Joe Biden spent 36 years in the Senate.
Washington:
On June 27, Americans will watch the first debate of the 2024 US election – a highly anticipated showdown between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump.
The televised showdown comes just four months before the November vote, with candidates competing head to head in the polls, each vying for a second term.
Here are some of the key biographical details you should know about Biden, a Democrat and Washington veteran, ahead of Thursday’s big event.
– Political experience –
Biden knows Washington well. The 81-year-old longtime politician served as vice president under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
Before that, he spent 36 years in the Senate. He was first elected by Delaware voters at age 29, making him one of the youngest senators ever.
– Family and religion –
Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942, and is the oldest of four children. The Democrat frequently alludes to his middle-class Irish-American upbringing.
His father worked several different jobs, and although his family was not poor, they experienced financial setbacks.
When it comes to religion, Biden is a devout Catholic who attends Mass regularly but still supports the right to abortion.
A family man, Biden was quick to proclaim his love and support for his son Hunter, who was recently convicted on charges stemming from purchasing a gun while addicted to crack cocaine.
The president is sometimes referred to as the “mourner in chief” because he appears empathetic to voters in times of tragedy.
His own life was marked by multiple sorrows. He lost his first wife Neilia and his daughter Naomi in a car accident in 1972. Hunter and Biden’s other son, Beau, were also injured in the accident.
Beau then died of cancer in 2015.
Biden has been married to First Lady Jill Biden since 1977. In addition to raising Beau and Hunter, the couple has a daughter, Ashley.
– Fortune –
Although Biden is not a billionaire like his Republican rival Trump, he is still rich.
Biden’s fortune is estimated at around $10 million, largely thanks to two homes the family owns in Delaware, according to Forbes magazine.
– Vibration –
Biden is not a profound speaker nor does he get a rapturous response from his supporters like Trump. However, he is known for a certain stubborn determination and cultivates an image of empathy.
However, this last characteristic has recently been tarnished by US support for Israel in the war in Gaza, particularly among younger people and Arab-Americans.
Biden’s advanced age and increasingly stiff gait have contributed to Republican taunts and public concern about his age.
– Legal problems –
Biden was cleared earlier this year of any wrongdoing after keeping confidential documents at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
However, in a shock to his campaign, a report from the special counsel overseeing the matter said Biden appeared as an “elderly, well-meaning man with a poor memory,” a phrase Democrats rejected but Republicans attacked.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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