The upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election presents American voters with a huge dilemma – a choice between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Both of them appear unfit to lead the world’s most powerful country granted the fast-changing geopolitical landscape.
The first presidential debate on Thursday demonstrated this predicament. Biden, at 81 years old, struggled at times, stumbling over his words and appearing disoriented.
Meanwhile, Trump came out energetic and quickly used the platform to double down on the false claims and lies. It was unbelievable that Trump had no regard for the truth.
After the debate, fact-checkers have highlighted numerous instances where both Biden and Trump made misleading or outright false statements on their answers.
This represents the challenge voters face in navigating the conflicting narratives presented by the two contenders.
The bipartisan nature of the American political system has long been a source of concern for the international community.
The rise of Trump, and his ability to persist in spreading misinformation about his 2020 electoral defeat, has only exacerbated these doubts about the health of U.S. democracy.
One of the often-asked questions over here is: why Trump has been able to continue lying about his electoral defeat, even with overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
It is puzzling that many American electorate remain receptive to his false claims. It shows the dark side of the US body politic, which rejects reality on the ground.
The far-right media and its powerful social media network also help to propagate his misinformation.
This behavior, which would be unacceptable in most other democratic countries, has already eroded Washington’s global influence and moral authority.
The prospect of Trump potentially winning the presidential race in November based on these lies have already sent a chilling effect to the international community.
Indeed, it would further undermine existing faith of American democracy.
As the clock ticks, the world anxiously watches the approaching 2024 presidential election. The international community knows full well that the American voters’ choice will have profound consequences not just for the US, but for the entire international order.
It is a miserable reality that the global future often depends on the decisions made by the American electorate, with little recourse for other nations.
With only four months until the election, the stakes could not be higher.
A narrow victory in a handful of swing states could determine the outcome, leaving the rest of the world to grapple with the ramifications of America’s choice.
Whether it is Biden or Trump, the American people face a Catch-22 – a choice between two flawed senior candidates, each of whom poses significant risks to the country’s standing and influence on the global stage.
File photo : Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump leaves the stage during a commercial break as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with US President Joe Biden at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27.//AFP
