Last night was the first U.S. Presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on CNN. This debate was earlier than usual in the election cycle so we’ll see how this sets the tone for the rest of the campaign.

Top Issues in the Presidential Debate

Economy

• Biden and Trump defended their economic policies, jobs, and infrastructure.
• Trump attacked Biden on inflation and said cut taxes and regulations to grow the economy.

Healthcare

• Joe Biden said to expand access to healthcare and protect the ACA.
• Trump said repeal and replace the ACA with a market-based system, would lower costs and improve quality.

Foreign Policy

• President Biden mentioned his administration’s work to rebuild alliances and counter China and Russia.
• Donald Trump said Biden’s foreign policy is weak on China and he’s the best global leader.
• Biden said take bold action on climate, transition to renewable energy and reduce carbon.
• Trump said energy independence and Biden’s policies are bad for the fossil fuel industry and the economy.

Immigration

• Biden defended his immigration policies, reforming the system and pathway to citizenship for undocumented.
• Trump said these policies are too soft and reiterated his commitment to border security and immigration enforcement.

Health and Fitness for Office

Both candidates talked about their health and fitness for office. President Joe Biden tried to quell concerns about his age by being energetic and clear in his answers while former President Donald Trump tried to reassure voters about his health and endurance.

Debate Structure: Biden and Trump

The CNN presidential debate, held on a debate stage without a live audience in a TV studio, was a departure from the traditional debate format. It allowed the candidates to present their arguments directly to the viewers without interruptions from the audience.

Lowlights and Mistakes: First Presidential Debate

Interruptions and Talking Over Each Other:

• The Biden-Trump debate saw both candidates talking over each other, making it hard for the moderators to control and for viewers to follow.

Personal Attacks

• The first presidential debate turned into personal attacks instead of policy issues, lowering the overall quality of the discussion.

No Details

• Both President Trump and former President Biden were criticized for not having detailed plans or clear solutions for the issues, just vague and repetitive statements.

Fact Check

• Some of the candidates’ claims were later found to be false or misleading by fact-checkers.

Social Media Reaction

…I can't believe that just happened. pic.twitter.com/qbbQDnjkDP

— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) June 28, 2024

Tonight was a clear victory … for memes

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2024

Next debate is on September 10, 2024, on ABC. This early debate will matter a lot as the campaign goes into November.