WASHINGTON (AFP) - For Democrats seeking to challenge Mr Donald Trump in 2020, the rubber meets the road in Miami this week, where Mr Joe Biden will defend his front-runner status as presidential candidates finally square off face to face. Americans are bracing for the nation's biggest political debate since the slug-fests of 2016, a two-night showdown beginning on Wednesday (June 26), with 20 Democrats vying for a breakout moment that could showcase their talents, or see them stumble on the world stage. Former vice-president Biden, now in his third White House bid, is the candidate to beat in the most crowded, most diverse field in modern US election history. The 76-year-old leads comfortably in all polls, and will be under pressure to convince millions of voters watching in prime time that he deserves to remain in pole position despite an uproar over his recent comments about the "civility" between him and avowed segregationists in the US Senate. Like most of his rivals, Mr Biden … [Read more...] about It’s Joe Biden vs rest of Democrats in first 2020 debate clash
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North Korea slams Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un
SEOUL: North Korean state media slammed former US vice-president and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un, calling him "bereft of elementary quality as a human being".The criticism contrasts with North Korea's repeated references to the good relationship between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Kim said in April his personal relationship with Trump was still good despite the collapse of their second summit in Vietnam in February.According to Newsweek, Biden said at a campaign launch in Philadelphia on Saturday: "Are we a nation that embraces dictators and tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Kim Jong Un?"State media the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) responded to criticism of the North's leadership in a commentary late on Tuesday."What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician," it said.KCNA listed previous controversies concerning Biden, … [Read more...] about North Korea slams Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un
Trump sets Twitter ablaze after firefighters union backs Biden
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump fired off dozens of retweets from purported firefighters, their families and acquaintances on Wednesday (May 1) in his latest assault on Joe Biden, the newest Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential nomination.Trump unleashed the firestorm two days after the country's largest union of firefighters endorsed Biden, the former vice president and current frontrunner in the race to become the Democratic Party's nominee for president.Trump began his tirade at dawn by quoting a personality from the Fox News Channel, Dan Bongino, who said he knew no firefighters who would vote for Biden."I've done more for Firefighters than this dues sucking union will ever do, and I get paid ZERO!" Trump wrote, reiterating a complaint about unions.As president, Trump receives a salary, but has said he donates it to various agencies and causes.He followed the complaint by retweeting nearly 60 accounts who responded to Bongino by either criticizing Biden or … [Read more...] about Trump sets Twitter ablaze after firefighters union backs Biden
News At first 2020 event, Biden sets up battle with Trump over union vote
PITTSBURGH -- Former US Vice President Joe Biden made clear on Monday at his first event as a presidential candidate that he stands ready to battle President Donald Trump for the support of the blue-collar workers who were key to Trump's election in 2016. Speaking before a welcoming crowd of union workers in Pittsburgh, Biden seemed at times to look past a Democratic nominating contest that promises to be arduous and toward a direct confrontation with Trump in the November 2020 general election. "I make no apologies. I am a union man," Biden told a crowd that included members of the Teamsters, steelworkers, firefighters and teachers unions. "The country wasn't built by Wall Street bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers, it was built by you." Biden, 76, who served two terms as vice president to former President Barack Obama, echoed other Democrats in the field who have criticized the US economy for benefiting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and working poor. "Everybody … [Read more...] about News At first 2020 event, Biden sets up battle with Trump over union vote
Biden to hit campaign trail before blue-collar supporters
PITTSBURGH: Former US vice-president Joe Biden, the newest Democratic presidential candidate, will hit the campaign trail in earnest on Monday (Apr 29) with a rally before union members who have been a mainstay of his and the party's support.For his first public event since announcing his candidacy last Thursday, Biden chose Pennsylvania, the state where he was born 76 years ago - and more specifically Pittsburgh, a blue-collar city now remaking itself as a tech hub.Perhaps best-known as former president Barack Obama's two-term deputy, Biden has set himself apart from most of the sprawling Democratic field by opting for a strategy of full-on confrontation with President Donald Trump.He accuses the current Republican president of undermining long-time American values.Whether that approach appeals to voters - or if they prefer other Democrats' focus on issues like healthcare, the environment and infrastructure - will become clear in coming months.But Biden, with name recognition … [Read more...] about Biden to hit campaign trail before blue-collar supporters