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As it happened: Biden and Trump come face to face for first TV debate

US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are facing off for the first televised debate of the 2024 election - the pair did not shake hands as they walked out on stage.

Biden entered first and Trump did not look in his predecessor's direction when he stood behind the lectern. No niceties tonight.

Questions begin with the economy

The questions have begun with a question about inflation - and what Joe Biden says to voters who feel they are "worst off".

Biden quickly shifted the response to say that Trump "left him" a collapsed economy, with rising unemployment

"We had to put things back together again," he said, adding that things were "terrible" under Trump and that he "didn't do much at all".

He used the word "chaos" several times.

Trump says US had the 'greatest economy' under his leadership

Donald Trump responded to the first question about the economy and high inflation.

He says that the US had the "greatest economy" when he was in power. "We got hit with Covid, and when we did, we spent the money necessary so we wouldn't end up in a great depression".

"Everything was rocking good," he says, before attacking Biden on his Covid policies and economic track record.

Biden: Trump's economy 'rewarded the wealthy'

President Joe Biden takes the debate stage in Atlanta

It's Biden's turn to respond to Trump's claims that he created the best economy.

Biden says Trump's economy "rewarded the wealthy".

Trump was asked to respond to a question on whether tariffs could drive up prices. Trump says he gave voters the largest tax cut in history.

Afghanistan comes up

The questions have so far focused on domestic economics - but already, the topic of Afghanistan and the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul has come up.

Moments ago, Biden noted that the US was still fighting in Afghanistan under Trump.

Trump's response was that he planned to pull out with "dignity" and "strength".

"When he got out, it was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country's life," Trump added.

Covid-19 takes centre stage

Much of the start of the debate has focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both Trump and Biden have talked at length about how Trump handled the pandemic. Biden has referred to the time as a moment of "chaos".

Trump does not want to block abortion pill

CNN moderator Dana Bash is asking about one of the most important issues to voters in the upcoming election: abortion.

Trump is asked if he would block abortion medication. He says no, noting that the Supreme Court just upheld the right to the medication.

He repeats some of his same talking points on the controversial topic - that everyone wants the states to decide whether abortion should be legal.

"Every legal scholar... wanted it brought back to the states. Now the states are working it out."

Trump says that 'America is no longer respected'

The former president has doubled down on a talking point of his in the first 15 minutes of the debate - that the US "is no longer respected" by other nations.

"What's happened to our country is not to believed," he says. "Foreign countries cannot believe what happened to the United States of America."

He added the US does a lot for other countries, "and they do nothing for us".

Biden stumbles on Medicare

President Biden seemed to momentarily lose his train of thought during an exchange on billionaires needing to pay more taxes, and on childcare.

"If we finally beat Medicare," he said, before being interrupted by Jake Tapper.

"He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death," Trump quipped. "He's destroying Medicare."

Trump also accused Biden of nearly "wiping out" social security because of the "millions" of migrants at the southern border.

"What's happened to our country is not to be believed," he added.

Trump asked about tax cuts amid record debt

The next question is about the national debt soaring to record heights in the last eight years. Trump, who has championed tax cuts under his leadership, is asked why top corporations should pay less taxes than they do now given the debt.

Trump says that the tax cuts "spurred the greatest economy that we've ever seen".

He added that when taxes are cut, the US takes in more revenue and companies were investing "trillions of dollars" back into the country.

Both men more muted so far

As the debate gets underway, both Biden and Trump are both projecting more muted versions of their public personas. The first time they debated, in 2020, the conversation quickly got heated and out of hand, with the candidates talking over each other.

But both men are speaking in even tones - Biden's voice is particularly hoarse this evening. They're likely aware of the more unfavourable opinions people have about them.

They're matching each other's energy, too. As Trump grew more strident to hit Biden on immigration and COVID vaccination mandates, Biden responded in a stronger voice as well. He did stumble, however, when he said he "beat Medicare," a seeming non-sequitor.

Then again, we're only a few minutes into this debate, and things could change on a dime.

Biden weighs in on Roe v Wade

The candidates have now turned to abortion, with Biden saying the repeal of Roe v Wade - which had established a constitutional right to abortion - has been a "terrible thing".

"The vast majority of constitutional scholars supported Roe v Wade when it was decided," Biden said. "This idea that they were all against it is ridiculous."

The idea that states can mandate their own abortion regulations, Biden added, is like having "each state have a different rule" on civil rights.

He says the choice to have an abortion is between a woman and her doctor and pledges to restore Roe v Wade if re-elected.

"No politician should be making that decision."

Trump: 'Inflation is killing us'

Trump said in the debate that Biden "inherited no inflation" when he came into office and that now "inflation is killing us".

When Biden came to office in January 2021 inflation stood at 1.4% using the most widely used measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index, external (CPI), based on a typical basket of household goods.

It rose significantly during the first two years of his administration, hitting a peak of 9.1% in the year to June 2022.

This was comparable with many other Western countries, which experienced high inflation rates in 2021 and 2022, the main contributing factors being global supply chain issues as a consequence of the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Since then, US inflation has steadily fallen, with the latest monthly figure 3.3% in May, external.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, prices have risen by a total of about 20%, external.

US inflation rates under Obama, Trump and Biden

Biden defends handling of border

Asked why Americans should trust Biden to handle the US-Mexico border despite historic migrant arrivals, Biden pivoted, suggesting that Trump and Republicans were to blame for the collapse of a bipartisan border deal earlier this year.

He also criticised Trump for family separations that took place during his administration.

"Now, you're in a situation where 40% people is coming across the border illegally. That's better than when he left office," he added.

Trump says US has the 'worst border in history'

Trump is continuing to attack Biden on his border policies.

He claims prisoners, people from mental health institutions and terrorists are coming into the country from across the border.

Biden rebuts, saying there is no data to support what Trump is claiming.

Biden's first flash of anger comes up around abortion

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the debate

Biden has shown the first flashes of anger as the debate turns to the subject of abortion.

After Trump claimed, falsely, that some Democrats want to allow abortions "after birth", Biden replied, "That simply is not true."

He hits Trump for appointing Supreme Court justices who struck down the nationwide constitutional right to abortion.

He said abortion rights were "taken away because of this guy" and conservative justices.

Abortion rights are a critical issue for Democrats in this election and one of a few wedge issues that could blow political winds in their party's favour this year.

An Atlanta watch party reacts to the start of the debate

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Atlanta

people watch the donald trump on a screen at a bar

At a Young Atlanta Republicans watch party in downtown Atlanta, everyone booed when Biden’s face first appeared on the screen.

Someone else yelled, “I want my money back.”

Trump then walked out and the crowd at Hudson Grille began to clap.

When Biden is asked about his economic policies and people’s reaction to them, people here began to laugh.

“I come from Scranton, Pennsylvania,” Biden said, relating himself to working-class Americans – a statement which was met by another collective round of “boos”.

There’s an occasional “shhh” coming from someone in the crowd, as the sporadic yells from the crowd are drowning out Biden’s audio in the bar.

On migrants, Trump says 'we have to get a lot of these people out'

Trump - who has vowed to conduct mass deportations if he takes office - is asked whether he plans to deport "every undocumented immigrant to America," including people who have lived in the US for decades, and if so, how he would do it.

He responds by doubling down on his claims that Biden's immigration and "open border" policies have contributed to a rise in crime.

"We have to get a lot of these people out and we have to get them out fast because they are going to destroy our country," he says, without elaborating on his plans.

Biden, Trump spar over veterans and 'suckers and losers' comment

Responding to Trump's claims of a wave of "Biden migrant crime" and low approval ratings for the president among veterans, Biden said that "every single thing he said is a lie".

"We have great respect for veterans," he said, adding that his son Beau Biden was exposed to burn pits while serving in Iraq.

Biden also brought up a controversial moment from Trump's presidency, in which he allegedly said that fallen US soldiers were "losers and suckers".

"My son was not a loser and not a sucker," he said. "You're the sucker. You're the loser," he added, addressing the former president.

Trump responded that the quote was "made up" and he never said it.

"Nobody has taken better care of our soldiers than I have," Trump added.

Debate turns to Ukraine war

The debate has now turned to Ukraine.

The question is whether Putin's terms for ending Russia's war in Ukraine are acceptable.

Trump is up first, and he is claiming that Putin decided to invade because he saw how incompetent Biden's team was in their exit from the war in Afghanistan.

"When Putin saw that he said: 'You know what, I think we're going to go in'", Trump said.

He adds that the war in Gaza would not have happened either if he were in office.

Biden invokes his favourite catchphrase

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the debate

Biden has been ready with responses when Trump attacks him.

He just pulled out a signature catchphrase when Trump blamed Biden for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

"I've never heard so much malarkey in my life," Biden said.

Biden defends his foreign policy record

Biden defends his foreign policy record in the Middle East and Afghanistan after Trump took aim at both.

And on Ukraine, he claims that Trump told Putin to do "whatever you want".

Biden said Putin thought he would take Kyiv in "five days".

"He, in fact, didn't do it at all. They've lost thousands and thousands of troops," Biden says before he is cut off.

Trump then says, "I never said that".

Putin a 'war criminal', says Biden

During a tense exchange on the war in Ukraine, Biden warns that he believes Vladimir Putin is a "war criminal" who wants to re-establish part of the "old Soviet empire".

"Do you think he wants to stop there [Ukraine]?....what do you think happens to Poland, to Belarus, to those Nato countries?"

He also notes that the US gives Ukraine weapons - rather than money - saying NATO produces "as much for Ukraine" as the US has.

"That's why we're strong," Biden added.

Biden asked about Israel-Gaza war

Biden is now being asked about an issue that has divided some of his Democratic supporters: the Israel-Gaza war.

He's asked what leverage he will use to get Hamas and Israel to end the war.

Biden says Hamas is the only one that does not want the war to end.

He reiterates strong support for Israel and says Hamas should be eliminated.

Trump says Israel should 'finish the job'

Trump responds to the question on Gaza by saying that Israel should "finish the job".

He then says Biden has become like "a Palestinian", though points out that the president is unpopular among them.

He also brought up US support for Ukraine again, saying that European nations have spent less than America in Nato funds, and asks why Biden does not pressure Nato allies to put up more money.

Trump rejects claim he incited US Capitol riot

Trump is defending his actions around the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol, when his supporters stormed Congress as lawmakers met to certify Biden's victory in the general election.

Trump rejects Biden's suggestion that he incited the mob to violence, pointing out that as well as urging them to fight, he asked that they march peacefully.

"I said 'peacefully' and 'patriotically'," Trump adds, before blaming then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser for allegedly turning down his offer of 10,000 National Guard troops.

In the past, Trump has referred to some of those jailed over the riot as "political prisoners" and vowed to review their cases if he takes office.

Biden says Trump 'encouraged' 6 January riots

President Biden points while answering a question at the debate

Biden says Trump "encouraged" the rioters at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

He says the former president took no action for "three hours", while then-Vice President Mike Pence "begged" him to do something, and end it.

"Instead, he talked about these people being great patriots for America," Biden says.

Biden says the rioters should be in jail.

Trump responds to Biden's 6 January criticisms

Trump is responding to Biden's attacks on him on 6 January, accusing him of egging on those who breached the US Capitol.

Trump says Biden has destroyed the lives of so many people who were "so innocent".

He also attacks the House committee that investigated Trump's role in the riot at the Capitol. He calls the panel the "unselect Committee" and claims they deleted information in their probe.

Trump asked about his promise to 'go after political opponents'

Donald Trump points while answering a question at the debate

Trump is asked to clarify his promise of "going after his political opponents".

He answers by saying that his retribution will be making the US a successful nation again.

Trump also brings up Hunter Biden's recent criminal conviction, and suggests that President Biden should also be a convicted felon "as soon as he gets out of office" for his "horrible" conduct as president.

"This man is a criminal," Trump says of Biden. "I did nothing wrong."

Biden responds that equating his conduct with Trump's is "outrageous".

Trump's felony conviction comes up

For the first time tonight, Biden brings up Trump's recent criminal conviction in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

“There’s only one person that’s a convicted felon and I’m looking at him right now," he says.

Biden adds that Trump has the "morals of an alley cat" about his alleged relationship with Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star, which Trump denies.

BBC Verify

Fact check: Biden says no troops died under his administration

The debate has cut to a commercial break, but earlier Biden claimed he is the only president in the last decade that doesn’t have "any troops dying anywhere in the world like he [Trump] did".

This is not true.

Three US service members were killed in a drone attack in Jordan in January this year.

And during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, 13 US service members were killed in a suicide attack at Kabul airport by IS-K, the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group.

According to figures by the Defense Casualty Analysis System, external, 65 US service members were killed in combat during the Trump presidency from 2017-20.

Viewers in Las Vegas cheer for Trump

Emma Vardy
Reporting from Las Vegas

A hand holds up a drink at a party

The cocktails are flowing at one of the oldest restaurants in Las Vegas, once frequented by Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack.

Tonight, the Italian American club is the venue for a Republican watch party. It has all the Trump trimmings, lots of MAGA red and diamonte hats at the dinner tables, and “Crooked Joe Biden” bingo cards are being handed out to keep guests entertained.

There’s no audience in the CNN studio where the debate is being held, but people watching here are clapping and cheering. Trump’s comments on immigration and the border get the biggest cheer so far.

“He can reach people through the TV camera”, says Trump supporter Delanne Ohlin. “He’s good at that”.

She believes what Donald Trump has to say about the economy will resonate with voters who are struggling with the cost of living.

“People go to a grocery store and see what’s going on. We’re on a fixed income, and prices affect us.”

Nevada has voted Democrat in the last four presidential elections, but only by narrow margins.

“I think he can win here,” says Delanne.

The half-time scorecard

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Forty-five minutes into this debate, and Joe Biden has been on the ropes more often than not. Some of his answers have been rambling and unclear, which will only lend fuel to concerns by many Americans that he may be too old to be president.

But like a boxer on the ropes, Biden has started to take big swings against his opponent in an attempt to change the momentum.

A few of those swings may have landed, provoking former President Trump into angry responses. Biden, noting Trump’s conviction on charges that stemmed from an alleged romantic liaison with adult film star Stormy Daniels, said the former president had “the morals of an alley cat”.

“I didn’t have sex with a porn star,” Trump snapped back.

Trump also appeared on the back foot when talking about his response to the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

But on the topic of the economy and immigration – the issues American voters say in polls are most important to them – Trump appeared confident and clear in his attacks on Biden’s record, while the president’s rebuttals were less effective.

“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence, and I don’t think he did, either,” Trump quipped at one point.

More than halfway through the debate, that may be the line of the night so far.

Biden is asked about black voters' disappointment

With the ad break over, Biden is now being asked about disappointment from some black voters who say they have not seen progress on several issues, including maternal mortality.

Polls also show Biden has lost some support among black voters.

Biden says he doesn't blame black voters for being disappointed but says progress has been achieved for many black Americans, including less segregation in housing.

"We're going to do a whole lot more for black families," he says.

Trump touts his record on the environment, Biden pushes back

Both Donald Trump (left) and President Joe Biden (right) are photographed on stage at the debate

Trump is asked about the climate crisis and the devastating effects of extreme heat, and what action he would take on the issue if he were elected.

He responds by saying that he wants clean air and water.

"And we had it," he says, claiming his administration had "the best environmental numbers ever".

But Biden argues against Trump's claims, noting the US backed out of the Paris climate accord under Trump.

Trump's performance calibrated for TV

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from the debate

Trump has calibrated his performance for the TV screen. He's speaking forcefully, but not as bombastically as we typically hear him at his rallies.

Trump is also being more concise with his answers when he tends to go off on lengthy tangents while on a campaign event stage.

Trump allies are calling an early victory

Katty Kay
US special correspondent

One Trump ally texted me early in the debate to claim Biden lost his train of thought during an exchange on Medicare.

He added that Trump was coming across calm and seemed presidential.

This debate has indeed been pretty brutal for Biden.

But his campaign has been clear that he has no intention of stepping aside amid questions about his age.

This is America’s choice.

Statistics show Trump leads in speaking time

According to statistics compiled by CNN, Trump is currently leading in speaking time, with 23 minutes and six seconds compared to Biden's 18 minutes and 26 seconds.

Both candidates are given an equal amount of time to respond to questions, although they do not necessarily have to use the entire time.

CNN will continue publishing these statistics every few minutes throughout the evening.

Biden's raspy voice is due to 'a cold', says campaign

Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the debate in Atlanta

A photographer's shadow is seen next to President Biden on the debate stage in Atlanta

Biden campaign officials say the president's raspy voice is the result of a cold he's had over the last few days.

The campaign waited 45 minutes into the debate before sharing the president's condition with reporters.

Trump says veterans 'living in the street'

Trump says he has "never seen anybody lie" like Biden, and again takes aim at him for his purported mishandling of veteran's affairs.

"Everything he does is a lie," he says.

Trump again also accuses Biden of destroying Social Security, saying that "millions of people" are being added to the public pension scheme.

"What they're doing to the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] and to our veterans is unbelievable," he adds.

"Our veterans are living in the streets. And these people [migrants] are living in luxury hotels."

Trump and Biden asked about cost of childcare

Donald Trump motions with his hand while answering a question on the debate stage with President Joe Biden

Now the debate is turning to the topic of childcare affordability. Trump is asked first what he would do to make childcare more affordable.

He responds by pivoting back to his attacks on Biden's track record on the US border.

Biden then hits back by defending himself, saying that Trump is the "worst president in American history", before saying that Trump did very little to make childcare more affordable.

Trump is given a chance to respond to the question again. He replies by defending his conduct as president.

"They rate me as one of the best, and if I'm given another four years I will be the best," Trump says.

BBC Verify

Fact check: Trump claims Biden willing to 'rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month'

Earlier in the debate, Biden said he will restore Roe v. Wade if elected to another term.

Trump responded: "So that means he can take the life of the baby in the ninth month and even after birth" and added, "he's willing to, as we say, rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby."

This is wrong - killing a newborn is illegal in every US state, and no state is attempting to pass a law which would change that.

Less than 1% of abortions in the US happen from 28 weeks onwards, according to data from the CDC., external

And 93.5% of abortions happen in the first trimester, so before 13 weeks.

Trump is against Roe v Wade - a court decision dating back to the 1970s which protected the right to an abortion until the fetus becomes viable outside of the womb (after about 24 weeks).

This ruling was repealed in 2022 by the US Supreme Court, which included three Trump-appointed justices.

Trump pledges to free US journalist Evan Gershkovich

Trump has just brought up Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia while doing his job as a journalist.

Trump claims Biden has not done enough to free him. Trump says he will free him before he even takes office if he wins the presidency.

"As soon as I win the election, I will have that reporter out," Trump says.

Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, right, stands in a glass cage prior to a hearing in Russia on 26 June
Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, right, stands in a glass cage prior to a hearing in Russia on 26 June

Candidates asked about their ages

Biden has been asked about his age, and the fact that he will be 86 at the end of a second term - he is, after all, the oldest president ever to be inaugurated.

The president begins by saying that he was often criticised for being one of the youngest US lawmakers, and that Trump is "three years younger and a lot less competent".

"Look at the record. Look at how I turned around the terrible situation he left me," he adds, before listing off some of his accomplishments.

Asked about his own age - he's 78 now and would be 82 at the end of a second term - Trump says he "aced" two cognitive tests, before insulting Biden.

"We knock on wood, wherever we have wood, I'm in very good health," he says, before pivoting to what he believes is a strong golf game.

"He doesn't do it. He can't hit a ball 50 yards," Trump says. "I feel as in good a shape as I was 25, 30 years ago. In fact, I'm a little bit lighter."

Golf takes over the debate

In a more comical moment, the debate has turned into a competition over golf games.

Biden and Trump are comparing athletic records.

Trump teases that Biden couldn't hit a ball 50 yards, and Biden is quick to respond.

"I got my handicap ... down to a six," Biden says. "I told him I'd be happy to play golf if he carries his own bag."

Will Trump respect the result of the election?

Donald Trump motions with his hand while answering a question during the debate

CNN moderators have pressed Trump twice to answer whether he will respect the results of the 2024 election regardless of who wins.

He has ignored the question repeatedly, turning instead to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Dana Bash asks him one more time.

"If it's a fair and legal and good election, absolutely," he says, before repeating unsubstantiated claims that widespread fraud swayed the 2020 election result.

Trump says the world is on the verge of another great war

Before the ad break, Trump took aim at Biden's foreign and military policies, saying that "we are closer to World War III than anybody can imagine."

He said that foreign dictators, like Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Xi Jingping of China, don't respect or fear him.

Biden responded by bringing up Nato's Article 5, which is evoked once a Nato member nation is attacked.

"Right now we're needed," Biden says. "We're needed to protect the world because our own safety is at stake."

He adds that the alternative - allowing Putin to carry out his attack on Kyiv without resistance - is what will bring about a war.


Fact check: Biden claims 40% fewer crossing border illegallypublished at 03:3403:34

A graph of migrant numbers at the US-Mexico border

Biden says: "I've changed it in a way that now you're in a situation where there are 40% fewer people coming across the border illegally, it's better than when he left office."

Since Biden introduced regulations in early June restricting the right for those crossing the border to claim asylum, daily illegal border crossings have averaged roughly 2,000, according to internal Department of Homeland Security data obtained by the BBC’s news partner CBS News. That’s a 47% drop from the 3,800 daily average, external in May.

In 2019, during the Trump administration, illegal border crossings peaked at 4,300, external. But there were months during the Covid pandemic when illegal border crossings averaged fewer than 2,000.

Since February 2021, the US Customs and Border Protection, external agency says there have been 9.6m encounters by enforcement officers (with those having crossed the southern border). This doesn’t mean that number entered the US, as some of these will have been the same person multiple times. Others will have been turned back or deported.

Biden dismisses Trump's 2020 claims

President Joe Biden, right, motions with his hand as he answers a question. Donald Trump is seen on the left slightly smiling.

Before the ad break, in reference to Trump's claims about the 2020 election - which he still claims he won - Biden said Trump was a "whiner" who appealed to courts across the US.

"Not one single court in America said any of your claims had any merit, state or local, none," he says. "But you continue to promote this lie."

Biden also says he doubts Trump will accept the results of the 2024 election.

"You can't stand a loss. Something snapped in you when you lost the last time."

How Biden and Trump did?

Madeline Halpert
US Reporter

According to one expert, it doesn't seem to be going incredibly well for either candidate.

Corwin Smidt, a political science professor at Michigan State University, tells me Biden showed "a lot of weaknesses" and not many strengths.

For one, he says, the visuals, voice, and pace of Biden's responses have made his arguments hard to follow.

"There have been more factual replies and points provided by President Biden, but they get quickly forgotten or obscured by the delivery," Smidt says, adding that some of Biden's attacks on Trump's character have stuck.

Trump's performance, meanwhile, did not show many strengths, but he's displayed fewer weaknesses, the professor says.

"His answers have not been strong in response to the questions asked, but they are touching on concerns and issues his voters care about," Smidt says. "His supporters will see him as the same candidate he was 4 years ago."

Biden pledges child care, reduced inflation

President Joe Biden motions on stage while answering a question during the debate

With the ad break over, Biden has been given two minutes for closing statements.

He focuses on the policy changes he says he plans to bring to the American people.

He talks about his efforts to reduce the price of Insulin and pledges to help families get childcare at a reasonable price.

He also pledges to bring down inflation, a key issue for many Americans.

He says he also wants to keep taxes down for everyday Americans - and claims Trump will raise them.

Debate ends

The CNN Presidential Debate has now ended.

Stick with us as we bring you all the reactions and analysis from the last hour and a half.

Trump closes by saying Americans have been 'living in hell'

In his closing remarks minutes ago, Trump started off by calling Biden "a complainer" who has made the US unsafe and who has worsened the country's reputation on the international stage.

He also claimed that Biden's policies on Iran allowed Hamas to carry out their attacks against Israel, and that "Ukraine should have never happened."

"For three and a half years, we've been living in hell," Trump says of Biden's time as president.

He brought up the series of pro-Palestinian protests in the US since the Israel-Gaza war erupted on 7 October, saying to Biden that "the whole country is exploding because of you, because they don't respect you."

Trump then defended his track record on jobs, the economy and healthcare.

"We're a failing nation, but it's not going to be failing anymore. We're going to make it great again," he concluded.

What just happened?

Donald Trump is seen motioning with his hand on the left of a television split screen with President Joe Biden on the right

The two candidates have just wrapped up the CNN Presidential Debate after about one hour and 40 minutes.

If you missed it, let's recap the evening's event

  • Both candidates have accused the other of lying on topics ranging from veteran's affairs and the border to the state of the US economy and inflation.
  • Trump repeatedly attacked Biden on his handling of the economy and his foreign policy record, as well as immigration and border crossings.
  • Biden, for his part, took aim at Trump's recent criminal convictions and what he says is a threat to democracy.
  • Biden, at times, seemed to lose his train of thought and stumbled at various points, causing what some observers are calling a "panic" in the Democratic Party and Biden-Harris campaign.
  • In fundraising emails, Trump claimed victory in tonight's debate, even as fact-checkers questioned many of his claims.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.