Thomas Watkins is Washington bureau chief at The National
June 28, 2024
If ever there was a moment President Joe Biden needed to come out swinging against his rival Donald Trump, it was at last night’s debate.
Here was a chance for the 81-year-old commander-in-chief to put to rest the widespread view that he is too frail for the world’s toughest job and isn’t fit for a second term in the White House.
But instead of delivering any knockout blows, Mr Biden seemed punch drunk and against the ropes as he gave a dismal performance that will be remembered as a turning point in this year’s presidential election.
Only three years separate Mr Biden and Trump, 78, but the President looked and sounded much older than his heavily made-up opponent, presenting awkward optics and viral memes for Democrats who have spent months claiming Mr Biden is sharp as a tack behind closed doors.
The stiff gait Mr Biden has developed in recent months was obvious as he shuffled on to CNN’s debate stage in Atlanta, looking pale, tired and a bit bewildered. When he delivered his opening remarks, his voice was hoarse and at times barely audible, presumably because of his days of preparation ahead of the debate.
Trump meanwhile appeared energised as he swaggered on to the stage before opening the debate with his signature lines on how Mr Biden is “killing our country”.
A debate watch party Thursday, in Scottsdale, Arizona. AP
After a faltering start, Mr Biden soon began making gaffe after gaffe, appearing to lose his train of thought and frequently struggling with his lifelong stutter.
“The truth is, I'm the only president this … decade that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world, like he did,” Mr Biden said early on, glossing over the fact that 13 Marines were killed during the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021.
He then asserted that America is home to “one thousand trillionaires” (there aren't any) before correcting himself to say billionaires.
At one point, Mr Biden answered a question on tax policy by saying something about “Covid” and that “we finally beat Medicare.”
“I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either,” Trump said after another statement.
And on abortion rights, one of the most crucial issues for voters in this election, Mr Biden should have been able to hammer Trump, who has boasted of being responsible for ending the federal right to terminate a pregnancy.
But instead of delivering a succinct talking point, Mr Biden went into a confusing explanation about the three trimesters.
Snap polls on US networks found that the vast majority of viewers thought Mr Biden fared worse than Trump. Even Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that her boss got off to a “slow start” before he ended with a “strong finish”.
While it's true Mr Biden did pick up steam at points during the debate, it will be his slack-jawed look of befuddlement as he listened to Trump's statements that will be remembered by the tens of millions of Americans who tuned in to watch.
Most frustrating for Democrats was that Trump repeatedly handed Mr Biden clearly nonsensical and fallacious statements that anyone seeking the White House should have been able to swat down as absurd.
The former president repeated debunked claims of “fraud” during the 2020 election, said the US was “almost 100 per cent” paying for Nato, said Mr Biden had directed the criminal prosecutions against Trump and falsely claimed the President had spent 10 years calling black people “superpredators”.
Mr Biden personally attacked his rival but, unlike in 2020 when he told a rambling Trump to “shut up”, nothing seemed to stick, even when he accused the “convicted felon” of “having sex with a porn star … while your wife was pregnant”.
As soon as the debate ended, a stream of hand-wringing Democratic pundits said it was time for Mr Biden to step aside to allow for another candidate to come forward, though such talk is unlikely to come to much.
Hillary Clinton, who has previously debated with both Mr Biden and Trump, this week wrote in an op-ed that Trump had set the bar so low for himself that he can claim to have won the debate as long as he doesn’t “literally light himself on fire.”
In the end, it was the Democratic candidate who managed to self-combust.
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Leaderboard
64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
