Joe Biden and Trump first Presidential Debate: The Real Loser
CNN Opinion sought input from political contributors Joe Biden and Donald Trump regarding the initial presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. The opinions shared in these analyses are personal and independent.
By the time the debate was over, the best spin Democratic Party operatives had to offer was that they knew how bad it had gone. Let’s look at writers’ options about the first presidential debate.
Posed and stationary on a sparse stage, and with no audience to either leaven or amplify the mood, the split screen of Trump and Biden gave us one man utterly engaged in the fight of his political career — attacking, parrying, vicious — and another man who at times did not seem to be sure where he was.
If you were at dinner with an older relative who behaved and spoke as Biden did during this debate — mumbling into his soup and such — you would at the very least ask if they needed a nap. If it wasn’t the first time it happened, you might have a quiet conversation with your siblings about what the next steps should be. I imagine that is the conversation the upper echelons of the donor class are having about Biden right now.
It’s fair to say that the debate should be judged on substance. I’d love to be judging the debate on substance, but I’m not sure how. Trump repeated falsehoods fumed about conspiracies and made preposterous promises and untethered boasts. He was full of hot air — but the air had a shape to it. Trump filled a gigantic lie balloon and Biden just hissed out some words. When I could make out those words, they aligned with my own beliefs … so there’s that.
But it’s my convictions that make me focus on Biden’s doddering performance. I live in Texas, where doctors fear to give women abortions even if the fetus has a fatal abnormality or is no longer viable. Those stories can generate headlines, at least. In the past two years, I have had multiple friends leave the state to obtain abortions in situations that are less graphically disturbing but still incredibly difficult.
They’re the people I thought about when Trump spun up a froth of half-digested soundbites intended to disguise his place as the spearhead for plans to eliminate abortion access nationwide. They’re the people I thought about when Biden’s response to Trump’s allegations about doctors killing babies was to state that he was against “late-term abortions.”
Anti-abortion advocates invented the term so Democrats have to argue about the exact timing of abortion rather than defend whatever a woman and her doctor decide. For Biden to bring that term up, unprompted, in the context of the debate is a more subtle sign of his lack of awareness than all those sentences that seemed to stumble off the edge of a cliff, but it was the one that broke my heart the most.
For me, the choice is still clear. I will vote for Biden if he is on the ticket because the alternative is worse. That alternative might even be fatal in any number of ways (to democracy, the rule of law, pregnant women). But Biden didn’t make that case, and I fear that his inability to make it — indeed, his inability to make much of a case for himself at all — will mean that the guy who spoke vile nonsense will beat the guy who couldn’t make himself heard.
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Shermichael Singleton (Joe Biden and Trump first Presidential Debate):
Trump aced the most crucial test — he was the competent candidate
Former President Donald Trump impressed on Thursday night. He was focused, composed, self-assured, and steady. It was clear that he understood just how important this debate was and how essential it was for him to appear steady and thoughtful in his demeanor. He showed that he could rise to the occasion.
From his emphasis on addressing rising costs that are burdening working-class individuals and families across the country, to his clear statements about wanting to avoid prolonged and costly foreign conflicts, Trump may have given hesitant Republicans and undecided swing voters a reason to reconsider supporting him in November. When questioned about his previous remarks on seeking retribution against his political opponents if reelected, he replied that his success would be his retribution, a shrewd move to shift the focus from himself to what he would do for the American people.
Trump also cleverly shifted the conversation to the impact of immigration on working-class individuals and how the influx of immigrants has strained already limited resources for urban residents. Trump stressed how inflation has made affordability an insurmountable challenge for voters and underscored the importance of the next president directly addressing these issues. These are two of the most pressing concerns for voters.
On the other hand, President Joe Biden failed to meet expectations and may have raised doubts about his age and ability to lead for another four years. The visual contrast between him and Trump was striking and unmistakable. Trump, despite his complexities as a candidate, came across as capable, which was the exact opposite of Biden.
During the CNN debate, I received a handful of messages from dedicated Democratic strategists who are loyal to Biden and despise Trump. This all happened within the first 15 minutes.
Debates often focus more on appearance than actual content, and President Joe Biden’s performance was frankly terrible. His voice was strained, his responses were all over the place, and he seemed lost while Trump was speaking.
The whispers for Biden to step down started even before the debate ended, and they will only grow louder in the coming days. Many Democrats, along with a significant number of independents and Republicans, view Trump as a danger to democracy. They want a fighter, not a soft-spoken leader.
If Biden thought the debate was tough, he’s in for a rude awakening. The calls for him to resign will only get louder. Democrats at all levels will start questioning if Biden’s presence on the ticket will hurt their chances. Forget about the Republicans – Biden is about to face a serious challenge from within his own party.
Biden still has time to bounce back, but the big question is: does he have what it takes to make a comeback?
Paul Begala, a seasoned Democratic strategist and CNN political analyst, played a key role in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992 and later worked as a counselor in the Clinton administration.
Jeff Yang: Trump’s forceful lies easily overshadowed Biden’s weakly delivered rational facts.
The buzzword “optics” dominated post-debate analysis. How did the visual contrast between the candidates reflect their campaign narratives? Did Biden appear as a strong leader or a weak loser? Did Trump come across as a savior or a madman? The visuals in this debate were crucial.
Trump’s harsh demeanor and doomsday rhetoric may have alienated swing voters. Biden’s frail appearance and occasional bewildered expressions did little to reassure his supporters about his stamina for a long campaign.
However, this debate wasn’t just about appearances – it was about the power of words. It was a clash between rational facts presented weakly and forceful BS, with the latter often winning over American audiences.
Despite Trump’s outrageous claims and falsehoods, he maintained composure and delivered his messages with confidence, using simple language to make bold statements. His rhetoric, although factually incorrect, resonated with undecided voters due to its persuasive delivery.
Biden, on the other hand, was slowed down by a cold, his voice occasionally cracking and trailing off. While he occasionally summoned the energy to land a solid blow, some of his lines were inaudible, and many of the rest felt like they were delivered without conviction. Video lives on in attack ads and viral clips. Audio lingers in the stems of people’s brains. The bar wasn’t high for Biden in this debate. He just needed to sound anything but weak, weary and old, and his performance did not deliver.
Jeff Yang co-hosts the podcast “They Call Us Bruce,” is co-author of the bestselling book “RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now” and author of “The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America.”
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Patrick T. Brown: Biden was expected to focus on abortion. Not this time.
As the debate approached, it was widely believed that abortion would be a strong point for President Joe Biden, and a weak spot for former President Donald Trump. However, Trump’s shift towards the center, combined with Biden’s mishandling of the topic, resulted in a surprising outcome. Despite being a subject that has sparked significant progressive energy and activism since the Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, it did not work in Biden’s favor.
Trump assured that he would not restrict access to abortion-inducing drugs like mifepristone, a move that may disappoint some conservative activists. His response regarding exceptions in abortion laws for cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother’s life was vague, leaving pro-lifers unsatisfied.
Instead of seizing on Trump’s weaknesses on the issue, Biden’s response was unclear and outdated. He brought up an unrelated anecdote about an immigrant committing murder, followed by a confusing statement about young women being victims of abuse by family members.
During an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, he discussed the regulation of abortion within a three trimesters framework that was abolished by the Supreme Court in 1992. He also expressed opposition to “late-term abortion — period, period, period,” despite his administration’s support for a congressional bill allowing termination after fetal viability if it posed a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health, which offers more flexibility than his debate statements.
The treatment of this topic, which was expected to be a powerful weapon for the Democrats, ended up being inconclusive. This, combined with the overall atmosphere of the debate, was a disaster for the current president and a dream scenario for his challenger.
Patrick T. Brown is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank and advocacy group in Washington, DC. He also previously served as a senior policy adviser to Congress’ Joint Economic Committee.
President Joe Biden’s debate performance on Thursday was less than stellar, leaving many Democrats concerned about their chances on November 5. Some are even suggesting the need for a replacement candidate.
However, there seems to be little they can do unless Biden, at 81 years old, decides to step down. Despite his age, Biden has not shown any inclination to make way for a younger Democratic candidate. Even if they were able to convince Biden to step aside, Vice President Kamala Harris poses another challenge due to her lack of popularity with the public.
The situation is further complicated by ballot access and campaign finance issues. In the end, it seems that Democrats are indeed stuck with Biden for now.
Biden’s voice on Thursday was weak and raspy, which played into the Trump narrative that he’s too old for the job. However, his problems extended beyond his voice. The president’s inability to effectively make arguments and seeming to lose his train of thought was concerning to television viewers.
Biden’s early push for the first debate was to show a contrast with Trump and make the race a referendum. Instead, most of the focus is on Biden’s poor performance.
The best Democrats can hope for now is that pundits were right when they pontificated before the debate that the face-off with Trump wouldn’t change much about the presidential race.
Karen Finney: Trump deflected two key questions (WRITER, part of Joe Biden and Trump first Presidential Debate)
While pundits and commentators will largely focus on the candidates’ performances, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that within former President Donald Trump’s torrent of lies, he deflected answering questions on two major issues: his role in the January 6 insurrection and whether or not he will accept the results of the 2024 election.
In response to a direct question from co-moderator Jake Tapper as to what he would say to voters who believe that Trump violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution on January 6, Trump immediately pivoted to his record on the border and went on to attack President Joe Biden. After Tapper repeated the question, Trump denied responsibility and launched false attacks against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. True to form, Trump also refused to acknowledge any role he or his dangerous rhetoric played in the attack on the US Capitol that injured some 140 police officers and threatened our democracy. Instead, Trump continued his defense of some January 6 rioters, many of whom have been convicted of felony acts for their participation in the event.
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Most notably, on the issue of accepting the results of the 2024 election regardless of who wins, Trump initially failed to answer the question. After co-moderator Dana Bash asked the question for the third time, Trump offered a response that again left the door open to a repeat of the 2020 election denialism that is a central message of his current campaign. Trump qualified his response by saying, “If it’s a fair and legal and good election, absolutely,” adding that he would have accepted the results in 2020 “but the fraud and everything else was ridiculous.” (There was no evidence election fraud in 2020.)
Both questions get to the heart of voters’ concerns about whether or not Trump might use a second term to undermine our democracy.
Karen Finney is a CNN political commentator. She was senior spokesperson and senior advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Frida Ghitis: America’s future is in danger (Joe Biden and Trump first Presidential Debate)
Watching the debate, a sense of rising panic was palpable in many American living rooms: a creeping dread that the country is in grave danger. That’s because the debate made it clear that former President Donald Trump has a strong chance of defeating President Joe Biden; a realization that the Trump threat is very real.
Listening to Trump, it has become clear again that America’s future as a democracy is in danger; the future character of the nation is at risk. From friends overseas I received messages like, “What a disaster.”
Trump has all but promised to end support for Ukraine. He has been sharply critical of US aid in the past, has repeatedly disparaged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has vowed to end the war in 24 hours.
Russia’s neighbors fear they will be next after President Vladimir Putin ends up with a chunk of territory conquered by force. Europeans now fear America’s potential withdrawal from NATO under Trump, and the destabilization of the alliances that helped keep the peace.
We can again visualize a country where the president attacks the media, undercuts individual rights, mocks the disabled and debases women. Worst of all, a president who uses the tools of government to go after his political foes.
Geoff Duncan believes that Americans had valid concerns about a potential Trump-Biden rematch. The recent debate highlighted Biden’s shaky performance, leading to Democratic worries and frustration. However, unless there are significant changes within the Democratic party, the overall race dynamics remain unchanged. Approximately 16% of voters are still undecided and will continue to evaluate their options as the election approaches. Biden’s lackluster delivery and Trump’s questionable statements during the debate did little to sway independent voters, despite Trump’s unexpected display of discipline.