The two oldest candidates ever to run for president of the United States will meet tomorrow in a televised debate like no other. One accuses his rival of being deranged and a danger to democracy, while the other calls his opponent senile and corrupt.
President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, are essentially tied in national opinion polls less than five months before the Nov. 5 election. But many voters remain undecided, raising the stakes in a debate that will be seen more as potential moments of drama than political discussions between the Democratic president and his Republican rival.
The first presidential debate of 2024 will be broadcast from Atlanta on CNN at 9 p.m. Both candidates could face doubts about their fitness to hold office, something that previous presidential candidates did not have, suggests an article by the Reuters news agency.
Trump claims Biden is physically and mentally unfit for office, while Biden called his predecessor “unhinged” and a danger to democratic norms. Democrats point to Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, his other efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his May 30 conviction on 34 felonies for his involvement. in a money scheme to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with a porn star.
Biden’s physical and mental strength has come under scrutiny and speculation as he seeks a second four-year term. Critics say he is slowing down and point to a series of verbal errors but his allies maintain that he is as ready as ever. Trump regularly mocked Biden at his rallies, suggesting that he is not up to the job.
The president’s age is also on the minds of most voters, including Democrats, and many viewers will be alert for any signs that Biden – or Trump – is not up to the task.
