Former US President Donald Trump proved smarter than President Joe Biden in the first debate of the presidential race in 2024. Biden was perceived as hesitant over his words while his challenger repeated numerous falsehoods. Thursday night was a crucial event for both of these potential nominees seeking to advance their visions of the US. Trump spoke of the US declined under Biden about the might of the United States.
Presidential debate 2024:
Both the contenders for the presidency yesterday night fought over the fate of the US in the CNN debate staged at Atlanta Studio. They boxed over issues like immigration and abortion and presented their case for re-election. “I’ve never heard a president talk like this before. We’re the envy of the world. Name me a single major country that wouldn’t trade places with the US,” said Biden at one point adding “No one thinks we’re weak. No one wants to screw around with us. Nobody.” Donald Trump objected in words, “Joe, our country is being destroyed as you and I sit up here and waste a lot of time on this debate.”
Thursday’s debate, polls disclosed both the contestants in a tight race but the Republican was found to be edging ahead. A survey from The New York Times and Siena College, released on the eve of the event, showed Trump with nearly 48 percent support while Biden stood four points less than Trump – 44 percent.
Experts review:
The analysts think Joe Biden called out Donald Trump on his falsehoods and exaggerations, while Trump expressed good command over his rival who was confused on certain points. Biden struggled to clear his points at several moments. Trump redirected the conversation to Biden’s weaknesses about immigration and the economy. He dodged questions about his respect for the results of the presidential election stating he would only do so if it was fair and free calling the previous as rigged. “The fraud and everything else were ridiculous,” he said expressing doubt on Biden’s win in 2020.
It is important to note that Trump is currently facing criminal accusations in Georgia and Washington DC over his alleged attempts to subvert 2020 election results. The yesterday’s debate was the first since 2020 when they both met on the debate stage. None of them participated in a public debate in the years since.
Facing the first question, Biden sought to dent Trump’s popularity by attacking the Republican’s leadership during the COVID-19 epidemic. “We had an economy that was in free fall. By the time he left, things were in chaos. Things were in chaos. So, we put things back together,” Biden told moderators. He ridiculed Trump’s resistance to COVID-19 safeguards saying, “His philosophy echoed the misinformation circulating online about cures: “Just inject a little bleach into your arm, and you’ll be alright.”
Trump about his presidency tenure said, “We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We have never done so well. Everybody was amazed by it. Other countries were copying us. Everything was rocking good.”
This debate was the first of two presidential debates this year. Political analysts hope Biden can reverse his inaugural debate performance by the time he reaches the second on September 10. Trump repeatedly crashed Biden on immigration, using fiery anti-immigrant bombast to conjure fears of violence. “He wants open borders. He wants our country to either be destroyed or he wants to pick up those people as voters,” Trump said of Biden. Biden tried to differentiate between immigration and crime saying “Studies have shown immigrants, on average, are less likely to commit crimes than US-born citizens.”
You’re Lying, says Biden to Trump
“There’s a lot of young women who have been raped by their in-laws, by their spouses,” Biden said after Trump claimed “There have been several young women murdered by the people he allows to cross the border.” To the abortion issue, Trump said, “Biden and other Democrats are willing to, as we say, rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month.” “You’re lying. That is not true,” Biden countered this statement.
The debate at several points transferred into exchanging accusations that the other was lying or whining. Biden banged Trump for media reports that the Republican president called veterans “suckers and losers”, invoking the loss of his son, Beau Biden. “My son was not a loser or a sucker. You are a loser. You are a sucker,” Biden replied vehemently. Trump came up saying, “The media report was made up: “He made up the suckers and losers, so he should apologize to me right now.”
Yes, there was a slow start, says Kamala Harris about Biden performance
Despite criticisms of Biden’s performance, Democrats assembled around the president in the hours after the event, repeating accusations that Trump represents an existential threat to US democracy. “You don’t turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?” asked California Governor Gavin Newsom if Biden should step down. “This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him,” he said. Vice President Kamala Harris, recognized the faintness of Biden but said he turned out a good performance in the end. “Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” she said.