By: Maggie Z

The race for US President is on! On June 27, 2024, CNN hosted the first presidential debate of 2024. Former president Donald Trump was confident and saw a strong start, while President Joe Biden got off to a less enthusiastic kick-off.

The candidates discussed several issues, mainly immigration into the US and the national economy. Trump spoke repeatedly about Biden’s negative change to the economy and claimed the US had been greater under his guidance. In retaliation, Biden brought up the fact that Trump had already gone to court for criminal offenses, such as trying to influence the 2016 elections by paying a woman (who was not his wife) to stay quiet about their relationship.

This accusation was a blemish on Trump’s attack, but President Biden faced more pressing issues. During the debate, Joe Biden repeatedly babbled for long stretches of time, left uncomfortable pauses, tripped over his own words, and couldn’t respond quickly to Trump’s attacks. Trump also made several statements that facts couldn’t support, but Biden didn’t manage to point this out, which fueled increasing beliefs that Biden was too old for the job. At 81 years old, he is the oldest person ever to hold the title of US President. The BBC’s North America editor Sarah Smith said: “Joe Biden had one job – to persuade Americans he wasn’t too old. He failed that test.” Joe Biden’s former communications’ director, Kate Bedinton, told CNN after the debate, “There’s no two ways about it, that was not a good debate for Joe Biden.

This election has gotten off to a rocky start for Joe Biden, and it is still unclear who has the upper hand in all of this, but there is a pending second debate on September 27, and the spectators believe this one will help to determine the outcome.