Amid questioning about democracy and the Trump mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, Biden took a shot at Trump's historic conviction in the hush money case.

"The only convicted felon is the guy standing on the stage with me now," Biden said.

Trump then quickly brought up Hunter Biden's recent conviction on federal gun charges.

Trump largely avoiding taking on a question about what he would say to Americans who believe he violated his oath on Jan. 6, 2021, and are worried he would do it again.

Instead, he pivoted to the border and to criticizing Biden's record.

Moderator Jake Tapper pressed him again, saying there was 80 seconds remaining to answer the question. Trump went on to attack former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.<

In a heated moment in response to Trump's claim that the president "doesn't care about our veterans," Biden referenced a 2020 Atlantic article in which Trump was reported to have called Americans killed as "suckers" while on a trip to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018.

On the subsequently canceled visit, the Atlantic reported that Trump told senior staff members, "Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers."

Referring to his late son Beau during the debate, Biden said to Trump, "My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You're the sucker, you're the loser."

Trump responded by saying it was in a "third-rate magazine" and the source had "made it up."

During the debate, Trump claimed that Democrats "support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month," and contended that some Democratic states have had such a stance.

Democrats have never advocated for killing a baby after it is born as this would be murder, which is illegal in every state. Nine states have no abortion restrictions in place; however, it should be noted that late-term abortions are exceedingly rare, representing 1%, according to KFF.

Millions of eyeballs will be on Thursday's debate -- here's what to watch for as Biden and Trump face off.

Will any gaffes or knockout punches break through? Conversations on policy are unlikely to break through, but viewers could remember a serious lapse or a zinger that lands.

Will character or policy rule the day? Both sides have lobbed personal attacks -- Biden has dubbed Trump a "convicted felon" and threat to democracy, and Trump has essentially called the president, without evidence, the leader of a crime syndicate. Will the debate stay focused on issues like abortion, immigration and the economy? Or will the two candidates opt for a more scorched-Earth stance?

Typically, a sitting president is debating a governor or senator, with the incumbent's record the main focus. But Trump also spent four years in the White House. Whose record will get more scrutiny?

The debate is happening uniquely early in an election cycle. It remains unclear if any big moments will be washed away by November, or if it'll help set the tone heading into the summer.

The debate is also featuring a novel format -- microphones will be cut off when candidates aren't recognized to speak, and there will be no audience to feed off of. That could deprive Trump of the energy he seeks, helping Biden. But the microphone cutoffs could help "enforce some discipline" on Trump, said GOP strategist David Kochel.

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