US Presidential Election | “The worst fears came true” – Finnish experts reject Biden’s appearance in the debate

“Disaster.” I saw the professor of political history Markku Ruotsila describes the 81-year-old sitting president of the United States Joe Biden performance in the first election debate.

If it was hoped that the debate would remove concerns about Biden’s ability to serve as president for the next four years, the opposite happened.

“All the worst fears came true. Biden’s assistants should never have allowed him to debate,” Ruotsila states.

Ramble Linji is a researcher at the Center for the Study of American Politics and Power of the Foreign Policy Institute Maria Lindén.

The negative image of the old, frail and struggling Biden only got stronger, while the challenger, a clearly presented 78-year-old Donald Trumplooked young and vibrant next to Biden.

Even though Biden had some good moments in the middle of the interview, the image remains negative due to the weak start and end, says Lindén.

Trump on the other hand, managed to perform confidently. He often said untrue things, but he certainly did it in an audacious manner, says Lindén

“He was suitably restrained for himself, and he didn’t say the most extreme things that could drive people away in particular,” says Lindén.

In addition to Trump, Biden also said untrue things in the debate, Ruotsila reminds.

And unlike Biden, Trump knew how to appeal to the American public and managed to tell it exactly what needed to be said, Ruotsila continues.

“Biden didn’t give any hesitant voter any reason to vote for him.”

They don’t like Trump, but Americans remember that their lives were “significantly better” during his presidency, says Ruotsila.

for Europe however, in terms of the continent’s security and support for Ukraine, there is a huge difference in whether Biden or Trump would become president.

“Yes, it’s a huge difference from the point of view of Finland and Europe, which of these two candidates will win,” says Lindén.

If Trump becomes the next president, tension can be expected in the relationship between the United States and Europe’s NATO, Ruotsila believes. For example, Trump would come to pressure the European NATO countries to spend more money.

“He has been talking for a long time that the EU should spend as much money to support Ukraine as the United States,” says Ruotsila.

Already as usual, Trump also boasted in the debate that he would end the war in Ukraine. In Lindén’s opinion, the speeches are just fluff and Trump’s attempt to look strong.

“I don’t think he has really given it a thought, because he is not interested in the whole question,” says Lindén.

On the other hand, in Europe, Trump’s actual policy is perhaps being confused too much with “intimidation pressure”, Ruotsila believes. In the debate, the Ukraine made by Trump’s assistants was also ignored peace planwhich has been feared to benefit Russia’s demands for territorial cessions.

“Trump was asked if he accepts that Putin keeps the areas of Ukraine that are in Russia’s possession. And he didn’t accept it,” says Ruotsila.

Neither the candidate has not yet been officially selected as their party’s candidate. It is still possible that someone else will eventually be seen as the Democratic presidential candidate instead of Biden.

The situation is historic, says Ruotsila: traditionally, the candidate who won the primaries of his party is later also elected as the presidential candidate at the party convention.

Based on what was seen in the debate, Ruotsila thinks that Biden’s presidential path ends here.

“It’s very hard to imagine that Biden will get out of this hole.”