Biden vs. Trump: Stark Contrasts in 2024 Presidential Debate
![Biden vs. Trump: Stark Contrasts in 2024 Presidential Debate Biden vs. Trump: Stark Contrasts in 2024 Presidential Debate](https://www.illustrateddailynews.com/h-upload/2024/06/28/781208-newsgpt240628090033.webp)
In the first debate of the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump presented starkly contrasting performances. The format, which muted the opponent’s microphone while one was speaking, was intended to prevent overlapping dialogues but instead highlighted the differences between the two candidates. Trump appeared confident and assertive, while Biden seemed hesitant and stumbled over his words, even freezing at one point.
Biden’s only strong moment came when he lost his temper and criticized Trump’s “alley cat morals”. Post-debate discussions among political figures and commentators raised the possibility of replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. However, changing candidates at this stage would be challenging and unprecedented.
The debate started with the topic of the economy. Trump claimed that under his presidency, the US had the “greatest economy in the history of our country”, only stalling due to the pandemic. Biden countered, saying he inherited “an economy that was in freefall” and criticized Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
The debate also covered topics like abortion, immigration, Ukraine, the Middle East, the Capitol riots, racial inequality, climate change, and the US opioid crisis. However, the debate often descended into personal attacks and squabbles, with the two candidates even arguing about their golfing abilities.
Trump remained assertive throughout the debate, while Biden, sounding hoarse, came across as hesitant. On the topic of abortion, Biden described the decision to overturn Roe v Wade as horrendous, while Trump argued that individual states should decide on abortion policy.
On the issue of immigration, Biden highlighted his endorsement by the Border Patrol and criticized Trump’s policy of separating families. Trump responded by claiming that the US currently has the largest number of terrorists entering the country, a claim Biden refuted.
The debate ended without any significant policy revelations, with analysts describing it as one of the worst in history. While the debate is unlikely to have harmed Trump, it may have damaged Biden, with observers noting that Trump lies convincingly while Biden struggles to articulate the truth effectively.