Trump vs. Biden: Who Won the Debate
The relations between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump are far from ideal. Unsurprisingly, journalists, analysts, and supporters of candidates waited anxiously for the first debate between the candidates. Trump vs. Biden is one of the most debated topics at the moment. It is noteworthy that the first debate between Biden and Trump took place on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The moderators for the debate were Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. CNN hosted the debate.
The first debate covered a wide range of topics, including the economy, abortion, the Middle East, the January 6 Capitol attack, and Trump’s recent criminal conviction.
Let’s break down Trump vs. Biden step-by-step.
The debate that took place on June 27 is part of a series of planned debates, with the next one scheduled for September 10, 2024, to be hosted by ABC News.
Interestingly, each candidate’s microphone was muted when it wasn’t their turn to speak, and there was no studio audience.
Georgia is an important state for both candidates, as Georgia played a crucial role in the 2020 election.
Joe Biden had difficulty with many of his early answers, sounding hoarse due to a reported cold. His performance, which included frequent memory lapses and trouble articulating his positions, raised concerns among Democrats.
The situation was totally different in the case of Donald Trump. He exuded energy throughout the debate. However, Trump had to deal with other problems.
For example, Trump frequently misrepresented his record and Biden’s policies. Trump is no stranger to scandals. He made numerous false statements on topics regarding his criminal conviction, etc.
What’s important, the first debate between the two presidential candidates underscored the contrasting styles and challenges faced by both candidates as they vie for the presidency in the 2024 election.
What Went Wrong for Biden?
As mentioned earlier, Biden struggled to counterattack Trump.
During the debate, Biden addressed the economic challenges many Americans face due to inflation, pointing to the state of the economy he inherited. “We had an economy that was in freefall. The pandemic was so badly handled.”
The current president emphasized his administration’s efforts to lower prices, citing a significant reduction in insulin costs from around $400 to closer to $15.
Trump tried to attack Biden throughout the debate. According to Trump, the U.S. “had the greatest economy in the history of our country” during his presidency.
Unsurprisingly, the former president blamed Biden for the current inflation. “Inflation is killing our country; it is absolutely killing us,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Trump’s assertion about the economy under his tenure doesn’t hold up against common economic metrics.
Based on the information provided by World Bank data, the GDP growth rate under Trump, excluding the 2020 pandemic, averaged 2.67%.
The result mentioned above is lower than the 4% growth rate during President Bill Clinton’s administration. During the pandemic period, the average drops further to 1.45%.
He made numerous false statements during the debate. For instance, he falsely claimed that the only jobs Biden created were for “illegal immigrants” and “bounce back” jobs post-pandemic.
Furthermore, he defended his proposal to impose a 10% tariff on all foreign products. According to many economic experts, tariffs can negatively impact imported goods’ prices.
However, Trump is willing to impose tariffs. “It’s just going to cost countries that have been ripping us off for years,” Trump insisted, singling out China, among others.
Trump vs. Biden: January 6 Capitol Attack
Presidential candidates discussed various topics during the first debate.
Co-host Jake Tapper asked Trump to respond to voters who are concerned about a repeat of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The former president did his best in order not to discuss the attack on the Capitol.
Tapper highlighted that some of Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol to halt the electoral vote count. Moreover, he reminded Trump of his presidential oath to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution. Tapper questioned what Trump would say to voters who believe he violated that oath and fear a recurrence.
Trump stated, “Well, I don’t think too many believe that, and let me tell you about Jan. 6.” He tried to discuss other topics such as border security, energy independence, low taxes, and reduced regulations.
According to Trump, the U.S. was respected globally under his administration and criticized the current state of affairs under Biden. Trump stated, “We’re now laughed at. We’re like a bunch of stupid people.”
Tapper pressed Trump to address the question directly. Trump then stated, “Well, I didn’t say that to anybody; I said ‘peacefully and patriotically,’” referencing his speech on January 6.
Who Is Better, Trump or Biden?
During one heated exchange, Biden and Trump veered away from answering a question about making childcare more affordable, instead descending into mutual criticism over who was the worse president.
Trump believes that Biden is the worst president in the country’s history. It isn’t hard to guess that Biden firmly rejected this claim.
According to Biden, Trump is the worst president in American history.
“They said he was the worst in all presidential history,” Biden stated, citing a recent survey of political scientists. “That’s a fact.”
What About Childcare?
When the moderators redirected the conversation back to the topic of childcare, Trump promised, “If I’m given another four years, I’ll be the best.”
Economic Challenges
It is hard to imagine Trump vs. Biden without mentioning the economy.
When questioned about their economic records, both candidates pointed to the pandemic as a primary factor, reminiscent of their exchanges from the 2020 election.
Addressing the persistent inflation issue, Biden emphasized that he inherited an economy in “freefall” due to Trump’s handling of COVID-19.
The current president criticized Trump for downplaying the severity of the virus and mocked Trump’s suggestion to use disinfectants as a remedy. “We put things back together,” Biden asserted, highlighting his administration’s efforts to stabilize the economy.
Trump defended his economic record, claiming that the U.S. had “the greatest economy in the history of our country” before the pandemic struck. “We got hit with COVID and when we did we spent the money necessary so we didn’t get hit with the great depression,” Trump explained.
Furthermore, he mentioned a new nonpartisan report, referenced by Jake Tapper, which indicated that Trump’s administration accrued twice as much federal debt as Biden’s. It is hard to change Trump’s position on any topic.
Trump claimed he was on the verge of reducing the national debt when the pandemic began.
Next time, Biden needs to be more assertive if he wants to defeat Trump in the second debate.
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