Donald Trump and Joe Biden have just completed the first round of the presidential debates. The former was the clear winner, according to OCBC managing director and investment strategist Vasu Menon.
The first round of US presidential debates kicked off to tip the scale for the upcoming elections in November. According to OCBC, Donald Trump was the clear winner as Joe Biden had difficulty with delivering comments and rebuttals.
«Biden’s stumbles, repeated lines, coughs, misstatements, and an extended freeze, has stoked fitness and acuity concerns,» said Vasu Menon managing director, investment strategy, OCBC, highlighting errors mentioned like the number of jobs created (15,000 instead of 15 million), caps for out-of-pocket drug costs ($200 instead of $2,000) and calling some wealth Americans trillionaires.
Worried Democrats
Democrats are reportedly troubled by Biden’s poor debate performance and the 81-year old President’s struggle to convince Americans of his mental ability.
«Former President Barack Obama’s top strategist David Axlerod said Democrats are so worried they may wonder if Biden should continue his campaign. However, replacing him at this stage will not be an easy decision and Biden has to agree to it,» Menon commented.
«Still Early Days»
While Trump secured an early victory, Menon notes that it is «still early days».
«[I]t remains to be seen if Biden will be able to make a comeback, although his poor performance today leaves serious doubts about his ability to win,» he added.
«Markets are not reacting in any major way to this debate just yet because investors know that it’s still very preliminary and US politics can be very volatile. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 following his recent conviction on 34 felony counts in New York and it’s unclear how this will impact the elections as well.»
