Biden Struggles, Trump Blusters in First 2024 Presidential Debate

During the first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign yesterday, former President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked President Joe Biden, who appeared disjointed and struggled to respond effectively.

Trump, 78, spoke clearly and forcefully, criticizing Biden’s record, making wild assertions, and frequently lying. Many of Trump’s claims, such as stating there would be no war in Ukraine if he were president and falsely accusing the Justice Department of involvement in state cases against him, have become staples of his campaign rhetoric. He accused Biden of fostering "Biden migrant crime" with his border policies and alleged corruption.

Biden, 81, attempted to counter by criticizing Trump for threatening to pull the U.S. out of NATO and disrespecting veterans but faltered when contrasting himself with Trump on abortion. Biden also exaggerated the impact of Trump’s tariff plan on U.S. citizens. Here is our fact check of the candidates’ claims.

Hoping to reassure voters concerned about his age, Biden mostly spoke in a soft rasp, with a quavering delivery that was sometimes hard to understand. He rambled and often seemed to lose his train of thought. At one point, Trump remarked, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said, either.”

Biden’s campaign later attributed his performance to a cold, but it seemed likely to heighten concerns about his fitness for office. Trump’s supporters quickly declared victory, while many Democrats expressed anxiety minutes into the debate. Here is a sample of reactions.

The debate turned personal, with Biden calling Trump a “sucker” and a “loser,” and comparing him to an “alley cat” for his alleged infidelity. Trump labeled Biden a “weak” president whom global leaders were "laughing" at.

"It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden,” Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s former White House communications director, said on CNN. “I don’t think there’s any other way to slice it. His biggest issue was to prove to the American people that he had the energy, the stamina — and he didn’t do that."