Biden falters in high-stakes debate, Trump spews falsehoods
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.
Top headlines:
Trump says he will not block abortion pills
Trump, who had yet to clarify his stance on abortion medication, said he would not block access to the drug if elected.
Trump's not wrong about the inflation rate Biden inherited
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
Biden opens debate with misleading 'bleach' talking point
Biden accused Trump of not taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously, saying Trump told Americans, "It's not that serious. Just inject a little bleach in your arm." That's Mostly False.
Trump's 2020 comments about treatments were criticized, but he didn't tell people to inject bleach. At a 2020 White House press briefing, Trump asked William Bryan, an undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security, to study whether ultraviolet light could be effective "inside the body" to treat COVID-19 or whether disinfectants could combat the virus "by injection inside."
After Bryan said his lab did not study disinfectant injection, Trump clarified that using disinfectants "would not be through injection." Trump later told reporters he was being "sarcastic" when referring to injections.
-Analysis by Aaron Sharockman, PolitiFact
Trump asked about plan to impose 10% tariff on goods coming to US
Asked how he would ensure that his plan to impose a 10% tariff on all goods coming to the U.S. wouldn't drive prices higher Trump said it won't drive them higher but will force countries like China to "pay us a lot of money" and "give us a lot of power for other things," though didn't elaborate.
Candidates prepare for interruptions despite muted mics
Just because their microphones will be turned on only when it's their turn to speak, it doesn't mean there won't be interruptions, and campaign staffers of both candidates are preparing for it.
Since the candidates are still only 8 feet apart, there is a scenario where the viewer may not hear an interruption, but the other candidate and the moderators will.
Advisers from both campaigns told reporters that's something they've acknowledged or discussed in debate preparations.
The Biden campaign said it is hoping the president just flat-out ignores any distractions or comments that Trump makes.
The Trump campaign said it is aware that tonight they could play this both ways: The former president could stay on message when his microphone is turned on but make off-hand comments to irk Biden when his microphone is turned off.
When it comes to the traditional handshake between the candidates before the event, both sides are being coy.
One Biden adviser said, "I wouldn't do it," while an adviser for the Trump campaign responded simply by laughing.
-ABC News' Rachel Scott