The first presidential debate of 2024 saw the two presumptive major party nominees — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — exchanging barbs and drawing contrast between their administrations.
The debate took place Thursday night, June 27, months earlier than previous presidential debates, in Atlanta.
The exchanges between the two candidates were often rambling and confused, but the debate gave voters their first chance for a side-by-side, live comparison in the 2024 election cycle.
Reaction to the candidates' performances performance was mixed, but Biden seemed to struggle immediately during the 90-minute debate. He failed to put voter concerns about this fitness for office because of his age to rest.
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For Trump, the ongoing chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border provided plenty of fodder for attacking Biden, while the current president took aim at an economy that was in "freefall" under his predecessor.
But the candidates didn't just focus on policy differences — Biden castigated Trump for having the morals of "an alley cat" over his recent felony convictions while Trump took aim at Biden's son, Hunter, who was recently found guilty on federal gun charges.
Candidates debate records on economy
The rising cost of housing and basic necessities is obvious across the country but both candidates appeared more interested in placing the blame for the ongoing economic crisis on the other, rather than laying out substantive plans for providing relief.
Biden insisted that the economic woes felt under his administration are the result of Trump's time in office.
"The economy collapsed," Biden said. "There were no jobs ... it was terrible."
During his time in office, Biden said his administration has created thousands of new jobs "but there's more to be done." He said if reelected he hopes to advance plans to reduce housing costs and cap rents "so corporate greed can't take over."
"We're working to bring down the price around the kitchen table," Biden said, "and that's what we're going to get done."
Trump, meanwhile, said the country had the "greatest economy" on his watch and blamed Biden for rising inflation.
"He's done a poor job and inflation is killing our country," Trump said. "It's absolutely killing us."
Immigration, border security find way into multiple topics
Unsurprisingly, immigration and border security were issues high on the candidates' minds, but both Biden and Trump found ways to weave that topic into questions on the economy, women's reproductive rights and climate policy.
When asked about the economy, Trump alleged that the only new jobs Biden has created "were for illegal immigrants." On the question of abortion restrictions, Biden began talking about the recent murder of a young girl by an illegal immigrant, prompting Trump to allege that illegal immigrants are "raping and killing women."
The actual question of addressing the current situation at the southern border, Biden touted his recent executive actions, which he said have resulted in a 40% drop in illegal crossings, as well as his work to advance a bipartisan agreement on immigration reform.
Trump, however, said the border was the safest under his administration.
"All he had to do was leave it," Trump said of Biden. "He decided to open the border" to people from mental institutions, jails and terrorists.
"We had the safest border in history," he continued, "now we have the worst border in history."
Biden, for his part, asserted that the only terrorist to cross the southern border did so during Trump's presidency and killed three American soldiers.
"There's no data to support what he's saying," Biden said. "Once again, he's exaggerating and he's lying."
Trump supports SCOTUS decision on abortion medication
Trump, who has generally taken a hardline stance on abortion regulations, said Thursday that he supported a recent ruling by the Supreme Court to continue to allow access to abortion medications and said he would not block access if elected.
He also said he "believes in the exceptions" in instances of rape, incest or threat to the mother's life.
Still, he celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which he said put abortion rights in the hands of individual states. In Texas, that meant a near-total ban on abortion. Trump said the "country is now coming together on this issue."
Biden, by contrast, said the end of the landmark Supreme Court decision securing a woman's right to an abortion is "a terrible thing."
