AS JOE Biden faces Donald Trump tomorrow in the first live TV debate of the US election campaign, , millions of American voters will be watching for signs of their weaknesses and flaws.
The Democrat and the Republican go head to head in Atlanta in a debate full of firsts which has the potential to reshape the presidential race.
Never before in modern times have two White House contenders met on the debate stage so early in the general election season.
Neither have they faced off at such advanced ages. And never has an election debate participant been saddled with the porn star hush money conviction Trump has.
Both men have glaring Achilles heels that present their opponent with tremendous opportunity and risk.
For Biden, 81, it is his age and apparent dodderiness. Over the past 12 months, many diehard Democrats have lost confidence due to his stream of missteps, gaffes and controversies, all while he appears to freeze at events.
Trump and his Republican allies have relentlessly mocked the president.
They question whether he can stay awake and stand up for 90 minutes.
Earlier this week Trump's former doctor turned congressman, Ronny Jackson, called on the White House incumbent to take a drug test "looking for performance-enhancing drugs".
Biden has been locked away at his Camp David retreat all week preparing for the face-off and Jackson claimed this allowed his medical team to experiment with "getting the doses just right".
Trump piled on, urging his opponent to take a cognitive test but his taunt typically backfired.
He boasted: "I took a cognitive test, and I aced it. Doc Ronny... Doc Ronny Johnson" managing to get his ex-physician's name wrong.
Biden's camp has dismissed talk of his frailty, saying rumours have been fuelled by maliciously edited videos.
This story is from the June 26, 2024 edition of Daily Record.
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This story is from the June 26, 2024 edition of Daily Record.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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