June 27 (UPI) — In a presidential debate marked by multiple falsehoods and hyperbole by former President Donald Trump and a hoarse and uneven performance by President Joe Biden, the candidates took on the economy, abortion and war in their first 2024 face-off in Atlanta Thursday night.
The debate did not begin with a handshake as most customarily do. Instead the candidates immediately embraced the first questions.
When he was not avoiding questions, Trump rattled off false and unsubstantiated statements on almost every topic that he faced throughout the night. Biden, who sounded hoarse and appeared to lose his train of thought on several occasions, said he was not there to “fact check” his opponent.
The debate lasted 90 minutes, airing live on CNN and streaming on CNN.com. Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash served as moderators. The candidates went 50 minutes without a break to start the debate.
Trump attempted to sidestep questions about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot but Tapper pressed him. He asked what Trump would say to voters who believe he broke his oath to protect and preserve the Constitution and fear he will do so again.
Trump denied that he had any role in the riot, saying he offered then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi an increased military presence but she declined it.
The former president talked around accepting the results of the upcoming election and speaking out against political violence. He was asked twice whether he would accept the results regardless of the outcome. Ultimately, he began the statement “if the election is fair, free,” then did not finish the thought.
Trump also took multiple opportunities to turn the conversation toward immigration and border security. He espoused his oft-repeated and unfounded claim that “millions of people come in from prisons, jails and mental institutions.” He linked immigration to violent crime in the United States, specifically violent crime toward women.
“They’re killing our citizens at a level you’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “This is horrible what’s taken place. We’re literally an uncivilized country now. We’ve got to get these people out and we’ve got to get them out fast.”
Trump went on to claim that undocumented migrants are living in “luxury hotels in New York City” while veterans are dying in the streets. He added that he had the highest approval rating among veterans, though there is no data to support this claim.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs surveys veterans about their trust in the VA annually. The highest trust score the VA earned under Trump was 90% for outpatient care. The highest mark under Biden is about 92%.
“Every single thing he said is a lie,” Biden said of Trump. “For example, veterans are a hell of a lot better off since I passed the PACT [Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins] Act. One million of them now have insurance and their families have it.”
When immigration was addressed by the moderators, Biden pushed back on Trump’s policies. Notably the policies that saw immigrant children separated from their parents at the border.
The first topic for the candidates was the economy. Biden remarked that he inherited an economy that was in a “free fall” due to Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump claimed that he led the “greatest economy in the history of our country.”
“We’re working to bring down the price around the kitchen table and that’s what we’re going to get done,” Biden said.
The president touted new jobs added during his term and corralling the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and the cost of insulin. On the economy under Trump, Biden was critical of his tax cuts for the wealthy and adding the most new debt in a single presidential term. Trump added an estimated $8.4 trillion to the national debt compared to Biden’s $4.3 trillion.
Trump denied that his plan to impose 10% tariffs on all goods imported into the United States would cause more inflation. He said it would reduce the deficit. He also plans to extend tax cuts for the wealthy and “go further” with them, he said.
The former president again claimed victory for Roe vs. Wade being overturned.
“I put three great Supreme Court justices on the court and they happened to vote in favor of killing Roe v. Wade, and moving it back to the states,” he said. “Now the states are working it out.”
Biden also credited, or blamed Trump for abortion rights being left up to the states.
“It’s been a terrible thing that you’ve done,” Biden responded. “The idea that states are able to do this is like we’re saying we’re going to turn Civil Rights back to the states.”
Another false claim Trump went back to the well on was that Democrats support late-term abortions, even killing babies after birth. Biden rebutted this statement.
“That is simply not true,” Biden said.
Asked about abortion medications like mifepristone, which the Supreme Court upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of, Trump said he would not block access to it.
Biden vowed to “restore Roe vs. Wade” if re-elected.
Discussion of the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas did not shine much light on what Trump’s approach to the conflict would be. He simply claimed at multiple points that this conflict and the war between Ukraine and Russia would not have happened if he were president. Trump did not say if he would support a two-state solution in peace talks.
“I’d have to see,” he said.
Biden was asked what additional leverage he would use to end the war in the Middle East, to which he said the United Nations, G7 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have endorsed his plan.
The plan, according to Biden, has three stages. The first, for Hamas to trade the hostages it has taken captive for a ceasefire. Second, enact a ceasefire with additional conditions. Third, bring the war to an end.
“The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas,” Biden said. “The only thing I denied Israel was 2,000-pound bombs. They don’t work very well in populated areas. They kill a lot of innocent people.”
Biden added that “Hamas cannot be allowed to continue.”
Trump remained more focused on Ukraine, criticizing Biden and Congress’ support. He downplayed any concern that the war in Ukraine has an impact on the United States.
“We have an ocean separating us,” Trump said before falsely claiming that he caused North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to increase their defense spending by billions.
Biden asked Trump if he intends to stay in NATO. Trump did not respond.
There is no live audience for the first time since the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
The first debate of this election cycle is the third between Biden and Trump. It is also the earliest in an election cycle that a presidential debate has been held.
Neither candidate has officially been nominated at this point. That will happen during the Republican and Democratic National Conventions beginning July 15 and Aug. 19 respectively. Both have secured the delegates required to earn the nominations.
The candidates are circumventing the Commission on Presidential Debates to participate in Thursday’s debate. It will be the first time since the commission was created in 1987.
The Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to the rules of the first debate earlier this month after weeks of negotiation. There were no opening statements. Candidates had two minutes to respond to questions from the moderators. Their microphones will be muted until it is their turn to respond.
Candidates needed to appear on enough ballots to win the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency to be eligible for the debate. They were also required to poll at 15% or better in four national polls, according to a press release from CNN.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat turned independent candidate, did not participate in the debate after not qualifying.
