Biden Falls Flat Against Trump in First 2024 US Presidential Debate
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump squared off in the first debate of the 2024 presidential race, seeking to pull ahead in a match-up that has, so far, been in a dead heat.
Despite delivering the opening salvo in Thursday’s event, Biden struggled to articulate his points at several moments, appearing to fumble for his words.
Meanwhile, Trump took the opportunity to redirect the conversation at several points to Biden’s perceived weaknesses, drumming up fears about immigration and the state of the economy.
He also attempted to dodge questions about whether he would honor the results of November 5’s presidential election, saying he would only do so if it was “fair” and “free” – and then reiterating false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
“The fraud and everything else was ridiculous,” he said at one point, casting doubt on President Biden’s win in 2020.
Trump currently faces two criminal indictments –one in Georgia and another in Washington, D.C.– over his alleged attempts to subvert those election results.
Thursday evening’s performance took place at the CNN news network’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and it marked the first time since October 2020 that the two candidates met on the debate stage.
Many political observers wondered if they would be rusty, neither having participated in a public debate of any kind in the years since.
Biden had spent the week leading up to the debate at Camp David in Maryland, a presidential retreat where aides helped him prepare with mock set-ups. Trump, meanwhile, largely continued his schedule of rallies.
But from the moment Biden stepped on stage, the Democratic president seemed to wobble, muttering as he approached the podium, Al Jazeera reported.
Still, as he faced the first question of the night, Biden came out swinging, seeking to dent Trump’s popularity by attacking the Republican’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also mocked 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.”
The night was a crucial event for both Trump and Biden, as they sought to advance different visions of the US. Trump implied that the country declined under Biden’s leadership. Biden, meanwhile, sought to defend the US’s standing in the world.
A survey from The New York Times and Siena College, released on the eve of the event, showed Trump with nearly 48 percent support, close to four points ahead of Biden, who was around 44 percent.
Political observers noted that Thursday’s performance could deepen that divide.
The debate was unusual for several reasons, not least because of its historically early timing: Both Biden and Trump pushed to move the first presidential debate of the election cycle to June, to avoid overlaps with early voting, which begins in some states in September.