2 days ago
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7 minutes ago
By Tiffany Wertheimer, BBC News
Donald Trump refused to explicitly accidental whether helium would judge the effect of November's statesmanlike predetermination during his archetypal statement with Joe Biden.
The erstwhile president was asked 3 times whether helium would judge the result "regardless of who wins", yet answering: “If it's a just and ineligible and bully election, absolutely.”
During Thursday night's debate, helium besides repeated unsubstantiated claims of elector fraud successful the 2020 predetermination and played down his relation successful the 6 January riot connected Capitol Hill.
Mr Biden, who's stumbling show sent Democrats into a panic, deed back, accusing Mr Trump of “continuing to beforehand this lie" astir the predetermination being stolen.
The highly anticipated debate, hosted by CNN successful Atlanta, saw Mr Trump stay mostly composed and focused, arsenic his hostile struggled to support his bid of thought and astatine times decorativeness his sentences clearly.
But Mr Trump made respective assertions during the statement that weren't supported by facts oregon helium told outright falsehoods.
CNN moderator Dana Bash had to repeatedly inquire Mr Trump if helium would judge the predetermination results. The archetypal time, helium dodged the question by saying helium wanted a just and escaped predetermination "more than anybody.”
The 2nd time, helium ignored the question and alternatively ranted astir the warfare successful Ukraine, saying Vladimir Putin would ne'er person invaded if helium was the US president, due to the fact that "I got on with him precise well... helium knew not to play games".
The 3rd time, erstwhile told to reply "yes oregon no", Mr Trump yet said helium "absolutely" would judge the result if the predetermination was "fair and ineligible and good".
He past referenced the "ridiculous" fraud successful the past election, a assertion helium has repeated - without providing grounds - for 4 years, and is related to criminal charges helium is facing.
Mr Trump past said it would beryllium easier for him to conscionable judge the results alternatively than person to tally for president again.
“I uncertainty whether you’ll judge it due to the fact that you’re specified a whiner," Joe Biden quipped. "You can’t basal the loss. Something snapped successful you erstwhile you mislaid past time.”
As good arsenic his claims that the 2020 predetermination was "stolen" from him due to the fact that of elector fraud, Mr Trump told falsehoods connected issues including abortion, taxation and the 6 January insurrection.
On abortion, Mr Trump turned to what helium called Democratic extremism - that the enactment wants to "take the beingness of the babe successful the ninth period and adjacent aft birth". He adjacent got graphic erstwhile helium said they privation to "rip the babe retired of the womb."
"That is simply not true," Mr Biden retorted.
Mr Trump's remark stems from a fashionable falsehood with anti-abortion activists that Democrats are successful favour of a argumentation that allows abortions close up to birth.
When the statement turned to the 6 January riot, Mr Trump dodged the question connected what helium would accidental to voters who are disquieted astir his actions and inactions connected that day, and that helium mightiness bash it again.
Instead, helium tried to crook the absorption to Mr Biden, saying the US went from being respected "all implicit the world" to a laughing banal erstwhile the Democrat became president.
Mr Trump insisted that helium told protesters to beryllium "peacefully patriotic".
"What they’ve done to immoderate radical that are truthful innocent, you ought to beryllium ashamed of yourself," helium said to Mr Biden, who criticised him for refusing to denounce the rioters.
Mr Trump has pledged to pardon "many" of those convicted of offences implicit the riot, describing them arsenic "January 6th hostages".
He besides blamed the chaos connected Nancy Pelosi, who was House Speaker astatine the time, saying helium offered her 10,000 National Guard soldiers but she "turned them down".
This is not correct. There is nary grounds that this connection was ever made, the Select Committee that investigated the insurrection found. It was besides refuted by Mr Trump's acting caput of defence, Christopher Miller.
Also, if the connection had been made, Mrs Pelosi would not person had the powerfulness to judge it anyway, successful her position.
English (US)