute button when each candidate’s turn had expired), notes William McGurn, ended up helping Mr. Trump by making him more measured and disciplined.
One wonders if half the people tuning in were expecting Trump to bite President Joe Biden’s ear off, much like when Mike Tyson entered fights after his infamous bout with Evander Holyfield.
As it turned out, Mr. McGurn assures readers, nothing quite as dramatic happened.
