al jazeera

By Brian Osgood and Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
   United States President Joe Biden has squared off against his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, in their first debate since the 2020 election cycle.

    Thursday night’s quick-fire rematch of the longtime political adversaries took place at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

    Polls show Trump and Biden in a dead heat leading up to the November 5 general elections, but critics were especially harsh about Biden’s performance, which was perceived as fumbling.

    Biden and Trump exchanged barbs over global wars in Ukraine and Gaza; immigration; and threats to US democracy.

    The debate comes at an unusual time in the US election cycle, before either candidate has been officially named their party’s nominee. But both Trump and Biden pushed for an earlier debate to ensure they could reach voters before early voting begins in September.

    Here’s a recap of the first US presidential debate

    Our live coverage is soon coming to a close. Here is a look at what we learned after the first presidential debate of the 2024 US election cycle:

•     President Joe Biden’s performance has sparked concern among Democrats, after he was seen to flounder while articulating points about immigration, abortion and other key issues.
•     Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, repeated falsehoods, whipping up concern that immigration would lead to higher crime rates and accusing Democrats of “ripping” babies from the womb.
•     Trump also deflected when asked if he would honour the results of the 2024 election, saying he would only do so if the results were “free” and “fair”. He then reiterated false claims that he lost the 2020 race to Biden as a result of “fraud”.
•     Protesters also gathered outside the debate venue in Atlanta, Georgia, to call attention to the US’s role in Israel’s war in Gaza and call on both candidates to push for a ceasefire.
•     But even after Biden’s uneven performance, Democrats largely rallied around the former president, despite rumblings he should be replaced.