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Opinion | Why Biden standing down might be the best way to beat Trump
- The global stakes of the US election are too high not to consider running a candidate capable of attracting the electoral middle ground
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US President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance at the recent presidential debate has completely changed the game, not only for himself but for our political, economic and investment expectations in the second half of the 2020s.
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Both Biden and former president Donald Trump showed an old man’s lack of lucidity in the debate, but the former’s slow and hesitant comments under pressure were more than just a senior moment. It confirmed that his health will not cope with four more years in the Oval Office.
Father Time is also an issue for an ageing Trump, who would probably win the election in November but is unlikely to be healthy by 2029. He is a talented campaigner with the air of a demagogue, dedicated to whipping up his strong, minority following towards electoral victory.
This was seen in the ragtag storming of the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, which fortunately showed the US political system was strong enough to resist even a president’s undemocratic leanings.
Trump showed no leadership or judgment during his time as president. He is unfit for public office following his convictions for falsifying business records, for which he will likely not be sentenced for.
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The power of the presidential position is immense in the US, despite the checks and balances of the country’s Supreme Court and Congress. Trump has indicated that his revenge, if in office, will be motivated by a spirit of vindictiveness in targeting those who oppose him.
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