Kamala Harris admits Biden had 'slow start' but blasts Trump's debate lies

Harris defended Biden as she said Trump lied 'over and over'

Vice President Kamala Harris has confessed that Joe Biden had a "slow start" in last night's presidential debate but claimed that Donald Trump lied "over and over".

During a post-debate interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Vice President Harris admitted the onset was slow but praised Biden as she added: "I thought it was a strong finish."

"What we had in Joe Biden is someone who wanted to have a debate based on facts, based on truths, and in Donald Trump, we have what we've come to expect, which is someone who is going to push lies and distract from the reality of the damage he has created and continues to create in our country," Harris said.

Biden and Trump started off by forgoing the usual handshake, and we're at loggerheads over policies in Thursday's first presidential debate of 2024. The raspy-voiced Biden, who had a cold according to his campaign, spoke softly.

The performance of Biden, given his mumbling, getting tongue-tied, or forgetting his train of thought, hasn't done much to pacify the Democratic Party or a majority of Americans' concerns about the 81-year-old president. On the other hand, Trump, 78, projected force despite his copious false claims.

When faced with remarks of Biden having a poor display, Harris responded: "People can debate style points" but emphasised that "Donald Trump lied over and over and over again".

Harris appeared visibly frustrated with the ongoing dissection of Biden's debate performance, as she expressed to CNN's Anderson Cooper: "I got that this is the after play for the debate, this conversation that I'm in, and I understand why everyone wants to talk about it."

She continued, emphasizing the gravity of the upcoming election decision: "But I think it's also important to recognise that the choice in November between these two people that were on the debate stage involved extraordinary stakes. And there's one person on that stage who has the endorsement of their vice president, and that's Joe Biden. Mike Pence is nowhere to be found."

Meanwhile, Trump downplayed his most contentious moments, including his take on the Capitol riot, which he trivialised by saying: "They talk about a relatively small number of people that went to the Capitol and in many cases were ushered in by the police."

The insurrection at the US Capitol marked the most violent attack on the heart of American democracy in over two centuries. The chaos was captured in extensive video footage, photographs, and eyewitness accounts, revealing thousands storming the Capitol in a fierce clash with law enforcement.

In an internal memo dated March 7, 2023, US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger vehemently denied the claim that "our officers helped the rioters and acted as 'tour guides'" - a notion he described as "outrageous and false." A spokesperson for the Capitol Police authenticated this memo to The Associated Press.

The unrest has led to a slew of legal proceedings, with over 1,400 people slapped with federal charges. A whopping 850+ individuals have confessed guilty, and 200 others have been found culpable at trial.