First 2024 US Presidential Debate: This Is How Trump Beat Biden

Last week, the attention of Americans and the world turned to the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections, which witnessed the first confrontation of its kind between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump since 2020.

This debate, which is the first in American history to bring together a current president and a former president, came weeks before the Democratic and Republican parties officially inaugurated their candidates.

The debate witnessed an exchange of attacks between the two parties, as Trump accused his rival of killing Americans through inflation, while Biden accused his rival of lying about immigration.

A poll conducted by CNN showed that 67% of American voters who watched the presidential debate believe that Trump outperformed Biden.

The American media also agreed that Biden's performance in the debate was disastrous, and that the Democratic Party must sound the alarm.

Before the debate, some polls reflected a strong tightening race between Trump and Biden, while other polls favored the tendencies of some swing states in favor of the former president, in a vote likely to be decided by some states and only hundreds of thousands of votes.

Historical Debate

In the early hours of the morning of June 28, the first debate between US President Joe Biden and his rival in the upcoming presidential election, Donald Trump, concluded.

Abortion rights and economic problems in the United States topped the candidates’ answers to questions, while the debate was not without a violent exchange of accusations between the competitors.

The two leaders went to stand behind their podiums without shaking hands, in the debate that took place in Atlanta, Georgia, which is one of the states likely to have an impact on the elections.

Trump said that during his presidency he achieved a lot in the field of economy and that no wars broke out.

He added that the war in Ukraine would never have happened if the United States had a leader, and strongly criticized the Biden administration's spending of billions of dollars to support Kyiv in its war against Moscow.

Trump also refused to commit to unconditionally recognizing the result of the US presidential elections that will be held next November.

Trump considered that his rival Biden was undermining security in the United States by allowing millions to enter, in reference to immigration policies.

He said: “We have been living in hell for three and a half years. The country exploded during your rule. No one respects you at home or around the world.”

Trump noted that he rebuilt the army and achieved the largest tax cut, saying that the jobs that are now available in the United States are due to the decisions he made during his presidency.

Trump noted that he rebuilt the army and achieved the largest tax cut, claiming that the jobs available in the United States are due to decisions he made during his presidency.

On the other hand, Biden considered that Trump's statements regarding NATO and defense spending could lead to a third world war.

He also stressed that his administration prevented Russia from controlling the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and extending its influence over Europe.

Biden announced that he supports women's right to abortion in certain cases, calling on politicians not to be a barrier to it.

Biden described his opponent as a convicted person, referring to his recent criminal conviction in New York, and added that “the only person who is convicted is the man I am looking at now on the podium.”

Biden also accused his predecessor, Trump, of managing the economy in the United States poorly, pointing to the high unemployment rates during Trump's era.

On the other hand, concerns have been raised according to several polls about the age of the two presidential candidates and the ability of each of them to perform the duties of the office of President of the United States.

“I spent half my career being criticized for being the youngest person in politics. I was the second-youngest person ever elected to the Senate, and now I’m the oldest,” Biden said.

He directed his speech to Trump, saying: “This man is only three years younger than me, but he did not achieve what I achieved during my time running the country. This man is incompetent.”

On the other hand, Trump said in response to a question about his ability to perform the duties of President of the United States: “I am in good health. I took two cognitive tests and passed them, while Biden did not undergo any tests.”

Democrat Biden will be 86 years old by the end of his second term if he is re-elected, while Republican Trump will be 82.

Political Earthquake

In the same context, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, Trump's campaign managers, considered that Trump had won the presidential debate against his rival Biden.

They added in a statement: “Tonight, Trump gave the greatest performance and victory in the history of debates, while Biden showed exactly why he deserved to be removed from office. He was unable to defend his disastrous record on economic and border issues.”

On his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson described Trump as the only qualified candidate capable of assuming the position of president.

Johnson added, “This is the largest inequality in the history of presidential debates,” noting that Trump outperformed his rival.

Former President Biden administration communications director Kate Bedingfield described President Biden's performance as truly disappointing, while American politician Frank Luntz described the debate as a political earthquake and an unprecedented disaster for the Democrats.

On the other hand, Kamala Harris, US Vice President, said that “it was a slow start, but it was a strong finish.”

Most Democrats are despairing about their president's performance in the first presidential debate, which has raised questions about whether Biden should remain the party's nominee, according to CNN.

Two Democratic Party officials expressed concern about Biden's performance in the debate, after the moment when his performance appeared shaky, and it seemed as if he lost his focus when he was talking about the Medicare system.

Many commentators agreed that Biden's behavior had caused harm to his party, questions were once again raised about the president's health, and some progressive Democrats called for a different candidate to be chosen before voters go to the polls.

At the international level, diplomats and foreign officials expressed their disappointment and even concern about the performance of the Democratic US President in his debate against his Republican rival, who seemed more powerful and present, according to Politico.

They pointed out that while Trump made his usual strange statements, Biden's weakness became clear.

Some of them pointed out that they are concerned that the current US president is preparing for a second term as leader of a nuclear-armed superpower.

Many diplomats and foreign officials noted that Trump appeared more forceful than Biden and spoke more clearly even when he was changing the facts.

Democrats Are in Danger

The New York Post said: “Millions have just witnessed the end of Joe Biden's presidency live. Biden's performance during the debate was awkward. He didn't look old, he looked empty.”

CNN saw that Biden's performance in the debate raised alarm bells among leading Democrats, leaving some openly wondering whether Biden can stay at the top of the Democratic ticket.

NBC quoted a strategist who worked in presidential campaigns as saying, “The Democrats committed mass suicide. President Biden cannot win. This debate was a nail in the coffin of politics.”

CNBC revealed that many top fundraisers in the Democratic Party particularly sounded the alarm after Biden's disappointing performance in the debate.

“The game is over,” said one Democratic campaign consultant, who has been raising money for congressional leaders for more than a decade and helped raise money for Biden's 2020 campaign.

The New York Times editorial board published that Biden should refuse to participate in the presidential elections if he does not want to allow Trump to win.

In turn, Washington-based activist Omar Taha explained in a statement to Al-Estiklal that “the last debate showed that Trump’s victory in the presidential elections is almost certain, and all actors will act from now on according to this assumption.”

“Given the list of lies and distortions told by both candidates, people wonder which of them Americans will choose to wreak havoc on the United States and the world again,” Taha concluded.