USDebate Q&A

Biden v Trump: Who won the debate? Was it any good? Were there any surprises?

Many of Trump’s arguments were later debunked by fact-checkers but by then it was too late for the Democrats

People in the audience at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas watch the debate. Photograph: Desiree Rios/The New York Times
People in the audience at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas watch the debate. Photograph: Desiree Rios/The New York Times
Keith Duggan's picture
Keith Duggan
Fri Jun 28 2024 - 06:34

Was it a good debate?

No. It was unforgettably terrible. It sparked in moments, but the format prevented any actual debate from breaking out. Instead, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump had two minute uninterrupted sections to argue their points on the issues laid out by the CNN moderators – the economy, immigration and the border, January 6th, abortion, the fentanyl crisis, foreign policy – and both slipped into campaign trail mode. What made it compelling, in places, was the clear hatred that both men share for one another. The fact-checkers were in overdrive during Trump’s sections but the phased nature of the debate meant that Biden had little opportunity to correct him.

Were there any surprises?

The big surprise unfolded slowly. It must have been a horrific moment for the Democratic Party strategists when they realised just how disastrous the format was for their candidate and his election hopes. There was nothing or nobody to interject or push back against Donald Trump’s statements about January 6th, social security and the environment which were later debunked by fact-checkers. Trump was in his comfort zone, sometimes ignoring the actual questions to reinforce or repeat a point. When, towards the end, he was pressed by host Dana Bash on whether he would accept the results of the November election, he finally said: “If it is a fair and legal and good election, absolutely.”

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US president Joe Biden’s faltering performance spread an immediate sense of alarm through the Democratic Party after the first presidential debate. Video: CNN

What was the key moment?

It is hard to overlook the opening minutes, when Joe Biden did nothing to convince with his stiff, halting appearance on stage and the catch in his voice when he spoke. He sounded muffled and indistinct. Given the ardent preparation, it was an inexplicably weak opening and although the argument can be made that he recovered his poise and energy over the next hour, the damage had been done. The unspoken question – whether he can lead for another four years – suddenly overshadowed the issues which the candidates began to debate.

Who won, and why?

Donald Trump won – bigly. The early polls confirmed this: a CNN poll released an hour after the debate had finished showed the republican nominee with a 67 per cent to 33 per cent win. And that overwhelming victory had more to do with the perception that Joe Biden’s insipid performance than any performative magic of his own.

The other winner was CNN. The cable news network began its running-clock countdown to this debate about three weeks ago and generated anticipation levels which seemed to rise by the hour. An Ispos/Syracuse University poll found that a whopping 61 per cent of people vowed to watch “a” televised debate between the presidential rivals. Seventy-five per cent of those polled were republicans, meaning that a hefty number of Americans who identify CNN as part of the liberal-elite programme were at least tuning into watch their star moderators for one night only.

This debate was ultimately a television reality show and the coverage reflected every conceivable angle and viewpoint and persuaded political heavyweights like California governor Gavin Newsom that he had nothing better to do on a June evening than wander around the Georgia Tech gymnasium answering questions about what had just transpired.

But in the months to come, the CNN political team may well have time to dwell on the fact that the debate they hosted played a crucial role in giving the Trump campaign an extraordinary boost.