Misinformation, abortion and Democratic ‘panic’: Key takeaways from the first Biden-Trump debate

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have concluded their first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle in Atlanta, Georgia.

Biden’s performance was defined by his rambling answers apparently low energy, while Trump spent the debate spreading misinformation and failing to answer questions.

Biden was accompanied by his wife Jill Biden. Trump’s wife, Melania, has been noticeably absent from the campaign trail — and Thursday night’s event was no different.

Now, social media is in a frenzy as users digest Thursday night’s chaotic spectacle. At the same time, Democratic strategists panicked over Biden’s less-than-optimal performance amid growing criticisms about his age.

Some two-thirds of viewers agreed that Trump came out of the debate on top following Biden’s meandering performance, according to a CNN snap poll taken Thursday night. This marks a shift from their last debate in 2020, when the majority of viewers labeled Biden the winner.

Here are our key takeaways from tonight’s debate:

Biden’s performance was defined by his soft, raspy voice and rambling thoughts. The president regularly tripped over his words and lost his train of thought.

At one point, after Biden defended his executive actions to curb immigration, Trump said: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence – and I don’t think he knows what he said either.”

Vice President Kamala Harris even remarked on the president’s performance.

“Yes there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” she told CNN. It was later revealed the president has a cold.

Leading up to the debate Trump and his cohort spread conspiracies that the president would be using amphetamines, pounding Mountain Dew or wearing an earpiece during the debate. There is no