Donald Trump and Joe Biden traded blows in a number of memorable moments from their first live TV debate on Thursday.
Longstanding concerns about the ages and cognitive abilities of both candidates were trending on social media platform X – and both men had moments to forget.
On one occasion, Biden lost his train of thought and trailed off before mumbling about COVID-19 and saying that “we finally beat Medicare” before he was cut off because his time was up.
As Biden seemingly fluffed his lines, Trump bizarrely – and falsely – claimed Democratic states allow for post-birth abortions, which Biden denied pointed out is “simply not true.”
Biden also called Trump a “convicted felon,” which led to Trump condemning Biden’s newly convicted son Hunter.
Here Daily Express US has compiled a list of the key moments from the high stakes event.
NO HANDSHAKE…
President Biden and Trump did not shake hands when they entered the debate stage in what has been the first presidential debate in four years – the last one was 2020.
Although it might seem like a break from traditional debate norms, it is not the first time. The 2020 presidential debates were held in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the two men also did not shake hands.
CNN moderator Jake Tapper asked Biden the first topic of the debate, the economy: “What do you say to voters who feel they are worse off under your presidency than they were under President Trump?”
Biden, with a voice that sounded a bit hoarse and raspy, answered the first question by describing the American economy as “in freefall.”
Biden was battling a cold days before the debate, sources said, though he has tested negative for COVID-19.
BIDEN FREEZES…
In a particularly difficult moment to watch, Biden appeared to clam up and forget what he was saying.
When answering a question about the national debt, Biden said: “We would be able to wipe out his debt, clear up all those things we need to do in childcare, elder care, making sure we continue to strengthen our healthcare system, making sure we’re able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I’m been able to do with dealing with everything…If we finally beat Medicare…”
Amy Koch, former majority leader of Minnesota senate, told Daily Express US: “The Biden confusion was a bad, bad moment.”
ECONOMY, COVID, THE BORDER AND GAFFES…
As Biden continues his answer, he fell into a gaffe, claiming that he had created 15,000 jobs. Biden had previously claimed that he had passed the milestone of 15 million jobs created since he took office.
Trump opened the debate by claiming that the state of the economy and his handling of the pandemic was “rocking good,” adding that his administration’s policies did not inherit inflamation when he was president.
The Republican then claimed that millions from prisons, mental institutions and asylums have been illegaly admitted to the country, although there is no evidence to support it.
Trump returned to the topic by claiming that the US economy was ready to start paying down its national debt before the pandemic.
TRUMP’S FALSE CLAIM ABOUT ABORTIONS…
Abortion rights is another key issue discussed in the election the same day the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal in a lawsuit over Idaho’s abortion ban.
Trump said that he supported the Supreme Court’s decision to preserve access to mifepristone, adding that he will not block the abortion medication if he was re-elected as President.
“I put three great Supreme Court justices on the court and they happened to vote in favor of killing Roe v. Wade and putting it back to the states,” Trump said.
Trump also claimed that Biden was “destroying Medicare” by putting people who cross the border illegally onto the program.
But immigrants illegally entering the country are, in actuality, ineligible for federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
When discussing Roe V. Wade, Trump falsely claimed Democrat policies allowed doctors to “rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby.”
“That is simply not true,” Biden responded. “Roe v. Wade does not provide for that — that’s not the circumstance. Only if a woman’s life is in danger, or she’s going to die. That’s the only circumstance where that can happen.”
‘SUCKERS AND LOSERS’ CLAIM…
With foreign policy as the next topic, Trump called the US withdrawal from Afghanistan “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country’s life,” and said that he had been working toward a withdrawal “with dignity, with strength, with power.”
Trump then used time on a foreign policy question about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to criticze Biden on the issue of veterans.
“First of all, our veterans and our soldiers can’t stand this guy. They can’t stand him. They think he’s the worst commander in chief, if that’s what you call him, that we’ve ever had,” Trump said.
“I’ve never heard so much malarky in my whole life,” Biden responded to Trump’s answer on Ukraine.
Biden then referenced a 2020 article that alleged Trump made disparaging remarks about fallen American servicemen.
“My kid was not a loser, was not a sucker,” Biden said, in reference to his late oldest son, Beau Biden, before pointing to Trump and saying, “You’re the loser, the sucker.”
Defending himself, Trump said: “First of all, that was a made-up quote, ‘suckers and losers.’ They made it up.”
“It was in a third-rate magazine that’s failing, like many of these magazines. To think that I would, in front of generals and others, say ‘suckers and losers,'” he continued.
JANUARY 6…
When asked by Jake Tapper whether he violated his oath to protect and defend the Constitution, citing the January 6, 2021 insurrection, Trump claimed that he pushed for people to act “peacefully and patriotically.”
Biden also brought up Trump’s criminal felony conviction for the first time in the debate, calling Trump a “convicted felon.”
Trump then pivoted to Biden’s son, Hunter, during the back-and-forth exchange by calling him a “convicted felon,” in reference to Hunter’s federal gun trial in which a Delaware grand jury found him guilty on three felony charges earlier this month.
As the debate comes to a close, Trump, 78, and Biden, 81 were asked about voter concerns about their age and how well they able to handle the presidency into their 80s.
Biden responded by delivering a quip at Trump, “This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent,” to which the former President responded by saying that he took two cognitive tests and he “aced” them.
BIDEN COMMENT ON TRUMP’S WEIGHT – AND BIZARRE GOLF ARGUMENT…
President Joe Biden seemed to fat shame former president Donald Trump as they argued about golf during CNN’s presidential debate on Thursday night.
Amid increasing concerns about each candidate’s age and mental acuity, both Biden and Trump were asked how they will perform in a potential second term.
In his reponse, Trump boasted about his golf championship wins seemingly as proof that he can perform the duties of the president.
Trump said: “I’m in as good shape as I was 25-30 years ago. In fact, I’m probably a little bit lighter. I feel the same.”
Biden retorted: “You can see he is 6’5 and only 225lbs? Just take a look at what he says he is and take a look at what he is.”
