The first presidential debate showdown of 2024 was full of extraordinary moments.
From the start, President Biden’s advanced age was on full display after he froze mid-sentence just 12 minutes in. He also repeatedly cleared his throat due to a cold.
Meanwhile, Trump vehemently denied calling dead American soldiers ‘suckers and losers’ and was put on the spot about his alleged affair with pornstar Stormy Daniels, which he denied.
Later, Biden fumbled another answer about the southern border crisis, to which Trump responded: ‘I really don’t know what he just said.’
The two candidates went into depth on the state of the economy, medicare, the opioid crisis and a slew of topics of most import to Americans voting in November.
Democrat and Republican political experts almost all agreed on who clearly ended up on top at the end of the night. DailyMail.com breaks down analysis from top political minds:
The first presidential debate showdown of 2024 was full of shocking moments
David Litt: Biden will ‘lose the news cycle’ but Trump’s comments were damaging
President Obama’s top speechwriter David Litt told DailyMail.com that Biden’s cold was ‘unfortunate’ since voters already have concerns about his age.
However, ‘Biden got better and better as the debate went on – his voice got stronger, and he called out Trump’s lies more aggressively.’
‘The question will be whether the conventional wisdom was set in the first 15 minutes, Biden’s weakest.’
He went on to say the substance of Trump’s responses – on January 6, ‘cozying’ to Putin and ‘cheating on his pregnant wife with a porn star’ – is damaging for the ex-president.
President Obama’s top speechwriter David Litt said that Biden’s cold was ‘unfortunate’ since voters already have concerns about his age
David Litt told DailyMail.com: ‘The question will be whether the conventional wisdom was set in the first 15 minutes, Biden’s weakest’
‘Undecided voters have questions about Biden’s age and Trump’s temperament. I suspect both were exacerbated tonight,’ Litt told DailyMail.com.
‘Biden didn’t have a good debate, and I think he’ll lose the news cycle, but Trump’s comments are likely to matter more in the long run.’
Jonathan Bronitsky: ‘Flawless victory for Trump’ who ‘flattened’ Biden
Bronitsky, former chief speechwriter for Attorney General Bill Barr and co-founder and CEO of ATHOS, called it the ‘most lopsided debate victory in modern presidential history.’
He told DailyMail.com that Trump was ‘all business’ and was ‘confident yet concise.’
Bronitsky added that the ex-president ‘patiently waited to hit Biden with the force and pinpoint accuracy of a Hellfire missile.’
‘Now we know—there weren’t enough stockpiles of experimental drugs on the East Coast to prevent Biden from zoning out, wheezing, and gasping for air.’
David Axelrod: There is a ‘sense of shock’ about Biden’s performance
Axelrod, Obama’s former senior adviser, said on CNN that if the debate is judged on policy, Biden scored points on abortion and the economy.
From the moment that the historic debate started, President Biden’s advanced age was on full display
‘There is a sense of shock about how he came out at the beginning of this debate. About how his voice sounded. He seemed a little bit disoriented.’
‘There are going to be discussions about whether he should continue,’ he added, saying he didn’t know ‘whether they’ll lead to anything.’
Jenny Beth Martin: ‘Biden’s attacks on Trump fell flat’
Martin, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund President, told DailyMail.com that there was a ‘clear contrast’ between the candidates.
‘Tonight, President Trump delivered a strong and positive contrast to President Biden on the issues that matter most to grassroots conservatives and all Americans – inflation, the border crisis, crime, and corruption.’
‘Biden’s attacks on Trump fell flat, with Trump successfully contrasting the success of his four years in office with Biden’s miserable four years. Trump won the debate, plain and simple.’
Martin, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund President, told DailyMail.com that there was a ‘clear contrast’ between the candidates
Max Burns: It’s ‘political malpractice’ to say debate helped Biden
Democratic strategist Max Burns issued a scathing assessment of the debate on X.
‘I am not a Biden campaign staffer, nor am I a Bidenworld confidante. I don’t know if high-level conversations are happening right now about Biden’s concerning performance, but it would be political malpractice to pretend tonight advanced the Biden campaign.’
‘If Biden sounds like this talking to the American people, imagine how he comes across to foreign leaders and adversaries. The stakes are so high in this race — our national security depends on voters electing President Trump.’
Jessica Anderson: The debate ‘killed’ Biden’s candidacy
Anderson, President of Sentinel Action Fund, told DailyMail.com that U.S. national security hinges on Trump winning in November based on Biden’s performance.
Anderson, President of Sentinel Action Fund, told DailyMail.com that U.S. national security hinges on Trump winning in November
‘Nixon vs. Kennedy is no longer the textbook example of how a TV debate can kill a candidacy. This has supplanted it.’
‘If Biden sounds like this talking to the American people, imagine how he comes across to foreign leaders and adversaries. The stakes are so high in this race — our national security depends on voters electing President Trump.’