US Presidential Debate: What is the significance of a hand shake? Why did Trump break the tradition?

Just before the first US presidential debate in Atlanta, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden did not shake hands. This has been a tradition among competing candidates and it signifies their political maturity. Former US President Donald Trump is believed to have been the first person to have broken this tradition in 2016. Both Biden and Trump do not share a bonhomie and have hit out at each other since the presidential election in 2020. CNN which hosted the debate took ample precautions to ensure that the two potential nominees did not speak over each other. The national convention of both the parties will see both Trump and Biden being appointed as presidential nominees. There may be some last-minute surprises. This has been reported by ‘The Mirror’.

Hand shake tradition:

The Miami Herald in a blog post in 20016, noted that this tradition of shaking hands began in 1976 when the inaugural presidential debate commenced. This was a debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. During every debate, the two nominees do shake hands. It is believed that while political differences between two individuals is perfectly fine in a democracy, the spirit of democracy rests in decency and bonhomie between the candidates. Ultimately, candidates seek to work to pursue American interests.

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Trump broke the tradition:

Donald Trump is the first candidate since 1976 to break this tradition. In 2016, he contested the presidential election successfully against Hilary Clinton. Trump did not shake hands with her in the beginning. It was much later that the two nominees shook hands. In the year 2020, he refused to shake hands with Biden on both the occasions. The two are not known to get along well.

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CNN’s debate rules:

The channel had declared that both the nominees will not be permitted to speak over each other and their mics will be switched off when the other is speaking. Biden’s team had demanded this after he was interrupted in 2020. Trump has called Biden ‘undemocratic’ and added that he was unfit to become the US President.

FAQs:

Does a hand shake have any advantage in these presidential debates?
A handshake signifies confidence and ensures that the debate is held in a cordial atmosphere. It is a sign of a mature democracy.

What has been Trump’s record in these debates?
The former US president has attacked his opponents in these debates. He has not only attacked them on policy related issues but has indulged in personal attacks too.