President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump engaged in a fiery exchange during the CNN Presidential Debate held on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. The debate marked the first showdown between Biden and Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign.President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump squared off in the first debate of the presidential campaign on Thursday night, appealing to undecided voters with a contentious exchange over policy differences, immigration, and their respective impacts on democracy.
From CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, the two candidates sparred over their visions for America's future across a wide range of issues, including the economy, climate change, and foreign policy, often accusing each other of falsehoods.
Early in the debate, Biden, occasionally speaking softly and coughing, gave responses that were at times unclear. In a notable moment, he appeared to lose his train of thought, concluding an answer with a reference to "beating Medicare."
The debate also highlighted stark disagreements on reproductive rights, with Trump criticizing the Democratic stance as "radical" while Biden criticized leaving decisions to the states as detrimental to women.
A notable departure from past debates, Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, did not shake hands at the outset.
Towards the end of the debate, Trump condemned political violence as "completely unacceptable," though he defended the actions of his supporters during the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Initially hesitant to commit, Trump eventually conditioned his acceptance of the election results when pressed by moderators.
Shake over personal conduct
Despite efforts to minimize interruptions, the debate, moderated by Dana Bash, anchor and chief political correspondent, and Jake Tapper, anchor and chief Washington correspondent, featured numerous contentious exchanges.
While Trump criticized Biden's border policies and Biden condemned Trump's Supreme Court appointments, their most heated exchanges centered on personal conduct.
Referencing reports alleging that Trump called World War II veterans killed in action in France "suckers and losers," Biden passionately defended his son Beau, a National Guard veteran who later died of brain cancer.
"My son was not a loser or a sucker," Biden retorted sternly. "You're the sucker. You're the loser."
Trump vehemently denied ever making such remarks, originally reported by The Atlantic and corroborated by other sources.
Biden repeatedly questioned Trump's honesty and credibility throughout the debate, declaring at one point, "Every word he said is a lie."
"I've never heard such nonsense in my life," Biden responded to another of Trump's assertions.
In turn, Trump raised the issue of Hunter Biden's recent federal gun charges and suggested Joe Biden could face legal consequences over his handling of border security.
In April, Trump's legal team argued before the Supreme Court for absolute presidential immunity from criminal prosecution.
Trump’s conviction
Thursday's debate marked a historic first in presidential history, as one participant, former President Donald Trump, is a convicted felon.
In May, a New York state jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to conceal payments of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed they had an affair that Trump allegedly wanted to conceal during his 2016 election campaign.
Despite the conviction, Trump has denied the affair and maintains strong support within the GOP. However, his sentencing scheduled for July 11 could impact his campaign strategy.
During the debate, Trump vehemently denied the criminal charges against him and reiterated his denial of any sexual relationship with an adult film star.
"I never had sexual relations with a porn star," Trump asserted, marking an unprecedented moment in presidential debate history.
"I did nothing wrong. The system was rigged and disgraceful," Trump continued. "I did nothing wrong."
Trump also brought up Hunter Biden in response to the allegations, pointing out that Joe Biden's son has also been convicted of felonies.
"When he talks about a convicted felon, his son is a convicted felon," Trump asserted during the debate.
6.January disagreement
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue a ruling imminently on whether presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office, a decision crucial to a federal trial against Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 election interference.
During the debate, Trump asserted that on January 6, 2021, the U.S. was respected globally, a sentiment that shifted after Biden assumed office. He seemed to suggest that those who stormed the Capitol were "innocent" and "patriotic," criticizing their imprisonment.
In response, Biden accused Trump of encouraging the attackers and disrespecting U.S. Capitol Police officers. Biden condemned Trump's advocacy for potentially commuting the sentences of those convicted, insisting they should face accountability behind bars.
Biden firmly rejected the characterization of the Capitol attackers as patriots.
Divide on abortion rights
The topic of reproductive rights, particularly access to abortion, sharply divided Biden and Trump during the debate.
Trump expressed agreement with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to maintain access to mifepristone, a medication used in abortion procedures, and stated he would not seek to restrict access if elected president.
"I support the Supreme Court's decision on mifepristone and will not block it," Trump affirmed, noting his satisfaction with the Court's prior ruling that returned abortion rights decisions to individual states. He emphasized his support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the woman is at risk.
In contrast, Biden rejected Trump's characterization of Democratic abortion policies as "radical" and advocated for reinstating protections similar to those established by Roe v. Wade.
"It has been detrimental," Biden criticized the trend of leaving abortion access decisions to state legislatures, likening it to the historical issues faced with civil rights.
Regarding policy specifics, Trump hinted at an upcoming release of his campaign's stance on mifepristone but had yet to publish any details by the time of the debate. He previously suggested openness to states limiting contraception access but later walked back those comments via social media.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, proposed a scenario where a second Trump administration could utilize the Comstock Act to potentially block the mailing of mifepristone. This law, enacted in 1873, has not been enforced in decades and is considered obsolete by reproductive rights advocates.
Mifepristone, along with another drug, constitutes the majority of medication abortions approved by the FDA for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. These procedures account for a significant portion of abortions in the U.S., as reported by the Guttmacher Institute.
First of two debates
This year's presidential debates mark a departure from tradition, with both candidates deviating from the proposed schedule by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.
Biden and Trump have agreed to participate in two debates: the first held on Thursday by CNN and another scheduled for Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News.
CNN chose to host its debate at its studios in Atlanta, Georgia, without an audience, a departure from the usual September or October timing of presidential debates.
The decision by CNN to exclude the White House travel pool, a group of journalists that accompanies the president everywhere, ahead of the debate sparked frustration with the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA). Kelly O'Donnell, president of the WHCA and senior White House correspondent for NBC News, expressed concern over CNN's refusal to include the pool, emphasizing its role in providing direct observation and context beyond television production.
CNN's rules stipulated that neither Biden nor Trump could bring props or pre-written notes into the debate area. Each candidate stood behind a uniform podium and was prohibited from interacting with campaign staff during the commercial breaks.
Following the debate, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden planned to travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, for campaign events on Friday morning before heading to New York. They are then scheduled to visit Red Bank, New Jersey, on Saturday before returning to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to attend a campaign
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