The two candidates presented different policy views and debated a range of policy issues, from how to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, economic performance, jobs, abortion rights, the fight against inflation, border security, immigration… to foreign affairs issues such as the tariff war with China, the conflict in Ukraine, relations with NATO allies, policy towards Iran, or how to handle the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas…

The first live debate between the two candidates in the 2024 US presidential election.

The most talked about and hotly debated topic was related to the effectiveness of economic management, fighting inflation and creating jobs. Former President Trump attacked current President Biden for causing the world’s number one economy to suffer record high inflation and a gloomy job market. However, President Biden said that his administration had brought the US economy out of the “ghost” of recession due to the wrong policies of his predecessor, pulling the unemployment rate from a very high level of 15% to only about 4% as it is now.

According to a CNN poll conducted immediately after the debate, the majority of viewers rated former President Trump as having performed better than President Biden, with 67% and 33% respectively. In addition, 57% of respondents said they did not believe in President Biden’s ability to govern, and 44% said they did not really believe in Trump’s ability to become president.

The US political world also had mixed reactions to the results of the first debate between the two candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. Majority leader of the US House of Representatives Steve Scalise assessed that candidate Trump had an outstanding performance and was the winner in this first direct “fight”. Florida Senator Marco Rubio said that the debate would help many Americans realize that Mr. Donald Trump is more suitable to become the next president of the United States.

However, President Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said the incumbent US President had a good performance in the Atlanta debate, presenting a “positive and winning vision” for the road ahead. Vice President Kamara Harris urged American voters to focus on President Biden’s achievements and performance, not his image on a television stage.

According to a New York Times poll, 8 in 10 respondents (81%) said the performance of candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the first live debate would not affect their decision if the election were held today.