Trump attacks Biden over his son's business, without shaking his rival

Before the final televised duel between the two contenders for the White House, Donald Trump's campaign team had been clear: if the journalists did not do it, the Republican president would himself ask the former vice president why had he "authorized his son Hunter to cash an access" to his father?

The turbulent youngest Joe Biden did business in China and Ukraine in particular, when his father was Barack Obama's number two between 2009 and 2017. The conservative New York Post newspaper published emails retrieved from a laptop computer last week. supposed to prove that he got his father involved in his businesses in Ukraine.

These accusations, which Joe Biden brushed aside without giving much importance, became the new rallying cry of supporters of the president who, in a meeting, himself called the Biden family "a criminal enterprise."

On the Nashville stage on Thursday night, he was quick to unleash his first shot. During an exchange on the pandemic and its economic impact, Donald Trump launched: Joe Biden "apparently made a lot of money somewhere".

Then, he added later, "these horrible emails ... you owe the Americans an explanation." “Someone just gave a press conference, he was supposed to be working with you and your family, what he's saying is damning,” he continued. 

A few hours earlier, Tony Bobulinski had just confirmed to the press that Joe Biden had been associated with his son's projects in China.

This 48-year-old former soldier, invited by Donald Trump to follow the debate in person, assured that on Friday he would send a series of elements to charge the federal police and senators.

"Innocent baby"

Without waiting for the president to say more, Joe Biden vigorously denied any wrongdoing. "My son didn't make any money with this thing ... in China," he said, throwing the ball back at the former tycoon to immobilize him: "The only guy who won the money in China is that guy! ”.

When he was vice-president, "his son, his brothers got richer", tried again the tenant of the White House.

"I've never taken a dime from any foreign source in my whole life," said Joe Biden, before, again, counterattacking: "You haven't published a single one of your tax returns. What are you hiding? ”

Donald Trump is the first president since the 1970s to refuse to make his tax returns public, which has fueled speculation for years. 

The 77-year-old Democrat claimed to have done his job as vice-president "impeccably" and presented the November 3 ballot as a choice between two "personalities", presenting himself as a man of integrity in the face of a "lying president" ".

"Don't play innocent baby Joe," replied Donald Trump, accusing him of being "corrupt". 

“Look at the laptop from hell,” he further urged. But the laptop, there was no more question and the debate ended without the Americans being any further ahead.