Last night’s highly anticipated presidential debate underscored the problems with President Joe Biden, whose “shocking performance” raised questions about the incumbent’s viability in a rematch with Republican challenger former president Donald Trump.
While his camp said that he was suffering from a cold, in assessing the first presidential debate of the 2024 presidential campaign, political analysts believed Biden was “unable to make the case for his administration and shut down Trump” on issues ranging from the state of the economy to abortion rights. In fact, the headlines this morning asked whether the Democrats should decide whether to look for another candidate.
Biden was also unable to put to rest major criticisms regarding his age nor offer rebuttals on Trump’s “inaccuracies,” as polls have shown, and he refused to answer questions about his controversial track record in office.
Neither candidate fully addressed how their administrations would advance the future of African American voters, which is critical to the outcome of the November election.
Democrats are now scrambling to regroup just weeks before the nominating conventions for both parties and the election.
Moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, it was the first debate without a live audience and with microphones muted when it was not the respective candidate’s turn to speak. These changes were implemented to foster a more organized and focused discussion, avoiding the disruptions seen in previous debates.
The following are highlights from the debate:
Tapper, opened the debate with a question on the economy, addressing Biden: “President Biden, inflation has slowed, but prices remain high. Since you took office, the cost of essentials has increased. For instance, a basket of groceries that costs $100 now costs over $120, and typical home prices have risen by more than 30%. What do you say to voters who feel they are worse off under your presidency than they were under President Trump?”
Biden responded by highlighting the state of the economy he inherited.
“We’ve got to take a look at what I was left when I became president, what Mr. Trump left me,” he said. “We had an economy that was in freefall. The pandemic was so badly handled. Many people were dying. All he said was it’s not that serious, just inject a little bleach in your arm. You’ll be all right. The economy collapsed. There were no jobs, and the unemployment rate rose to 15%. It was terrible.”
He also emphasized the actions taken to recover: “We created 15,000 new jobs and brought about 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. But there’s more to be done. Working-class people are still in trouble.”
Biden also outlined his plans to address housing and corporate greed: “We’re going to reduce housing prices by building 2 million new units and cap rents so corporate greed can’t take over. We were left with corporate greed as a major issue. By the time he (Trump) left the office, things were in chaos. We’ve put things back together, created those jobs, and made sure we brought down prescription drug prices, making insulin $15 per shot instead of $400. No senior will pay more than $200 for any drug starting next year.”
Trump countered by defending his economic record.
“We had the greatest economy in the history of our country,” he said. “We have never done so well. Every-everybody was amazed by it. Other countries were copying us. We got hit with COVID. And when we did, we spent the money necessary so we wouldn’t end up in a Great Depression, the likes of which we had in 1929.” Trump criticized Biden’s handling of the pandemic: “He created mandates that were a disaster for our country.”
Trump continued, “We never got credit for getting us out of the COVID mess. We did a great job and got a lot of credit for the economy, military, and avoiding wars.” Trump slammed Biden’s spending policies, arguing they have exacerbated rising prices. “They spent money like a bunch of people that didn’t know what they were doing,” Trump said.
Both candidates claimed their policies led to greater job growth and a stronger economy. But the exchange quickly descended into personal attacks as Biden accused Trump of misrepresenting facts and Trump criticized Biden’s leadership abilities. Their disagreements on economic policy highlighted fundamental differences in their approaches.
The debate took an even sharper turn when the discussion moved to abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Biden vowed to protect abortion access nationwide, calling it a decision that should be made between “a woman and her doctor.”
Trump applauded the new ruling. “This gives it the vote of the people, and that’s where they wanted,” he said. Harsh accusations were traded as each candidate alleged the other was distorting their position. Biden said he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother, while Trump baselessly claimed Democrats support “killing the baby in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth.” Their clash illustrated the irreconcilable divide on this issue between the two sides.
On immigration, Trump launched scathing attacks against Biden’s border policies, claiming they have allowed “killers” and “criminals” to freely enter the U.S. Biden forcefully rejected such allegations, emphasizing his commitment to reforming the system and treating migrants humanely. Their dispute underscored competing visions for how best to balance security and compassion.
The candidates unleashed withering critiques of each other’s records and character throughout the debate. At various points, Biden called Trump’s statements “foolishness,” while Trump slammed Biden’s leadership as “the worst in history.”
Biden and former Donald Trump dedicated a small portion of the debate to African American issues. Tapper asked, “What do you say to Black voters who feel they are worse off under your presidency than they were under President Trump?”
Biden highlighted the increase in small Black businesses, low Black unemployment, efforts to improve housing and reduce segregation, affordable childcare, a $10,000 tax credit for Black first-time home buyers, and pointed out student debt relief measures for Black individuals working in public service.
In response, Trump criticized Biden for causing inflation, claiming it harms Black and Hispanic families by increasing the cost of living. He argued that Biden’s policies, such as the Green New Deal, have damaged the economy. Trump also claimed that Biden’s immigration policies have resulted in job losses for Black and Hispanic Americans due to the influx of immigrants competing for jobs.
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