Reactions from First Debate of 2024 Presidential Election Cycle

In what can only be described as the most significant moment of the 2024 presidential election season thus far, U.S. President Joe Biden sparred with former President Donald Trump in the first debate of the cycle.

The two candidates squared off in Atlanta on Thursday evening, less than five months before Election Day.

Here is a recap of the notable moments of the first presidential debate of this election cycle as well as a look at what the pundits are saying the morning after the pivotal event.

Recapping the Debate

The debate started on a contentious note with the candidates opting not to shake hands. Things went downhill from there with the candidates exchanging barbs throughout the night.

The primary storyline the morning after the debate was criticism around Biden's slow performance and Trump's parade of mistruths.

The age gap between the 81-year-old Biden and the 78-year-old Trump appeared much wider at times with the incumbent often speaking in a hoarse voice and losing his train of thought.

Meanwhile, Trump continued to harp on his belief that the results of the 2020 presidential election were unfair and illegal.

The discussions turned personal when Biden brought up Trump's recent criminal convictions. Trump fired back by bringing Biden's son, Hunter, into the conversation of convicted criminals.

Biden also accused Trump of having sex with a porn star while his wife Melania was pregnant.

Biden Campaign Reiterates He is Not Dropping Out

Biden's campaign reiterated that the incumbent is not going to drop out of the race, despite the calls from many in the party to do so following the poor performance in Atlanta. Campaign officials said that Biden was suffering from a cold, explaining his hoarse voice.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to the defense of the president on Friday. While acknowledging his shortcomings on Thursday, she also said that Biden "far outshined" Trump from a values perspective.

Abortion Issue Takes Center Stage

As expected, conversations around immigration, foreign policy, the economy, and inflation dominated the debate.

However, it was the discussion around abortion that had the pundits talking the most on Friday morning.

Trump broke from some of his pro-life supporters when he stated that he agreed with the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss a case that would have blocked the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Trump reiterated his belief that abortion access should be a state issue. He also confirmed that he supports abortion in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is in danger.

Pandemic Still a Scapegoat

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be used as a source of blame for the poor economic records for both Trump and Biden.

The incumbent said that it was challenging to bring inflation under control because of the way that Trump left the economy when he was voted out of the Oval Office.

Biden blamed Trump for his poor handling of the pandemic while taking the chance to chide Trump for suggesting that people ingest disinfectant to kill the virus.

Meanwhile, Trump blamed the pandemic for stopping what he said was the "greatest economy in the history of our country.”

It should be noted that a new nonpartisan report revealed that the country notched twice as much federal debt under Trump when compared to Trump.

The former president also referenced the pandemic by criticizing Biden for the vaccine mandates put in place by his administration.

How This Debate Differed From Previous Events

What differentiated Thursday's event from previous presidential debates the most was simply the timing.

In the past, the debates have been held later in the election cycle. The earlier than usual debate came about as voters signaled in past elections that they had already made up their minds well ahead of the first presidential debate.

The 90-minute debate included two commercial breaks. During the breaks, Trump and Biden were not allowed to interact with any campaign staff.

Both of the candidates also agreed to have their microphones muted except for when it was their dedicated turn to speak. The candidates were not allowed to bring written notes on stage, however, they were provided with a pen and a pad of paper to take notes during the event.

The debate marked the first time that a former president has gone up against an incumbent on this type of stage.

There was no studio absence during this first debate, a significant departure from what many Americans may remember from previous years.

Trump's Potential VP Candidates in Attendance

It was a who's who of Trump supporters in defense of the former president and gunning for the nod for the coveted running mate position.

A number of leading candidates to be tapped as the vice presidential candidate were in attendance at the debate, including Sens. Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Also in attendance on Thursday were Sen. Tim Scott, Reps. Elisa Stefanik and Byron Donalds, and Dr. Ben Carson.

While Trump has said that he has already chosen his running mate, he has not made his decision public. Trump is expected to make the formal announcement prior to the start of the GOP convention next month.

What is Next?

The second debate is scheduled for September 10. ABC is going to host this debate with anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis serving as moderators. As of now, this is the last debate scheduled.

The preliminary figures released Friday by Nielsen indicated that 47.9 million viewers tuned in for the debate on television alone.

While CNN hosted the debate, the news network offered a live feed free of charge to any network. This resulted in 22 networks carrying the telecast.

These numbers compare to the over 73 million people that tuned in for the first debate between Biden and Trump four years ago. A record 84 million watched the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton.