The first debate in the 2024 Presidential cycle, the next debate was between Harris and Trump on September 10th.
The 2024 presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump, moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta, covered the economy, abortion, immigration, foreign policy, January 6th, climate change, healthcare, and age concerns. On the economy, Biden highlighted job creation while acknowledging inflation, as Trump claimed he had delivered a strong pre-pandemic economy and criticized Biden's policies. They clashed over abortion following the Roe v. Wade reversal, with Trump taking credit for appointing the justices who overturned it while Biden pledged to restore Roe. Immigration sparked heated exchanges, with Biden defending recent border crossing reductions and Trump promising mass deportations. On foreign policy, they disputed approaches to Ukraine and Israel, with Biden characterizing Putin as a war criminal and defending his three-stage Middle East peace plan while Trump claimed he could quickly end both conflicts.
The debate featured significant personal attacks despite the muted microphone format. On January 6th, Trump deflected questions about his constitutional oath while Biden called him a "convicted felon" and criticized his handling of the Capitol riot. Age and capability concerns were addressed, with Biden (who would be 86 at the end of a second term) emphasizing his accomplishments and Trump (who would be 82) claiming excellent cognitive and physical health. They disagreed on climate change, with Biden touting environmental legislation and Trump defending his Paris Accord withdrawal as economically necessary. When asked about accepting the 2024 election results, Trump said he would if it's "fair and legal" while Biden characterized him as unable to accept losing. Their closing statements reiterated campaign themes: Biden emphasized progress on taxes, prescription drugs, and infrastructure while Trump portrayed the U.S. as "a failing nation" that he would "make great again."
All publications unanimously agreed that Biden's performance in the debate was poor, raising serious concerns about his age and capacity due to his halting delivery, raspy voice, and moments where he lost his train of thought. In contrast, Trump appeared more composed, confident, and energetic despite being only three years younger. Key moments highlighted across publications included Biden's "We finally beat Medicare" non-sequitur, the Biden campaign's explanation that he was battling a cold, the damaging split-screen format, immediate alarm among Democrats, and Biden's slight improvement as the debate progressed.
Publications differed in their emphasis on fact-checking Trump's statements, speculation about potential Democratic alternatives to Biden, and coverage of foreign policy exchanges on Ukraine and Gaza. While some outlets like the BBC ventured into speculation about Biden potentially being replaced as the Democratic nominee, others like Fox News focused on specific exchanges without discussing Trump's factual accuracy. Despite these differences, all analyses acknowledged the historic nature of the first-ever debate between a sitting president and a former president, though they varied in their assessment of how much it might change the dynamics of the 2024 race.
The debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, took place in Atlanta, Georgia. This historic encounter marked the first time a current U.S. president debated a former president as their parties' presumptive nominees. The format included two-minute answers to questions, one-minute responses and rebuttals, with an additional minute for follow-ups at the moderators' discretion. Each candidate's microphone was muted when not speaking to prevent interruptions, and they were prohibited from using pre-written notes, props, or contacting campaign staff. A coin toss determined positioning, with Trump appearing on the left side of the screen and Biden on the right. The debate concluded with two-minute closing statements from each candidate.
The debate opened addressing the economy as voters' top concern. President Biden defended his economic record by stating he inherited an economy in "freefall" from the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted the creation of 15,000 new jobs and 800,000 manufacturing jobs during his tenure, while acknowledging inflation concerns. Biden blamed corporate greed and the previous administration's pandemic management for economic challenges and outlined his plans to reduce housing prices by building 2 million new units and capping rents. He also emphasized his administration's success in lowering prescription drug costs, particularly insulin.
Former President Trump countered that the U.S. had "the greatest economy in the history of our country" before COVID-19. He claimed to have handed Biden an excellent economy and argued that Biden's policies caused inflation that's "killing our country." Trump asserted that the only jobs Biden created were "for illegal immigrants and bounceback jobs" that naturally returned after the pandemic. When asked about his proposed 10% tariff on all imports, Trump argued it wouldn't drive prices higher but would force countries like China to "pay us a lot of money" and significantly reduce the deficit.
On the national debt, moderator Jake Tapper noted Trump's administration approved $8.4 trillion in new debt while Biden had approved $4.3 trillion so far. Trump defended his tax cuts, claiming they spurred "the greatest economy we've ever seen" and increased revenue despite lower rates. He advocated extending and expanding these tax cuts. Biden accused Trump of implementing "the largest tax cut in American history" that primarily benefited the wealthy. He proposed making billionaires pay at least 24-25% in taxes rather than the current 8.2%, claiming this would raise $500 billion over ten years and help eliminate the debt.
Following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion was a central topic, particularly as the Court had that morning ruled on another abortion case allowing emergency abortions in Idaho despite state restrictions. Trump took credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, claiming "everybody wanted it back to the states." He expressed support for exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and noted the Supreme Court had just approved continued access to abortion medication, which he agreed with. He characterized Democrats as "radical" for supporting late-term abortions.
Biden strongly disagreed with Trump's characterization, arguing that constitutional scholars largely supported Roe when it was originally decided. He criticized the restrictive abortion laws in some states that prevent women from seeking care even in cases of rape or incest. Biden stated his support for the original Roe v. Wade framework with its trimester approach and emphasized that "no politician should be making that decision" about women's health, arguing doctors should instead. He denied Trump's accusations about supporting late-term abortions, stating "we are not for late-term abortion, period, period, period." Biden pledged to restore Roe v. Wade if elected and questioned whether Trump would sign a nationwide abortion ban if passed by a Republican Congress.
Immigration was another contentious topic. Biden acknowledged the border crisis but defended his record, citing a bipartisan agreement that would have increased border security resources, border patrol numbers, and asylum officers before it was ultimately blocked. He claimed there's been a 40% reduction in illegal border crossings recently and criticized Trump's prior administration for separating families and "putting babies in cages."
Trump forcefully asserted the U.S. had "the safest border in the history of our country" during his administration and accused Biden of opening the border to "people from prisons, people from mental institutions, insane asylum, terrorists." He claimed the current situation has created "the worst border in history" with unprecedented drug trafficking and crime. Trump promised "the largest domestic deportation operation in American history" if re-elected, though he didn't directly answer whether all undocumented immigrants would be deported regardless of their circumstances.
The exchange became highly personal when Biden accused Trump of refusing to visit a World War I cemetery in France because the fallen soldiers were "losers and suckers." Trump vehemently denied this as "a made-up quote," saying 19 witnesses supported his position. Biden countered that a "four-star general" who was with Trump had confirmed the incident. They also disputed each other's records on veterans affairs, with each claiming to have done more for veterans than the other.
On Russia's war in Ukraine, Trump claimed the conflict "never should have started" and promised to settle it "before I take office" if elected. He criticized the Biden administration for giving Ukraine "$200 billion" and suggested European allies weren't contributing enough relative to their proximity to the conflict. When pressed whether Putin's terms for peace were acceptable, Trump said "No, they're not acceptable" but maintained he could end the war quickly.
Biden characterized Putin as a "war criminal" seeking to re-establish the Soviet Empire, warning that if Putin takes Ukraine, he won't stop there, potentially threatening NATO allies. He asserted that NATO allies "have produced as much funding for Ukraine as we have" and defended the U.S. position of providing weapons rather than direct cash. Biden accused Trump of wanting to abandon NATO and challenged his understanding of the organization's collective defense provision.
Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden outlined his three-stage peace plan that has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, G7, and Israeli leadership. The plan involves trading hostages for a ceasefire, followed by additional conditions, and finally ending the war. He noted that Hamas appears to be the only party rejecting the plan. Biden explained that while the U.S. is providing Israel with weapons, he has denied them 2,000-pound bombs for use in populated areas to avoid civilian casualties. He emphasized his support for Israel while maintaining concerns about humanitarian issues in Gaza.
Trump criticized Biden's handling of Iran, claiming that during his administration, Iran was "broke" and unable to fund Hamas or other terrorist organizations. He argued that Israel should be allowed to "finish the job" against Hamas. When asked about supporting an independent Palestinian state, Trump said "I'd have to see" before pivoting to discuss NATO funding issues.
When questioned about January 6, 2021, Trump initially deflected, speaking instead about his administration's accomplishments on the border, energy, taxes, and regulations. When pressed specifically about violating his constitutional oath through his actions on January 6th, Trump claimed he told supporters to protest "peacefully and patriotically" and blamed Nancy Pelosi for not accepting his purported offer of 10,000 National Guard troops.
Biden criticized Trump for encouraging supporters to go to the Capitol and then watching the violence for "three hours" without taking action. He noted that Trump has called the January 6th participants "patriots" and promised to pardon them. Biden also referenced Trump's statement about potential "bloodbath" if he loses again, calling him a "whiner."
Trump defended the January 6th participants, claiming "what they've done to some people that are so innocent" was shameful, while comparing the Capitol riot to protests in Portland, Minneapolis, and Seattle. He claimed the January 6th Select Committee "destroyed and deleted all of the information they found, because they found out we were right."
Biden responded by calling Trump "the only person on this stage that is a convicted felon" and insisted that those convicted for their actions on January 6th "deserves to be convicted." He challenged Trump to denounce the Proud Boys and those who attacked the Capitol.
On climate change, Biden touted his administration's environmental legislation as "the most extensive climate change legislation in history" and criticized Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. He emphasized the existential threat of climate change and highlighted initiatives like the Climate Corps. Trump emphasized "immaculate clean water" and "clean air" but defended his withdrawal from the Paris Accord as an economic decision, claiming it would have cost the U.S. a trillion dollars while other countries paid nothing.
Regarding healthcare and the opioid crisis, Biden defended his administration's approach to fighting fentanyl trafficking and addiction treatment. He criticized Trump for blocking a bipartisan border security deal that would have funded more detection equipment for fentanyl. Trump blamed the open border for the influx of drugs and claimed addiction rates were improving during his presidency until COVID-19 hit.
On Social Security's solvency, Biden proposed making those earning over $400,000 pay more into the system, specifically suggesting millionaires pay an additional 1% to guarantee the program's future. He accused Republicans of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare. Trump claimed Biden is "destroying Social Security" by putting immigrants "on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid" and accused him of wasting money that should go to American citizens.
Both candidates faced questions about their age and ability to serve. Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, emphasized his record of accomplishments and economic achievements. He highlighted his long career, noting he was once "the second-youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate" and is now "the oldest."
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of a potential second term, claimed he had taken and "aced" two cognitive tests and challenged Biden to take one. He asserted he was in excellent physical shape, mentioning winning "two club championships" in golf. The candidates traded barbs about golf handicaps and physical capabilities, with Biden challenging Trump to a driving contest and questioning Trump's self-reported height and weight.
When asked if he would accept the results of the 2024 election, Trump responded, "If it's a fair and legal and good election – absolutely." He claimed he would rather not have to run again but felt compelled to because of Biden's performance. Biden called Trump "a whiner" who "can't stand the loss," suggesting something "snapped" in Trump when he lost in 2020.
In his closing statement, Biden emphasized his administration's progress since taking office, highlighting tax fairness, reduced prescription drug costs, and plans for childcare and infrastructure improvements. He reiterated his pledge not to raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000.
Trump characterized Biden as "just a complainer" who "doesn't do anything," criticized the administration's handling of foreign policy in Afghanistan, Israel, and Ukraine, and touted his own accomplishments including tax cuts, regulatory reduction, and veterans' healthcare improvements. He concluded with his campaign theme: "We're in a failing nation, but it's not going to be failing anymore. We're going to make it great again."
Throughout the debate, both candidates frequently accused each other of lying and misrepresenting facts, with numerous personal attacks despite the muted microphone format designed to reduce interruptions. The tension between the candidates was palpable as they disputed nearly every aspect of each other's records and visions for America's future.
Across all the analysis pieces, there was unanimous agreement that Biden's performance was poor and raised serious concerns about his age and capacity. Every article emphasized Biden's halting delivery, raspy voice, and moments where he appeared to lose his train of thought. The Associated Press described Biden as "halting and seemed to lose his train of thought," while CNN noted he was "hoarse and displaying little vocal range." Anthony Zurcher from BBC called it "one of the greatest understatements of the year" to say Biden's performance did not put concerns about his age to rest.
The consensus also held that Trump appeared more composed, confident, and energetic, despite being only three years younger than Biden. As Domenico Montanaro put it, "Trump employed rounds of verbal jujitsu" and even managed to say "Let's not act like children" during an exchange about golf handicaps, which seemed to elevate his stature.
Multiple articles highlighted a specific moment when Biden lost his train of thought and oddly concluded with "We finally beat Medicare." This non-sequitur became emblematic of Biden's struggles and was mentioned prominently in the AP, BBC, and CNN coverage as a particularly concerning stumble.
Several articles noted that the Biden campaign quickly attempted to explain his performance by claiming he was battling a cold. The CNN piece mentioned that "Two campaign sources said Biden has had a cold in recent days," while Anthony Zurcher called this "an excuse" that "may be so, but it also sounded like an excuse."
Domenico Montanaro specifically emphasized how the split-screen format hurt Biden: "Biden wasn't able to use that to his advantage at all, even as Trump doled out falsehood after falsehood. Instead, he looked genuinely shocked and confused, which is never a good look."
Almost every article mentioned immediate concern among Democrats about Biden's performance. The AP noted "sparking quick concerns among Democrats," CNN referred to "hand-wringing among party members," and Montanaro stated "so many Democrats are ringing the fire alarms." The immediate reaction from Biden's own party was presented as a significant story beyond the debate content itself.
Several analyses noted that Biden improved somewhat as the debate progressed. Anthony Zurcher wrote that Biden "steadied himself as the debate progressed," and Vice President Kamala Harris was quoted acknowledging Biden had a "slow start" but "finished strong."
Publications differed significantly in how much they emphasized fact-checking. Domenico Montanaro criticized the moderators for not fact-checking Trump's falsehoods, saying they "left it to the candidates" and describing the result as "a salad bowl full of rotten eggs and moldy lettuce that passed for facts." In contrast, the Fox News article and Virginia Tech experts' analyses largely avoided discussing factual accuracy.
The BBC piece ventured furthest into speculation about Biden potentially being replaced as the Democratic nominee, stating: "many Democrats may be wondering whether a second chance at Trump on the debate stage will turn out any different for their man. And some, at this point, may be thinking about how they might get a different presidential nominee." Most other publications acknowledged this concern but did not explore it as extensively.
The CNN analysis provided more detailed coverage of the foreign policy exchanges, particularly on Ukraine and Gaza. They focused on Trump's promises to end the Ukraine conflict quickly and his recommendation to "Let Israel finish the job" in Gaza. Other publications touched on these topics more briefly or not at all.
The Fox News article was uniquely structured around five specific exchanges rather than providing broader analysis. It notably avoided any discussion of Trump's factual accuracy or his refusal to condemn January 6th participants, which other outlets highlighted. Fox also did not cover the broader implications for the Democratic Party that other outlets emphasized.
The Virginia Tech expert analysis was more academic and detached, omitting the emotional reactions and dramatic language used in other pieces. It did not cover the implications of Biden's performance for the Democratic Party's nomination process or speculate about potential replacements.
These outlets gave more attention to the possibility of Democrats replacing Biden, with the BBC being most explicit about this scenario. They also provided more context about the historical precedent of incumbents performing poorly in first debates.
Several analyses pointed out the historic nature of the debate as the first-ever between a sitting president and a former president. The CNN piece explicitly mentioned this, while others focused more on its potential historic impact on the 2024 election.
Karen Hult from Virginia Tech placed Biden's performance in historical context by noting it "continued the pattern of weak performances by incumbents in the first presidential debate of their reelection bids (e.g., Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, even Trump)."
The publications differed in their assessment of how much the debate might change the dynamics of the race. Domenico Montanaro suggested it might not "move the needle much, if at all," noting that despite Biden's struggles, "millions will still likely vote for Biden, anyway, because he's not Trump." The BBC took a more dramatic view, suggesting the debate could fundamentally alter the race, while CNN described it as raising "the stakes for September 10," when the candidates are scheduled to meet again.
All the analyses highlighted the personal exchanges between the candidates, particularly when Biden accused Trump of having "the morals of an alley cat" after mentioning allegations about Trump having sex with a porn star. Trump's reply of "I didn't have sex with a porn star" was widely quoted.
Biden's line about Trump being a "whiner" who "can't stand the loss" and Trump's promise to have the Ukraine war "settled between Putin and Zelenskyy as president-elect before I take office" were also commonly referenced as memorable moments.
The exchange where Biden told Trump "You're the sucker. You're the loser" regarding alleged comments about fallen soldiers was highlighted in several pieces as one of Biden's stronger moments.
The debate analysis across these publications reveals a remarkable consensus about Biden's poor performance and its potential implications for the race. Where they diverged was in how much attention they gave to fact-checking, Democratic Party alternatives, and the specific policy discussions. The analysis pieces collectively emphasized the visual, vocal, and stylistic elements that significantly impacted viewer perceptions beyond the content of what was said, with particular focus on Biden's physical presentation and Trump's relatively restrained demeanor compared to previous debates.
Articles analyzed: APNews, NPR, Virginia Tech, BBC, CNN, FOX News
*This summary was initially generated with AI but is modifiable by users
*There may be errors on this page.
Biden and Trump Debate in the First Presidential Debate
Timelines Involved
- Event Date:
Youtube embed about Biden and Trump Debate in the First Presidential Debate
Full Debate: Biden and Trump in the First 2024 Presidential Debate | WSJ - YouTube
Watch live as President Biden and former President Donald Trump square off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, hosted by CNN.#Trump #Biden...