Donald Trump vs Joe Biden: Everything to know about US Presidential Debate 2024 so far

In the much awaited, early 2024 US Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, both candidates were questioned and gave very different speeches. Here's everything you need to know.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Jun 28, 2024 | 01:25 PM IST | 13.4K

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia commons

The highly anticipated 2024 US Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, held earlier than usual, featured both candidates under scrutiny and delivered contrasting performances, as per BBC. Amid concerns about Biden's stamina and Trump's controversial statements, the debate provided insight into their strategies and potential impact on the upcoming election.

Concerns over Joe Biden's performance

Before Thursday evening, many Americans were concerned about Joe Biden's age and fitness for office. His debate performance did not alleviate any of these concerns. President Biden approached the debate with low expectations, but he struggled. His performance was characterized as flat, rambling, and unclear. Halfway through the debate, his campaign informed reporters that he had a cold, which explained his raspy voice.

Some people perceived this explanation as an excuse. Biden appeared to be on the defensive for the majority of the 90-minute debate, and some of his responses were unclear. For example, he concluded one response with, "We finally beat Medicare," an unusual reference to the government-run healthcare program for the elderly.

Joe Biden's struggles and Donald Trump's jabs

Kate Bedingfield, Biden's former communications director, was candid on CNN following the debate, saying, "There's no two ways about it; that was not a good debate for Joe Biden." She shared his need to prove his energy and stamina, which she believed he had failed to do. As the debate progressed, Biden attempted to change the momentum by attacking his opponent more aggressively, eliciting angry responses from Trump.

The first few topics brought up by CNN's moderators, the economy and immigration, are areas where polls show Americans trust Donald Trump more. After one of Biden's responses, Trump commented, "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence, and I don't think he did, either."

Donald Trump’s disciplined approach

In contrast, Trump gave a more disciplined and agile performance, avoiding the interruptions and outbursts that marred his 2020 debate performance. He focused on criticizing Biden's record and making claims that were not supported by facts. On the issue of abortion, Trump shifted the focus to what he called Democratic extremism, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortions after birth. Biden's response, "It's been a terrible thing, what you've done," had little impact.

When the debate turned to the January 6th Capitol attack, Trump attempted to shift focus to Biden's record but was held accountable by Biden, who stated, “He encouraged those folks to go up to Capitol Hill. He sat there for three hours as his aides begged him to do something. He didn’t do a damn thing.” Trump also avoided directly answering whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election.

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