INTERVIEW | Director of AthenaLab evaluates the presidential debate in the U.S. for ADN Radio

Foreign policy expert on the presidential debate in the U.S.: “The Democrats failed to dispel doubts about Biden’s capabilities”

ADN Radio, June 28, 2024

“Of all the U.S. presidential debates I have seen, I have rarely witnessed a candidate so hesitant and lost at times,” said journalist Juan Pablo Toro to ADN Hoy.

In a recent interview on ADN Hoy, Juan Pablo Toro, executive director of AthenaLab, former international editor of El Mercurio, master’s in Political Science, and academic at the Pontifical Catholic University, shared his analysis of the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, organized by CNN in Atlanta. According to CNN’s own polls, 67% of viewers believed Trump won, compared to 33% who supported Biden.

Toro described the debate as “quite terrible”, where Biden showed a lack of firmness in his interventions. “Of all the U.S. presidential debates I have seen, I have rarely witnessed a candidate so hesitant and lost at times.It is true that Biden became more assertive as the debate progressed; he ended better than he started, but the problem is that, as Oscar Wilde said, there is no second chance to make a first impression,” he commented. “

If the Democratic candidacy aimed to dispel all doubts about the intellectual or physical vigor of candidate and President Biden, they did not succeed. Today I saw headlines in the United States the day after the first debate discussing the replacement of the candidate,” the academic added.In this regard, Toro explained that “the big question several media outlets are asking is whether a replacement is possible. Moreover, the primaries have already taken place in most of the 50 states, and Biden has 95% of the Democratic delegates for the convention.

Therefore, the only mechanism is for Biden himself to step down and say, ‘I am not running’,'” he stated. Regarding Trump’s performance in the debate, he explained that “he did the same thing again: ‘No one respects the United States anymore because no one fears it, and they do whatever they want, and they didn’t do that with me,’ he told Biden.We saw the same Trump we already know

.” “There were moments when Trump even came off poorly, such as when he was confronted about the Stormy Daniels issue and said he did not have sex with the porn actress.

It was a moment that could have devastated any candidate. Or when he falters in his explanations and instead tries to deflect all the questions about the Capitol assault, which should be devastating arguments. Candidates used to be removed for less,” he explained.“I believe that the coming days will be crucial. There is much talk that Biden’s performance will be very difficult to justify. They said he had a hoarse and broken voice because he had just come from a severe flu or had spoken a lot in campaign speeches. But I don’t know if even that explanation will resonate.The fact is that it was an aged and dysphoric candidate who was speaking

,” he concluded. Source:ADN Radio.