The debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump was a jaw-dropping moment on Thursday night when they clashed over porn star Stormy Daniels, leading to the president saying his rival has the “morals of an alley cat.”
Their policy discussion quickly turned personal when the two men got into an argument over Trump’s legal troubles.
It was one of several personal attacks the rivals leveled at each other during the 90-minute debate, even arguing over who was the better golfer. Biden hit Trump hard when he accused him of having an affair with Daniels when Melania Trump was pregnant with Barron. Trump has denied an affair.
Halfway through the evening, things got personal.
Joe Biden criticized Donald Trump for his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels
It started when Biden attacked Trump over reports that he was seeking a second term in the White House because he wanted retaliation against his perceived political enemies.
“The only person at this stage is a convicted felon, like the man I’m looking at right now,” Biden said.
Trump hit back by noting that Biden’s son Hunter was convicted of three felonies related to the 2018 gun purchases.
“We are going to make this country successful again, because right now it is a failing nation. My retribution will be success. But if he’s talking about a convicted felon, his son is a convicted felon. At a very high level. His son has been convicted,” Trump said.
And he repeated his claim that he is a victim of politics.
“Joe could be a convicted criminal, considering everything he’s done,” Trump said, referring to his policies at the border and in Ukraine.
He later added, “This man is a criminal. This man — you’re lucky. You’re lucky. I didn’t do anything wrong. We would have a system that was rigged and disgusting. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Biden hit back hard, bringing up Trump’s reported affair and that it happened while Melania Trump was pregnant with Barron. Trump has denied an affair, but he was convicted of 34 felony counts in New York related to hush-money payments to Daniels made prior to the 2016 election.
“The crimes that you’re still accused of and think of all the civil penalties that you’ve imposed — how many billions of dollars in civil penalties for harassing a woman in public, for doing a whole range of things, for having sex with a porn star on the street one night while your wife is pregnant? What are you talking about,” Biden said.
“You have the morals of an alley cat,” he added.
“I haven’t had sex with a porn star, number one,” Trump replied. “Number two, that was a case that was started and moved. They moved a senior Justice Department official to the Manhattan district attorney’s office to start that case. That case is on appeal and we had a very bad judge.
He also noted, “My poll numbers are up tremendously, you know… and we’ve raised more money in the last two weeks than we’ve ever raised in the history of any campaign.” I don’t think any campaign has ever raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Because the public knows it’s a scam.”
Melania Trump did not appear at the debate
Trump is expected to appeal his conviction.
But the personal attacks didn’t stop there: they targeted their age, cognitive skills and golf handicaps.
Biden was asked to address voters’ concerns that at 81, he is too old for a second term.
He noted that he was the youngest man in politics. He was first elected to the Senate at the minimum age of 30.
‘I have been the youngest person in politics for half my career. I was the second-youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate. And now I’m the oldest, this guy is three years younger and a lot less skilled,” he said.
Trump, at 78, does not face the same questions about his mental capabilities.
Biden was not helped by the fact that he sounded hoarse all night and struggled to find his words several times.
Trump, meanwhile, bragged about his mental prowess, noting that he had passed cognitive tests and won two championships on his golf course — “not even senior” events, but regularly.
“I took two cognitive tests and I passed them with flying colors,” Trump said. “I just won two club championships, not even at the senior level, but at the regular level.”
‘You have to be very smart and hit the ball far for that.’
He added of Biden: ‘He can’t hit a ball. 50 yards, he challenged me to a golf game. He can hit a ball 50 yards. I think I’m in very good shape. I feel like I’m, uh, in as good shape as I was 2,530 years ago. Actually, I’m probably a little bit lighter. But I’m in as good shape as I was years ago. I feel very good. I feel the same.’
Joe Biden and Donald Trump made several personal attacks during the debate
Biden used that to go after Trump’s height and weight.
‘You can see that he is 1.95 meters tall and weighs only 99 kilos.’
“Look at what he says he is. Look at what he is. Look, I’d like to have a driving competition. For him. I’ve gotten my handicap, which when I was vice president, down to a six, as I told you before, I’m happy to play golf. As long as you keep going,” Biden said.
Trump responded, “That’s the biggest lie: six handicap.”
As moderators tried to block the personal attacks, Trump said, “Let’s not act like children.”
Biden responded, “You’re a child.”
