The contest was seen as a test of each man's fitness for office.
In a historic clash of personality and policy, Joe Biden and Donald Trump took the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election.
The showdown provided a rare opportunity for both candidates to move the needle in what has been a stubbornly tight race for the White House, but at the end of the night, Biden's halting performance raised new concerns among Democrats and cause Republicans to celebrate.
The debate was a rematch for Biden and Trump, who faced each other twice in 2020, but a first-of-its-kind format and a vastly different political landscape presented new challenges for the two rivals.
Biden stumbled as he attacked Trump and defended his own record, pausing for several seconds.
The president was discussing domestic programs he hoped to be able to invest in with the money that would be gained by taxes the wealthiest Americans before trailing off and pausing, ultimately saying "we beat Medicare."
"He did beat Medicare, he beat it to death," Trump responded.
The second topic of tonight’s debate is abortion. This is good turf for Biden: Abortion rights are broadly popular and have become even more so since Dobbs. In our 538/Ipsos poll released this morning, likely voters said 57% to 43% that Biden would handle abortion policy better than Trump.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Trump, who had yet to clarify his stance on abortion medication, said he would not block access to the drug if elected.
Biden said he inherited 9% inflation. This is false. In January 2021, year-over-year inflation was about 1.4%. It peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. It's now down to 3.3%. During Trump's time in office, inflation rose by 7.76% from January 2017 to January 2021, and year-over-year inflation peaked at 2.9% in July 2018.
-538's Kaleigh Rogers
