Atlanta: In a heated first debate of the presidential campaign, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, presenting starkly different visions for America’s future while trading barbs on a range of issues including immigration, Israeli war in Gaza, Russia-Ukraine war, the economy, and democracy.
The 90-minute debate, moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, highlighted significant policy disagreements and personal insults. Biden, who at times appeared fatigued and occasionally lost his train of thought, faced immediate scrutiny regarding his candidacy. Despite a rough performance marked by a bout of coughing and some confusing answers.
The debate saw Biden and Trump diverge sharply on issues such as reproductive rights, with Biden criticizing the impact of leaving abortion decisions to states and Trump defending the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. They also clashed over the January 6 Capitol attack, with Trump downplaying the event and Biden condemning the actions of the rioters.
During the debate, Biden accused Trump of ruining the economy during his tenure, creating unemployment, and mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic “what Mr. Trump left me. We had an economy that was in freefall. The pandemic was so badly handled. Many people were dying. All he said was it’s not that serious, just inject a little bleach in your arm. You’ll be all right.”
“The economy collapsed. There were no jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 15 percent. It was terrible.”
Former President Trump stated, “We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We have never done so well. Every – everybody was amazed by it. Other countries were copying us.” He accused President Biden of having foolish military policies, saying, ” I was getting out of Afghanistan, but we were getting out with dignity, with strength, with power. He got out, it was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country’s life.”
He further criticized Biden, alleging that under Biden’s presidency, America is not respected anymore.
“What’s happened to our country in the last four years is not to be believed. Foreign countries, I’m friends with a lot of people. They cannot believe what happened to the United States of America. We’re no longer respected. They don’t like us.”
Regarding the Russian war in Ukraine Trump stated that Putin would have never invaded Ukraine if he was the president. “As far as Russia and Ukraine, if we had a real president, a president that knew – that was respected by Putin, he would have never – he would have never invaded Ukraine. A lot of people are dead right now, much more than people know.”
Personal attacks were frequent, with Biden rebuking Trump for derogatory comments reportedly made about veterans and Trump highlighting the legal troubles of Biden’s son, Hunter. Trump, who is facing multiple legal challenges, reiterated his denial of any wrongdoing.
Despite the acrimony, the candidates managed to discuss policy, with Trump criticizing Biden’s border policies, and handling of the Ukraine and Gaza war, and Biden attacking Trump’s judicial appointments. The debate also touched on broader issues like the economy, climate change, and foreign policy, though these discussions were often overshadowed by the candidates’ personal jabs.
The event, held without an audience at CNN’s Atlanta studios, was the first of two scheduled presidential debates. The next debate is set for September 10, hosted by ABC News.
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