Donald Trump and Joe Biden have one final stand off
Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face each other one last time before the US election with the final presidential debate on Thursday night.
The debate, at Belmont University in Nashville, offers the two candidates a final chance to make their cases to voters before November 3.
The first head-to-head between the pair was characterised by hostile exchanges and personal insults, with Mr Trump criticised for interrupting Mr Biden during his speaking slot.
Since then the US president has been hospitalised with coronavirus and made a theatrical return to the campaign trail. Millions of Americans have also cast their ballots in early voting, either in person or by mail.
The 90-minute exchange will be moderated by Kristen Welker, an anchor from the US network NBC News.
So what should voters be on the lookout for in this final showdown? Here are five key things to watch.
Muted mics
Keen to avoid the chaos of the last debate, the presidential debate commission has announced the two candidates’ microphones will be muted during parts of the event. This will mainly impact the start of each debate topic, when each candidate is given two minutes to outline their position on an issue. While one candidate speaks, the other candidate’s microphone will be off.
It’s unclear what impact this will have on the nature of the debate, since much of the interruption during the last event occurred during the candidates’ exchanges, not their two-minute speaking slots. Mr Trump has been heavily critical of the move, saying it “is completely unacceptable for anyone to wield such power” in a letter from his campaign to the commission.
Coronavirus
Coronavirus USA Spotlight Chart — cases default
The two candidates will be grilled on their responses to the coronavirus pandemic. This will be Mr Biden’s first encounter with Mr Trump since the president’s severe case of coronavirus and viewers will be watching to see how the Democrat handles the issue. Mr Biden must tread a delicate balance between criticising Mr Trump’s handling of the pandemic without appearing to take advantage of the president’s own health scare.
This week Mr Trump renewed his attacks on Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert and a key adviser to the US president, calling him “a disaster” and claiming “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots”. Mr Biden has seized on the remarks — aware of the high regard in which the American public holds Dr Fauci — and attacked Mr Trump for ignoring science-based advice on coronavirus.
Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden's business dealings are likely to feature in the debate
Credit: AP
Mr Trump is expected to steer the debate into highly personal territory for Mr Biden by bringing up the candidate’s son, Hunter Biden, and his business dealings in Ukraine, China and other countries during his father’s time in the White House.
It comes after the New York Post published emails allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden which the newspaper said it was given by Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer. The New York Post article claimed that Mr Biden senior, while serving as the US vice president, met with an official at Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm his son Hunter worked for. Mr Biden’s campaign has denied the report, insisting that he did not meet with the Ukrainian.
The article also included personal photographs purported to come from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden.
Foreign policy
The 90-minute debate will be divided into 15-minute segments on these topics: fighting Covid-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership. Mr Trump’s team are angered by the omission of foreign-policy from the topics, which is an area they feel the president can shine.
Mr Trump is still likely to seize any moment available to highlight his foreign policy "wins", including overseeing the peace agreements between Israel and two of its neighbours in the region, retaking ground from Isil in Syria and Iraq, assassinating a top Iranian general and withdrawing US troops from the Middle East.
Will anything actually be said to sway undecideds?
Pollsters believe that more Americans have made up their minds than in previous years, with one recent poll showing just 3 per cent of voters remained undecided on who to vote for. With the US deeply politicised and voters so locked into their views, will tonight’s debate actually shift anyone’s opinion?
Despite Mr Biden’s lead in national polls, the Democrat is likely to use his time on stage to urge supporters against complacency. The 77-year-old is aware of the perils of being ahead in the polls, and wants voters to remember the lessons of 2016 and not take his seeming lead in the race for granted.
Mr Trump will need to use this opportunity to speak directly to American voters who are wavering in their support for the Republican president. In particular, Mr Trump needs to woo the groups that helped secure his victory in 2-16 — namely suburban women and white working class men.
Свежие комментарии