Biden's Debate Performance Against Trump Raises Concerns Over Age, Fitness

Thursday night, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump faced off in the first cross-party debate of the 2024 presidential election season.

Details: During the 90-minute debate hosted by CNN (Lean Left bias), the candidates addressed immigration, abortion, inflation, foreign affairs, and more. 

For Context: This was the first time Biden and Trump took the debate stage this election cycle. The Democratic Party did not hold primary debates, and Trump declined to participate in the Republican primary debates.

Key Quotes: At times, the candidates traded personal attacks. Biden at one point said Trump has “the morals of an alley cat.” When Biden struggled to finish a sentence at another point, Trump responded, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows either.”  

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated outlets pushed back on certain claims made by Trump, but the majority of coverage from outlets across the spectrum focused on Biden's performance, which was widely determined to be weak, with outlets noting his frequent stutters and his hoarse voice. Midway through the debate, outlets began reporting that Biden is currently suffering from a cold, according to the Biden campaign. The Daily Beast (Left bias) stated Biden’s performance “stumbles the Democrats into crisis.” The New York Post (Lean Right bias) deemed the debate “a disaster for Biden.” The Hill (Center bias) reported that Democrats are in “full panic mode” following the debate.