The first US presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday was the night that Democrats went from “Don’t panic!” to “OK, time to panic!” After months of preparation and expectation, they got to the altar and suddenly realised they were marrying the wrong man.
In 90 miserable minutes, Joe Biden achieved two things that had seemed impossible. He lived down to expectations that were already rock bottom. And he managed to make Donald Trump sound almost coherent. Trump did not win the debate but Biden certainly lost it.
Before Thursday evening, many Americans had already expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office. The debate did little to alleviate those worries.
The president entered the debate with a low bar to clear but struggled to meet even that. His performance was flat, rambling, and often unclear. Midway through the debate, the Biden campaign revealed that the president was battling a cold, which they said explained his raspy voice. This explanation, however, came across as an excuse to many viewers.
Throughout the 90-minute debate, Biden was frequently on the defensive. Particularly early in the evening, some of his responses were incoherent. At one point, he lost his train of thought and oddly concluded an answer with, “We finally beat Medicare,” referring to the government-run healthcare program for the elderly.
Biden's former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, appeared on CNN immediately after the debate and was candid: "There's no two ways about it, that was not a good debate for Joe Biden." She highlighted that Biden needed to demonstrate energy and stamina, which he failed to do.
As the debate continued, Biden attempted to shift momentum by aggressively attacking his opponent, Donald Trump. Some of these attacks provoked angry responses from Trump. The debate's initial focus on economy and immigration, topics on which polls indicate Americans trust Trump more, only compounded Biden's difficulties.
Trump, on the other hand, delivered a disciplined and agile performance. He avoided the interruptions and belligerence that marred his first debate in 2020 and consistently redirected the discussion to critique Biden’s record. While Trump made several assertions that were not factually supported, Biden struggled to effectively counter them.
When the discussion turned to abortion, Trump misrepresented Democratic positions, incorrectly claiming they support abortions after birth. This issue, which has been a vulnerability for Trump and Republicans since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, was a missed opportunity for Biden.
Vice-President Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden had a “slow start” but claimed he finished strong. Although this may be optimistic, Biden did seem to regain some footing as the debate progressed. In a memorable moment, Biden referenced Trump’s conviction related to an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, accusing Trump of having “the morals of an alley cat.” Trump retorted, “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”
Trump struggled when discussing his response to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. He initially tried to deflect a question about his responsibility for the riot by attacking Biden’s record, but Biden persisted. “He encouraged those folks to go up to Capitol Hill. He sat there for three hours as his aides begged him to do something,” Biden said. “He didn’t do a damn thing.”
Trump also evaded questions about whether he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election, adding to the contentious nature of the debate.
In 90 miserable minutes, Joe Biden achieved two things that had seemed impossible. He lived down to expectations that were already rock bottom. And he managed to make Donald Trump sound almost coherent. Trump did not win the debate but Biden certainly lost it.
Before Thursday evening, many Americans had already expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office. The debate did little to alleviate those worries.
The president entered the debate with a low bar to clear but struggled to meet even that. His performance was flat, rambling, and often unclear. Midway through the debate, the Biden campaign revealed that the president was battling a cold, which they said explained his raspy voice. This explanation, however, came across as an excuse to many viewers.
Throughout the 90-minute debate, Biden was frequently on the defensive. Particularly early in the evening, some of his responses were incoherent. At one point, he lost his train of thought and oddly concluded an answer with, “We finally beat Medicare,” referring to the government-run healthcare program for the elderly.
Biden's former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, appeared on CNN immediately after the debate and was candid: "There's no two ways about it, that was not a good debate for Joe Biden." She highlighted that Biden needed to demonstrate energy and stamina, which he failed to do.
As the debate continued, Biden attempted to shift momentum by aggressively attacking his opponent, Donald Trump. Some of these attacks provoked angry responses from Trump. The debate's initial focus on economy and immigration, topics on which polls indicate Americans trust Trump more, only compounded Biden's difficulties.
Trump, on the other hand, delivered a disciplined and agile performance. He avoided the interruptions and belligerence that marred his first debate in 2020 and consistently redirected the discussion to critique Biden’s record. While Trump made several assertions that were not factually supported, Biden struggled to effectively counter them.
When the discussion turned to abortion, Trump misrepresented Democratic positions, incorrectly claiming they support abortions after birth. This issue, which has been a vulnerability for Trump and Republicans since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, was a missed opportunity for Biden.
Vice-President Kamala Harris acknowledged that Biden had a “slow start” but claimed he finished strong. Although this may be optimistic, Biden did seem to regain some footing as the debate progressed. In a memorable moment, Biden referenced Trump’s conviction related to an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, accusing Trump of having “the morals of an alley cat.” Trump retorted, “I didn’t have sex with a porn star.”
Trump struggled when discussing his response to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. He initially tried to deflect a question about his responsibility for the riot by attacking Biden’s record, but Biden persisted. “He encouraged those folks to go up to Capitol Hill. He sat there for three hours as his aides begged him to do something,” Biden said. “He didn’t do a damn thing.”
Trump also evaded questions about whether he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election, adding to the contentious nature of the debate.
