Biden stumbles again in brawl with street fighter

US President Donald Trump tours an area affected by civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Picture: AFP

The US election has suddenly cranked into top gear with a real back-and-forth between the candidates over a substantial issue.

Despite a well-crafted speech full of juicy soundbites, it was Joe Biden who was left looking flat-footed against Donald Trump’s relentless pursuit of the last word.

Biden had said he would not hit the campaign trail until after Labor Day, September 7, but was forced into an appearance in Pittsburgh on Monday so as not to leave the field clear for his opponent.

Yet Trump organised a White House press conference to hit back at his opponent and later still was on Fox News to claim the final say on the day’s knockabout.

Along with his attack lines, Biden delivered his customary face-palm moment, with a verbal muddle that played into doubts about his mental ability.

He mumbled: “COVID has taken this year, just since the outbreak, has taken more than 100 year, look, here’s, the lives, it’s just, when you think about it”. It was a moment that went straight to the top of Trump’s Twitter feed. Biden called for looters to be prosecuted; Trump said they should be jailed. He mentioned “unwarranted police violence”; Trump bashed him for “outrageously shifting the blame” to the police.

The President accuses his rival of not wanting to take part in three TV debates, and the accusation was given wings by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker, who urged Biden, 77, not to “legitimise” Trump, 74, by showing up.

His own party is making it easy for Republicans to paint him as scared.

However, both men have noticeably slowed down. Trump’s convention acceptance speech was as flat as a pancake, and he seems to be suffering from a problem affecting his right leg.

Neither man is in his prime. They can’t seem to get going early in the morning and they are always late for speeches — but Trump still seems the sharper. He is an intuitive street fighter and his aggressive campaigning reflects that.

He was all over Biden’s Pittsburgh speech like a rash, but the Democrat retreated from view on Wednesday (AEST) when the President toured Kenosha and bagged another clear day of headlines.

The Times