At mike muzzled debate, Trump-Biden clash gingerly on Covid-19, corruption (2nd Ld)

By Arul Louis New York, Oct 23 : With a microphone muzzle in place for most of the last presidential debate, a somewhat chastened US President Donald Trump took the stage with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, fending off charges of negligence and ineptitude in facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump hit back against Biden on his family’s alleged foreign business dealings, calling them “corrupt” during the hour-and-a-half debate on Thursday night in Nashville, Tennessee, which was the final one held 12 days before the November 3 election.
Knowing his microphone was turned off during the introductory two minutes given to Biden at the start of each of the six topics in the debate, the President let him talk and his interruptions during the question periods were minimal, in contrast to the near chaos that marked the first debate on September 25 as the two clashed.
Except for Trump’s behaviour, the debate was mostly a series of deja vu as they hashed out issues like the pandemic, race relations, inequality, the economy, the President’s tax filings and Biden’s family deals, which have been aired continuously during the campaign.
Allegations and counter-allegations dominated the debate with little talk of a concrete agenda.
Both sides claimed victory.