Thursday’s debate between President Biden and Donald Trump was novel in at least one way: For the first time in six such debates over the last eight years, Trump finally “won” one according to snap polls and the consensus of reporters. That reaction, of course, had nothing to do with Trump himself, and everything to do with Biden’s halting performance. But to declare Trump a “winner” loses sight of the Trump we saw on that stage.
The former president wasn’t just everything we’ve known him to be; he was worse. It was truly a bravura performance of mendacity and deceit. Reading through the transcript, it becomes clear that there was not a single answer Trump gave that did not include some awful prejudice, a preposterously misleading statement or an outright lie, often more than one.
The day after the debate, at a rally in North Carolina, Biden was far more energetic than at the debate. Trump, on the other hand, will continue to lie about matters large and small, insist he won the 2020 election, and prepare his supporters for another violent burst of rage should he lose this year as well. That makes it even more important to consider what Trump said as much as we consider how Biden appeared.
Article URL: https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-trump-debate-even-worse-102959711.html