The historic debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump kicked off, watched by millions, marking their first direct confrontation which could be crucial in the heated race for the White House. Upon entering the debate stage, President Biden and former President Trump did not shake hands. The last time the two candidates met in a debate was in 2020, where they also did not shake hands due to COVID-19 protocols. Prior to the debate, two of Biden's aides expressed expectations that Biden would likely extend his hand, with one stating, "He didn't have to do that in 2020, so why change now?"
The debate began with a question about the economy, a topic anticipated by millions of Americans. President Biden told voters that the economy is thriving and performing better than ever—although, as he often mentions, there is still work to be done. In contrast, former President Trump claimed that "the economy is collapsing" and is in complete chaos, as he stated at a recent rally in Wisconsin.
When both were asked about the economy, Biden praised the state of the economy during his tenure, pointing out that he created jobs. He stated, "I inherited a broken economy, and Trump managed it very poorly... I am working hard to tackle economic issues... greed during Trump's administration led to chaos and significant economic problems." Trump, on the other hand, said, "I left an economy that was the best in history despite the COVID pandemic... inflation is currently killing the United States... I achieved a lot in the economy during my administration... China excelled during Biden's term, and he took no action... I worked to lower taxes during my administration... Biden's administration doesn’t know what to do."
