5 zingers from Biden, Trump presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — although limited by the preestablished muting of microphones — managed to trade a number of quips and barbs during Thursday night's presidential debate hosted by CNN.
Here are five memorable zingers from the two major party presidential candidates:
Trump: "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either."
After CNN anchor and debate moderator Jake Tapper asked Biden about immigration and border security, Biden gave an answer that trailed off with stutters and hesitation. When Tapper called on Trump to respond, Trump said he didn't know "what (Biden) said at the end of that sentence," and that Biden didn't know either.
Democrats' immediate response after Biden's performance during the debate was one of concern about his optics and ability to be president for four more years. Biden is 81 and would be the oldest U.S. president to ever take office if reelected.
Biden: "My son was not a loser. He was not a sucker. You’re the sucker. You’re the loser."
Biden attacked Trump's record on veterans, saying Trump had refused to enter a World War I cemetery because it was filled with "losers" and "suckers" — referencing a 2020 article from The Atlantic that reported such statements during a trip to France. Biden's son Beau Biden, who died in 2015, had served in the Iraq War.
Biden: "You have the morals of an alley cat."
After Tapper asked Trump to clarify what he meant in a previous statement claiming he had "every right to go after" his political opponents, Trump instead pointed fingers at Biden's son Hunter Biden, who was convicted on federal gun charges earlier this month. In response, Biden called out Trump's felony convictions and his alleged sexual encounter with adult film star Stormy Daniels, saying he had "the morals of an alley cat."
Trump: "Let's not act like children." Biden: "You are a child."
After a noisy exchange — even though microphones were supposed to be muted on one side while the other was speaking — that jumped from Trump's physical health to Biden challenging Trump to a round of golf, Trump said that both sides shouldn't "act like children." Biden responded, "You are a child."
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Trump: "I wish he was a great president, because I wouldn’t be here right now.”
In response to a question from CNN anchor and debate moderator Dana Bash about whether he would accept the results of the upcoming election, Trump avoided a straight answer. Instead, he defended his response to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and claimed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., admitted responsibility for the results of that day.
He then said that if Biden had been "a great president," he "wouldn't be here right now" — and claimed that he was under indictment because he was Biden's political opponent. Diamy Wang is an audience engagement intern with the Detroit Free Press. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X: @diamywang.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Presidential debate: Top 5 zingers from Biden, Trump