Former President Trump and President Biden engaged in a heated exchange during the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast on Thursday night. Biden accused Trump of having “the morals of an alley cat” and engaging in inappropriate behavior, while Trump vehemently denied the allegations and accused Biden of orchestrating legal cases against him.
Biden pointed to Trump’s legal troubles, including being convicted on all counts related to hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and the case brought against him by E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape and defamation. In the E. Jean Carroll case, a federal jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million to her for denying the allegations.
Trump defended himself, stating that he did not have sex with a porn star and claiming that the cases against him were politically motivated. He criticized the prosecutors as high-ranking Democrats and vowed to appeal the verdicts.
Despite the contentious debate, a recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows Trump leading four percentage points ahead of Biden. Trump also boasted about his campaign’s fundraising success, claiming to have taken in more money in the last two weeks than any campaign in history.
The back-and-forth between the two candidates highlighted the intense rivalry and animosity between them, setting the stage for a contentious election season ahead.
