Professor Entessar: Biden-Trump debate was embarrassing spectacle

TABNAK –Nader Entessar, Professor Emeritus of Political Science from university of South Alabama says that the first Biden-Trump televised debate for the 2024 US presidential election was an embarrassing spectacle.

“Biden's performance was the worst I have seen from a US presidential candidate in the past 60 years,” Entessar told TABNAK News Agency.

Following is the full text of interview with Professor Entessar:

Q: The first debate between Biden and Trump for the 2024 US presidential election was held. According to polls, Biden's performance has been very poor. What is your assessment?

A: The first Biden-Trump televised debate for the 2024 US presidential election was an embarrassing spectacle.  During the debate, Trump lied repeatedly, and Biden could hardly finish a complete sentence.  Of course, Trump's mendacity and bombastic performance were not surprising given his nature and past behavior.  Biden, on the other hand, showed his age and declining cognitive state of mind.  He came across as a bumbling and feeble old man and not a strong leader.  Biden's performance was the worst I have seen from a US presidential candidate in the past 60 years.

Q: Some pollsters believe that this debate does not hurt Biden's voting base. what is your opinion? Will this debate affect swing votes in swing states?

A: Although the debate may not have hurt Biden's support among the die-hard Democrats, it certainly damaged his support among the swing and undecided voters that Biden must attract if he wants to win the November general election.

Q: Trump recently announced that he is willing to talk and solve problems with the current Iranian leadership. What is your assessment of these words?

A: If you recall, candidate Trump expressed the same sentiment during the 2016 presidential campaign.  Iran's domestic politics was not receptive to est Trump at that time, and I think the sentiments among the upper echelon of Iran's system (Nezam) have not changed.  Therefore, it is hard to judge whether Trump is serious about what he says regarding his desire to talk to the current Iranian leadership.  Ironically, one could argue that Trump is more likely to engage Iran directly than would someone like Biden.

Q: In Iran, Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian have entered the second round of the presidential elections. Jalili is an opponent of the JCPOA and has strong anti-Western views. What is the effect of Jalili and Trump's possible victory on the foreign policy of the two countries?

A: Trump's victory will have a larger impact on the direction of US foreign policy compared to Jalili's impact on Iran's foreign policy.  This is because constitutionally the presidency is the dominant (but certainly not the only) institution in shaping US foreign policy.  On the contrary, Iran's foreign policy is largely shaped by the Nezam.  Iran's president can impact the country's foreign policy in terms of carrying out the decisions of the Nezam but not in the context of setting new frameworks and initiatives.

Q: Can Trump increase regional tensions like in the first term of his presidency? While the Persian Gulf Arabs and Iran are improving relations. Will the countries of the region be with his policies?

A: Yes, he can do so if he chooses to go back to his foreign policy during his first administration. However, Trump may have a more difficult time than he had in his first administration because of changes that have taken place in the region's geopolitical and geostrategic calculations, especially among such Arab states of the Persian Gulf like the UAE and Saudi Arabia.  Trump will certainly try to build upon his previous policy of establishing formal ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.