US President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump faced off in the first presidential debate that offered voters a rare side-by-side look at the two oldest candidates ever to seek the US presidency.
The two rivals did not shake hands as they took their positions at podiums just feet apart in a studio with no live audience. The leaders battled over economic issues, foreign policy and international crises, the country's immigration crisis, and the state of American democracy.
The debate, which was conducted four months ahead of the US Presidential polls, was hosted by the CNN and broadcasted by all networks across US. There is no studio audience for the 90-minute debate .
Here are the Highlights on Trump-Biden US Presidential debate:
US Presidential Debate: Trump Calls Biden "Complainer" In Closing Statement
Trump called Biden a “complainer” while touted his record during his first term as president and said that the “whole country is exploding because of you, because they don’t respect you.” In his statement, Biden focused on taxes and promised to bring down inflation.
Fact Check: Trump Claims He Deployed National Guard During Unrest Over George Floyd's Murder
Former President Donald Trump said that he deployed the National Guard to Minneapolis in 2020 during the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. “When they ripped down Portland, when they ripped down many other cities. You go to Minnesota, Minneapolis, what they’ve done there with the fires all over the city — if I didn’t bring in the National Guard, that city would have been destroyed.”
Fact Check: This is false. Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, not Trump, deployed the Minnesota National Guard during the 2020 unrest; Walz first activated the Guard more than seven hours before Trump publicly threatened to deploy the Guard himself. Walz’s office told CNN in 2020 that the governor activated the Guard in response to requests from officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul – cities also run by Democrats.
US Presidential Debate Live: Trump Was Asked If He Will Accept Results Of This Election, He Said
"If its a fair and legal election, Absolutely. But the fraud was ridiculous. There is nothing I would much rather do," Trump said.
"You are a whiner. When you lost, you appealed in courts across the country. No courts found your claims had any merit. There is no evidence of fraud. I dont think you will accept it if you lost again because you are a whiner. When you lost the first time, something snapped in you," Biden said.
US Presidential Debate Live: Biden Says He Will Makes Millionaires Pay "Fair Share" Of Taxes
“Right now, everybody making under $170,000 pay 6% of their income, of their paycheck. Millionaires pay 1%. I would not raise the cost of Social Security for anybody under $400,000. After that, I begin to make the wealthy begin to pay their fair share by increasing from 1% beyond to be able to guarantee the program for life,” he said.
US Presidential Debate Live: "I Aced Cognitive Tests": Trump On His Old Age
"I aced cognitive tests. I would like to see him take a test," Trump on being 82 at the end of his second term if elected.
US Presidential Debate Live:"I Was Criticised For Being Too Young": Biden Addresses His Old Age
"I spent half my career being criticised for being the youngest now I am criticised for being the oldest. This guy is 3 years younger but a lot less competent. Look at everything I have achieved after what he left me," Biden said
US Presidential Debate Live: Trump Says Biden Is "Paid By China"
"He is paid by China. He is a Manchurian candidate," Donald Trump jabs US President Biden.
US Presidential Debate Live: "You Have Largest Deficit Of Any President": Biden Hits Out
"I never raise taxes on the middle class people. He talks about helping them. You have the largest deficit of any president in history of America." Biden attacks Trump.
US Presidential Debate Live: "He Is The Worst President In History Of US": Biden Hits Out At Biden
"We are the most admired country in the world. No one thinks we are weak. The idea of me being the worst president -- 159 presidential historians have voted on presidents and they decided he was the worst president in the history of the US," Biden hits out at Trump
US Presidential Debate Live: "Never Seen Anyone Lie Like This Guy": Trump Attacks Biden
"I have dealt with politicians all my life. I have never seen anyone lie like this guy. He can look into your eyes and lie," Trump attacks Biden.
Half Way Through Presidential Debate, Trump Leads In Speaking Time
According to CNN, former President Donald Trump talked for 23 minutes and six seconds, while President Joe Biden’s time came in at roughly 18 minutes and 26 seconds.While both candidates have an equal chance to respond to questions, they can choose not to use the maximum allotted time
US Presidential Debate Live: "Paris Climate Accord Costed Us": Trump Hits Back On Climate Change
"He does not have any idea about the environment. He backed out of the Paris Climate Accord," Biden said.
"The Paris Climate Accord costed us trillions of dollar. It cost nothing to China, Russia and India. I ended the Paris Climate Accord because it was costing us tremendously," Trump replied.
US Presidential Debate Live: "He Cause Inflation, I Gave Him Country Without Inflation" Trump Attacks Biden
"He caused the inflation that is killing Black and Hispanic people. I gave him a country with no inflation. All he had to do was leave it alone. The millions he has allowed to come into our borders have taken Black, Hispanic people's jobs," said Trump
"There was no inflation because the economy was flat. I have created jobs," Biden replied.
US Presidential Debate Live: "I'd Have To See": Trump On Supporting Palestinian State
Donald Trump did not directly answer if he would support an independent Palestinian state to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. “Would you support the creation of an independent Palestinian state in order to support peace in the region,” he was asked “I’d have to see,” Trump answered.
"He Has No Sense Of American Democracy": Biden Attacks Trump Over Charlottesville Attack
"What American president would ever say Nazis carrying swastikas were fine people. This guy has no sense of American democracy," Biden hits out at Trump over Charlottesville attacks.
"His presidency is the worst in American history. He made up the Charlottesville story," Trump replied.
"You Have The Morals Of An Alley Cat": Biden Jabs Trump
"You have the morals of an alley cat." said Biden
"I did not have sex with a pornstar. That case will be appealed and judge. We had an horrible judge. Prosecutors were all democrats. He did this to damage my reputation. But the people saw the truth and my poll numbers went up. Hundreds of millions of dollars pooled in," Trump said.
"Your Son Is A Convicted Felon": Trump Hits Out At Biden
"Your son is a convicted felon. Joe could be a convicted felon for everything he has ever done in office. This man is a criminal. I did nothing wrong. We had a system that is rigged," Trump to Biden
"Will You Denounce Those Who Attacked Capitol Hill": Biden To Trump
"This man is a convicted felon. He did nothing to stop what happened at Capitol Hill. Will you denounce the people who attacked the capitol?" Biden asked Trump
US Presidential Debate Live: Donald Trump on Ukraine War
Donald Trump says, "Ukraine war would never have started if we had a leader".
US Presidential Debate Live: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump on immigration actions
Joe Biden said his administration worked very hard to get a bipartisan border agreement with Congress and called out Trump's actions on immigration during his presidency.
"We find ourselves in a situation where when he was president, he was taking - separating - babies from their mothers, putting them in cages, making sure they're the families were separated. That's not right way to go," Biden said.
US Presidential election live updates: Joe Biden calls the overturning of Roe v. Wade "a terrible thing"
US President Joe Biden attacked Republican Donald Trump for his role in curbing American abortion access, calling it "a terrible thing" after his Republican rival boasted of nominating Supreme Court justices that helped overturn Roe v Wade.
"It has been a terrible thing, what you have done," Biden said, in one of his firmer critiques of his presidential predecessor as the two squared off in Atlanta in their first in-person debate of the 2024 election season.
US Presidential Debate Live: Donald Trump says he will not block abortion medication as president
Former President Donald Trump said he will not block abortion medication if he was elected.
He also said he agreed with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the abortion pill.
"I put three great Supreme Court justices on the court and they happened to vote in favor of killing Roe v. Wade, and moving it back to the states," he said. "Now the states are working it out."
US Presidential Debate Live: Joe Biden on abortion rights
Joe Biden says Donald Trump's role in curbing abortion access "a terrible thing".
US Presidential Debate Live: Joe Biden hits Donald Trump on jobs
Former President Donald Trump claimed that the job growth during President Joe Biden's presidency is all "bounceback" gains after the pandemic lockdowns that temporarily devastated the US economy.
Nearly 22 million jobs were lost under Trump in March and April 2020 when the global economy cratered on account of the pandemic. The US started regaining jobs immediately under Trump - following substantial relief and recovery measures - and added more than 12 million jobs from May 2020 through December 2020.
The recovery continued after Biden took office, with the US reaching and surpassing its pre-pandemic employment totals in June 2022.
US Presidential Debate Live: Donald Trump on withdrawal from Afghanistan
Former President Donald Trump called President Joe Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan "the most embarrassing day in the history of our country's life."
"I was getting out of Afghanistan, but we were getting out with dignity, with strength, with power," Trump said.
US Presidential Debate Live: Donald Trump says," Inflation is 'killing' United States"
Inflation is "killing our country," Republican Donald Trump said in his opening salvo against US President Joe Biden at their first debate of the 2024 election cycle Thursday.
"He has not done a good job. He's done a poor job. And inflation is killing our country. It is absolutely killing us," Trump said.
US Presidential election live updates: Joe Biden and Donald Trump did not shake hands
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump did not shake hands when they entered the debate stage.
The two candidates last met at a debate in 2020, where they also did not shake hands due to Covid-19 protocols.
Before the debate, two longtime Biden aides said they expected Biden would "probably not" extend his hand, with one saying: "He didn't have to in 2020, why change that now?"
US Presidential Debate Live:
Joe Biden and Donald Trump square off in critical US presidential debate
US Presidential Debate Live Updates: Biden, Trump Slam Each Other Ahead Of Debate
Ahead of the debate at CNN, both camps unleashed fresh attack ads, with Donald Trump's team taking out TV spots accusing Joe Biden of mismanaging the economy and encouraging illegal immigration.
Biden's Democratic Party, on the other hand, paid for five massive billboards in Atlanta trolling Trump over his legal woes.
US Presidential Elections Live Updates: No Audience For Biden And Trump Debate
There will be no studio audience for Joe Biden and Donald Trump debated. Microphones will also be cut out when a candidate's speaking time is over.
Live Updates: Biden And Trump Square Off In US Presidential Debate
The first US presidential debate between President Joe Biden from the Democratic Party and his Republican challenger Donald Trump is set to begin shortly.
With only two debates this election cycle and national polls showing the pair locked in the tightest of contests, the event at CNN headquarters in Atlanta takes on heightened significance.
