U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump held their first presidential debate today, Friday, amid widespread division in opinions. Here are the main 10 points summarizing the debate:
1. **Biden's Age**
Biden's most significant task on Thursday night was to allay voter concerns regarding his biggest weakness—his age—and to turn the election into a referendum on Trump; however, he failed in this.
2. **Trump and Biden**
For the candidate who regularly attacks Biden for his age, Trump was somewhat restrained during Biden's numerous missteps. About 20 minutes into the debate, Trump followed a Biden remark with a quick jab, stating, "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he does either."
3. **Biden's Goal**
Aside from Biden’s physical shortcomings on Thursday night and his wavering voice, it wasn’t clear by the end of the 90 minutes what goals he entered the debate hoping to achieve. This contrasted with their first meeting four years ago, where Biden scrutinized Trump’s record and offered a more optimistic vision for the country. His message was muddled this time, exacerbated by his struggles to finish his thoughts.
4. **Biden's Attacks**
Throughout the debate, Biden's offensive strategy involved repeating single phrases to attack Trump, such as, "Everything he said was a lie," which he directed at Trump during the debate. In another instance, Biden simply remarked, "I've never heard such terrible things in my life."
5. **January 6 Events**
Simply put, Biden was eager to address the January 6, 2021 events directly, while Trump maneuvered to change the subject. The difference in candidates' responses was most evident throughout the debate. When the discussion veered toward the Capitol attack, Trump did not directly respond but described how the country at that time "had great borders," was "energy independent," and had "the lowest taxes ever."
6. **Trump's Stance on Abortion**
In a debate dominated by discussions on the economy, inflation, immigration, and foreign policy, abortion should have been a strong topic for Biden. The U.S. Supreme Court recently granted abortion rights advocates two victories this month, and Democratic voters remain angry over the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Instead, it became one of Biden’s worst moments as he struggled to explain his party's position on abortion, appearing confused and at times flustered, giving Trump an unprompted opportunity to highlight crimes committed by immigrants against Americans.
7. **Israel and Gaza**
There’s no doubt Trump would handle the Gaza war much differently than Biden. He told Biden, "Let Israel finish the job," indicating that the president had done too much to restrain the Israeli government and its military bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza. Trump did not mention whether he would support establishing a Palestinian state, but he insisted that the Hamas attack on October 7 in Israel "would never have happened" if he were in the White House at that time. He also stated that Biden "became like a Palestinian, but they don’t like him because he’s a bad Palestinian," perhaps trying to imply that Biden respects Palestinians too much while also being ineffective in earning their respect.
8. **Trump on Deportation**
The immigration segment of the debate was mostly memorable due to Biden's stumbles, but Trump did not directly answer whether the tough immigration stance he promised would include deporting those who had been in the U.S. for decades, those who were employed, or those whose spouses are American citizens. Instead, he focused on attacking Biden, arguing that the president is to blame for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants since taking office.
9. **Trump's Foreign Policy Stance**
As the former president stated, the current president is not doing a great job, adding that the U.S. military "can’t take it" for several reasons, most notably his failed withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he claims "encouraged" Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, and that during his presidency, Iran, which "went bankrupt," was released by Biden to wage a proxy war against Israel.
10. **Trump's Appeal to Black and Latino Voters**
As the discussion turned to attracting Black voters, Trump took the opportunity to present an appeal to Black and Latino voters and hit Biden over inflation. Biden’s chances of winning in November depend on Black support in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and on reaching states like Georgia and North Carolina. However, polls show that Trump is achieving modest success with some Black voters, particularly men.
