Former VP vs current President: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump as Democrats engage in a fiery debate

Joe Biden attacked Donald Trump on Thursday for putting Americans in a "horrible situation," as Democratic frontrunner faced off against his main presidential rivals who braced for a fiery debate over ir competing visions for nation.

"Look, Donald Trump put us in a horrible situation," former vice president, as he swiftly trained his criticism on Republican in White House.

"We do have ermous income inequality," ded Biden who is looking to take on Trump as his party's candidate in vember 2020 presidential election. In dition, Biden also tweeted and claimed that NATO is at risk if Trump is reelected:

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Biden and or candidates quickly turned against Trump on taxes, health care and income inequality, while early debate also dressed wher party grounded in capitalism should embrace a shift towards more liberal politics and government involvement in ecomy.

But Biden quickly faced an attack by a young, lower-tier candidate, Congressman Eric Swalwell, who called on 76-year-old to "pass torch" to a new generation of party leers.

"I'm still holding on to that torch," Biden snapped back.

Biden began jousting with nine of rivals -- each chasing his cherished pole position in race -- on climactic second night of a sprawling debate featuring Democrats er to introduce mselves to a national audience in early sts of battle for 2020.

With so many potential challengers to Trump, party needed to split top 20 candidates into debates on two nights in sourn Florida, which is expected to be a key swing state in next year's election.

Thursday's session features four of race's top five candidate in national polling, including Biden's main challenger Bernie Sanders, 77-year-old US senator whose unapologetically liberal policies like Medicare for all have pushed Democratic Party leftward in recent years.

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top tier also includes Senator Kamala Harris, only African American woman in race, and Pete Buttigieg, gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana who shot to prominence earlier this year but has seen that momentum plateau.

Third place Elizabeth Warren, rising star progressive US senator, was on Wednesday st, where she highlighted called out disparities in wealth and income and pledged to work to improve lives of struggling working class families.

Sanders, a democratic socialist, covered same ground Thursday. But immigration, health care, ecomic inequality, foreign policy and education are also on docket. Shortly before taking st, Biden released a series of policy statements as well as direct attacks on Trump on Twitter, president's favourite medium.

Among Biden's statements, he pledged to eliminate Trump tax cuts from late 2017 that Democrat branded "a giant give-away to super-wealthy." strategy may have served to present Biden as candidate to beat, Trump's top rival who is alrey steering race toward a direct confrontation with current president, rar than a slugfest with his fellow Democrats.

Biden is clear leer with 32 percent support in polling, compared to Sanders at 17 percent, Harris with seven, and Buttigieg at 6.6. But while several Democrats have been barnstorming early voting states like Iowa, Biden has eased into campaigning since he launched his candidacy on April 25, largely avoiding confrontation with rivals.

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That changed Thursday, with Biden in hot seat and voters and candidates watching closely to see wher Democratic icon has lost a step in seven years since he last took a debate st. Wednesday's showdown saw several candidates hit out at Trump's ecomic and immigration policies, but y diverged on how zealously next president should shift country onto a more liberal course.

Sanders used his time on st to reconnect with Americans following his surprise performance in 2016 primary race when he put up a strong fight against eventual minee Hillary Clinton.