Joe Biden’s ‘hoarse voice’ during debate could be caused by cold caught during preparation

When Joe Biden began speaking, his voice was immediately a source of concern, and he was quiet, raspy, and even let out a few coughs.

But a recent report from a source familiar with the matter indicates that Joe Biden has caught a cold that is affecting his voice during the debate. The tweet suggesting illness came from senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich.

At the time of the first break in the debate, former President Donald Trump had dominated the airwaves with approximately 23 minutes and 6 seconds of speaking time, according to CNN, which hosted this powerful verbal contest. In contrast, President Joe Biden recorded a more concise speaking time of 18 minutes and 26 seconds.

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Although they each have an equal chance to answer the moderator’s questions, it is at their discretion to use their full speaking time or to conclude early.

Trump may emphasize quantity, but quality is another story. Fact-checkers have already highlighted flaws in his story, including his glossing over of employment statistics during Biden’s term. Trump attributed the job growth to “rebound” gains, suggesting that people were simply rehired for their old positions, but his version glosses over some key details.

The statistics paint a bleak picture under Trump, showing a staggering loss of nearly 22 million jobs in March and April 2020 as COVID-19 sent the global economy into a tailspin. Yet the trend began to reverse after major relief and stimulus efforts were rolled out, with the U.S. labor market rebounding and adding more than 12 million new jobs between May 2020 and December of that year, all under Trump’s watch, the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms.