Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump traded attacks on abortion, immigration and their handling of the economy early in their debate on Thursday night, giving voters a rare side-by-side look at the two oldest candidates ever to seek the U.S. presidency.
Biden, sounding hoarse and tentative at times, stumbled over his words on several occasions during the debate’s first half-hour, while Trump rattled off one attack after another that included several well-worn falsehoods, including claims that migrants have carried out a crime wave and that Democrats support infanticide.
Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, were under pressure to display their command of issues and avoid verbal gaffes as they sought a breakout moment in a race that opinion polls show has been deadlocked for months. Biden, in particular, has been dogged by concerns about his age and sharpness, while Trump’s incendiary rhetoric and sprawling legal woes remain a vulnerability.
Two White House officials said Biden had a cold.
