(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump grappled over inflation, illegal immigration, abortion and more during the first debate of this election cycle Thursday night in Atlanta.
A Quinnipiac poll released the day before the debate shows Trump with a 49%-45% lead over Biden, showing Biden needed to turn the tide Thursday night. But throughout the debate, Biden showed moments of murmuring, trailing off or seeming to lose his train of thought.
“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” Trump said early in the debate. “I really don’t think he knows what he said either.”
Questions have surrounded Biden, 81, for a growing number stumbles and miscues in recent months.
CNN’s Jake Tapper, one of the debate’s two co-hosts, began by pointing to the rise of prices under Biden’s tenure, a 20% increase in food prices and a 30% increase for housing.
“Everything was rockin’ good,” Trump said, touting the economy, lack of wars and more during his term. “The only jobs [Biden] created are for illegal immigrants and bounceback jobs,” referring to jobs created by ending the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Biden defended himself, claiming Trump caused inflation, and touted the economic recovery after the COVID lockdown era. Biden also touted his work to lower the costs of prescription drugs.
Abortion, which is expected to be a major issue this election, took a prime spot in the debate. Biden promised to restore Roe v. Wade federal protections and blasted Trump, saying he would sign a conservative nationwide abortion ban.
Trump said he agreed with the recent U.S. Supreme Court issue allowing the abortion pill and blasted Biden and Democrats for their support of Roe v. Wade, saying it allows late term abortion. Trump argued the issue should go to the states.
Both candidates traded barbs throughout the debate. Biden called Trump a convicted felon and said he has the “morals of an alley cat.” Trump was convicted last month on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business documents to cover up hush money payments to a former porn actress.
“Everything he does is a lie,” Trump shot back later in the debate.
Trump repeatedly veered the debate back toward illegal immigration, crime committed by illegal immigrants, and the impact of migrants on entitlement programs.
Trump blasted Biden on the southern border crisis, saying that “because of [Biden’s] ridiculous, insane and very stupid policies” Americans are being killed, calling it “Biden migrant crime.”
Trump said the flood of illegal immigrants are bankrupting entitlement programs in the U.S.
“Our veterans are living on the street and these people are living in luxury hotels,” Trump said. “I’ve never seen such anger in our country before.
“He wants our country to either be destroyed or he wants to pick up those people as voters,” Trump continued.
When questioned about his role in the Jan. 6 storming of the Captiol, Trump pointed out that he called on protesters to act “peacefully and patriotically” and offered 10,000 National Guard troops for security prior to the protests but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser turned them down.
Biden said the Jan. 6 protesters who have been prosecuted deserve to be in jail, but Trump defended many of them, saying some of them are “so innocent” and that rioters in other cities like Portland did not go to jail.
The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta.
This debate is an antecedent to two major political conventions, The Republican National Convention (RNC) and Democratic National Convention (DNC), which are scheduled for July and August, respectively.
Thursday night marked Trump and Biden’s first debate against each other in four years. The first presidential debate between them took place in Sept. 2020, during the time when Trump was still in office as U.S. president. Trump and Biden were scheduled to have a second debate on Oct. 15 2020, which ultimately was canceled. The final Trump-Biden debate of 2020 occurred on Oct. 22 2020.
Another debate is expected between the two candidates this election cycle on Sept. 10.
Joe Biden’s exposed age depleted displayed democrat party debate skills, showed THE PEOPLE what to expect when the senile version of Diarrhea of the mouth sets in, and what comes out of the mouth resembles the things that usually come of an incontinent backside. His bed wetting advisors and debate preparers are birds of the same fowled feather. Maybe, those fake covid masks they gave Joe to wear all this time were the real adult diapers positioned in the correct area that protects the public from his lies and outright general confusion. Soon the bedwetting Democrats will out of frustration, forego waiting for the night time bed leakings, and go directly to daytime openly wetting their pants in public, in a flood of their drowning party people that in many ways resembles the way they handled the border.
I laughed, at the CNN and MSNBC bobble heads, crying about how poor Joe was..
Am I the only one who’s thinking…. the Left just found out that Brandon past his expiration date a long time ago ???
The absolute disgrace that the Dems, the Liberal Media and ‘Dr’ Jill have used and abused this very sick sad man is beyond anything we’ve seen in recent history. Up until a few days ago, they we’re LYING and telling the world everything was fine, and now they just realized this man is weak, sick and unable to lead. Yet for their own disgraceful selfishness and greed they allowed this farce to continue.
Libs like Morning Joke have said very recently Brandon was on top of his game and as sharp as ever. Morning Joke and his ‘wife’ are disgraceful, the Liberal Media are disgraceful, the Dems are disgraceful and especially ‘Dr’ Jill who should be charged with Elder Abuse is disgraceful.
That said, anyone from this point on who would vote for Brandon…. Get help, you are a danger to this country and yourself.
THING IS if they are still voting for Joe, I FEAR THEY ARE well beyond any sort of help. Mental, social or psychological!
While the office of President ISN’T a one man show and that’s why the President has a cabinet it helps greatly when the office holder is able to keep a ‘train of thought’! That said I DON’T SUPPORT EITHER CANDIDATE! BOTH have too great a number of flaws IMO to be in the Presidency!! {Trump had the better performance at last night debate but then again he has the most reasons [provided by himself] for me NOT to vote for him!}
A vote against Don is essentially a vote for Joe.
OlDave it sounds like you might be as demented as Joe B. OBiden.
Yes! Well said. Who needs record unemployment, low energy costs, low food bills, lack of foreign wars, closed borders, law and order?
We’re voting for an Administrator.
Do it for the least of these, you’re doing it for me. Teachings right out the window.