The two men traded barbs on abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, their handling of the economy and even their golf games as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.
Biden's allies tried to put a brave face on the evening, and two White House officials said Biden had a cold.
But the president's poor performance rattled his fellow Democrats and will likely deepen voter concerns that the 81-year-old is too old to serve another four-year term.
One top Biden donor, who did not want to be identified while criticizing the president, called his performance "disqualifying" and said he expected a fresh round of calls for him to step aside ahead of the party's national convention in August.
Vice President Kamala Harris, appearing on CNN after the debate, acknowledged what she called Biden's "slow start," but argued that voters should judge him and Trump based on their years in office.
"I'm not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I've been watching the last three-and-a-half years of performance," she told CNN host Anderson Cooper.
A hoarse-sounding Biden stumbled over his words on several occasions during the debate's first half-hour. But he found his footing at the halfway mark when he attacked Trump over his conviction for covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, calling him a "felon." In response, Trump brought up the recent conviction of Biden's son, Hunter, for lying about his drug use to buy a gun.
Moments later, Biden noted that almost all of Trump's former Cabinet members, including former vice president Mike Pence, have not endorsed his campaign.
This story is from the June 29, 2024 edition of The Philippine Star.
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This story is from the June 29, 2024 edition of The Philippine Star.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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