First Trump vs. Biden debate sees insults and accusations exchanged

As expected, the first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign in the United States was marked by tension, insults and a lot of exchange of accusations between the current president of the United States, Democrat Joe Biden, and his predecessor and rival in the November election, Republican Donald Trump.

The debate took place on Thursday night (27) at the CNN studios in Atlanta, in the state of Georgia. For now, only one other debate is scheduled, on September 10, organized by ABC News.

Check below the main points discussed in Atlanta by Biden and Trump, who did not greet each other before the verbal clash.

Economy, pandemic and Afghanistan

In the opening of the questions, Biden was asked by anchor Jake Tapper about inflation in the United States, which in June 2022 peaked at 9.1% and was at 3.3% last month.

“We need to look at the situation we got from Mr. Trump (in 2020). The economy was in freefall, the (Covid-19) pandemic was very poorly handled,” Biden said. “It was terrible. What we tried to do was fix things, and that’s exactly what we did. But there’s still a lot to be done.”

Trump, in turn, defended the tax cuts and deregulations of his term (2017-2021) and recalled that the pandemic was responsible for the recession in the last year of his government.

“We had the best economy in the history of the country and we got hit by Covid. We did what we had to do, but we went into a recession,” said Trump, who criticized the vaccination requirements in public administration and businesses imposed by Biden.

“He only created jobs for illegal immigrants and recovery (of the economy) after Covid-19”, he accused, citing that Biden increased the United States’ public debt.

Tapper cited in a comment the disastrous American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 – the United States’ exit had already been planned since the Trump administration.

“I was planning an honorable exit, the way we left (in the Biden administration) was the most embarrassing day in the life of our country,” the Republican said.

Abortion

Biden and Trump were asked about the US Supreme Court decision that overturned the jurisprudence of the Roe vs. Wade case in 2022. Wade, in 1973, which had determined that American states could not have laws prohibiting abortion before the so-called viability (when the fetus is able to survive outside the uterus, around 24 weeks of gestation).

Last year’s decision by the American Supreme Court returned to American states the freedom to legislate as they preferred regarding abortion. As such, many Republican-run states have reactivated or implemented stricter pro-life laws.

“Fifty-one years ago, we had Roe v. Wade, and everybody, Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, wanted it to go back to the states. What I did was appoint three justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Each state is making its own decision, it’s the will of the people,” Trump said.

The Republican said he personally supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to save the mother’s life, and accused Democrats of taking a “radical” stance in defending abortion in advanced stages of pregnancy.

Biden, in turn, said that at six weeks of pregnancy, the maximum period that some Republican states allow for abortions, “most women don’t know they are pregnant”.

“It was a mistake to return the issue to the states, they have a new rule every hour”, he accused.

When Biden mentioned women dying from illegal abortions, Trump said more women are dying from the immigrants the Democrat is “letting into” the United States.

Illegal immigration

In response to one of the Republicans’ main criticisms of the Biden administration, the Democrat claimed that he has increased border patrols and that the situation is better than in the Trump era.

“He (Trump) separated babies from their mothers, put people in cages, that is not the way to go,” he criticized. At the end of his answer, Biden stammered, and Trump mocked him: he said he did not understand what his opponent had said, “I don’t think even he understood.”

“We had the most secure border in history, he just needed to continue. We are receiving people from mental health institutions, terrorists, not only from South America, from the Middle East as well,” he argued.

Biden responded that Trump had no statistics to prove his claims and that the Republican was lying.

The two candidates also spoke about veterans, and Biden recalled a 2020 Atlantic magazine story that alleged Trump had called soldiers killed in combat “suckers” and “losers.” “You’re the sucker, you’re the loser,” Biden said, looking at the Republican.

Trump said the statement was “made up” by the magazine and that Biden owed him an apology; the Democrat refused to apologize.

War in Ukraine and Gaza

In the part of the debate where they talked about the conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Trump again criticized Biden over the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“No general was fired by Afghanistan, when billions in equipment and people as well, American citizens, were left behind,” said the Republican, who stated that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine and Hamas would not have attacked Israel if he were president from United States.

“The whole world is exploding because of him (Biden),” he said. Biden accused Trump of encouraging dictator Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine by saying “he could do whatever he wanted.”

Trump denied this and said that the terms demanded by Putin for peace (more Ukrainian territory beyond the occupied one and that Kiev gives up joining NATO) are not acceptable. He also stated that aid money for Ukraine should be used within the United States and that he will reach an agreement to end the war before taking office if he is elected.

Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Biden defended his three-phase plan for a ceasefire and, when his opponent returned to the topic of Ukraine, the Democrat accused Trump of threatening to withdraw the United States from NATO.

Capitol invasion and legal problems

Asked by Tapper about his supporters’ invasion of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump said that on that date the United States had “a great border, we had energy independence, the lowest taxes, the lowest regulations, we were respected all over the world.”

“What happened to America’s reputation under this man (Biden) was terrible,” Trump said. When the anchor returned to the topic, the Republican stated that the then Speaker of the House, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, refused an offer to send the National Guard to the Capitol.

Biden accused Trump of responsibility for the attack and said he plans to reduce sentences for those convicted of the invasion. “There is no forgiveness for what they did, and he wants to commute their sentences,” said the president.

Regarding the recent criminal convictions of Trump and Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, the Republican stated that the charges against him were “set up” by the Justice Department under the Democrat’s administration, that Hunter is a “convicted criminal” and that Biden himself may be prosecuted when he leaves the presidency.

“He could be a convicted felon as soon as he leaves office. Joe could be a convicted felon for all the things he’s done. He’s done horrible things,” he said. Shortly after, he said that “Biden is the worst president in the history” of the United States.

Black voters, Social Security, and the opioid crisis

After the break, the other debate moderator, anchor Dana Bash, asked about the living conditions of the black population.

The Democrat stated that, although there is still much to be done, more small businesses were opened by black entrepreneurs during his administration, that unemployment in this segment of the population is lower and that his college student debt forgiveness program has benefited many young black people.

Trump responded that inflation under the Biden administration has hit black people hard and that illegal immigrants are stealing jobs from that population.

“He just had to get on with what was being done, but he blew it with his big plans and throwing money out the window,” the Republican said.

Biden responded: “There was no inflation when I became president. You know why? The economy was in shambles, 15 percent unemployment, he decimated the economy, totally decimated the economy. That’s why there was no inflation then. There were no jobs.”

The Democrat accused Trump of wanting to cut social security resources and defended raising taxes on the richest to pay for it; the Republican said he has never seen “anyone lie as much as this guy” and stated that Social Security is in crisis because benefits are being directed to illegal immigrants.

When Tapper asked about the opioid crisis in the United States, Trump again mentioned the migration crisis and blamed Biden for it. “The number of drugs coming through our borders is the highest in history,” said the tycoon.

Biden hit back, claiming that Republicans opposed approving funding for the purchase of machines to detect drug trafficking on the border with Mexico because it would “harm them politically” since it would help the Democratic administration.

Conditions for presiding over the country and world war

Dana Bash asked about the conditions of Biden (81 years old) and Trump (78 years old) to command the most important country in the world.

“I did two (health) tests, he didn’t do any. I would like to see him do at least one, an easy one,” joked Trump, who said he played golf and still managed to hit great shots. Biden also responded ironically: “This guy is three years younger than me and much less competent.”

Trump claimed that he would not be a candidate in this year’s election if Biden were “a great president” and said that the Democrat will lead the planet into World War III if he is re-elected.

“Let Putin go into Kiev, then see what happens in Poland, in Hungary, then you have a (world) war,” responded Biden, who called Trump a “crybaby” for not admitting his electoral defeat in 2020.