Analysis: Biden, Trump trade barbs at debate; RFK Jr. responds

Trump on Ukraine: “The money that we’re spending on this war…”

The position from the Biden Administration is that if they don’t continue to support Ukraine in its effort against Russia, the cost will be far greater.

Trump began by again accusing Biden of a “bad border” and claiming that immigrants were entering the country and killing Americans. He said “migrant crime” was at a level never seen before. He called America an uncivilized country due to immigration and claimed that immigrants are living in luxury hotels before pivoting to homeless veterans.

Biden opened by saying that “every single thing he said is a lie.” He responded with his administration’s efforts to help veterans exposed to burn pits and expressed his support for the military, referencing his son Beau Biden’s service. He brought up a Trump quote calling those who died in the military “suckers and losers.”

Trump rebutted by claiming the quote was made up and said Biden should apologize.

Biden hit back by saying it was a general on Trump’s staff who reported the quote and scoffed at the idea he should apologize.

We don’t need to tell you Immigration is a key issue. NewsNation has covered it extensively. Former President Trump as well as Republicans have made it a central campaign issue. Voters tell us they are eager to hear the candidates offer a long-lasting solution. Our team covers the border almost every day and go to places like Yuma, Arizona and El Paso, Texas. But we also went to Albertville, Alabama. While it is nowhere near the border, we saw schools busting at the seams and teachers unable to communicate with students. Some middle-school-aged migrant children had never been inside a classroom. We also spoke with healthcare providers at hospitals who tell us they simply cannot afford to keep treating ill patients who don’t have a way to pay medical bills.

The impact is not just impacting border states.

We also have extensively covered an uptick in random violence. Our story about Jocelyn Nungary is exceptionally heartbreaking.

Will either candidate bring up Georgia’s HB 1105 which passed after the random death of UGA student Laken Riley? Or perhaps SB4 out in Texas? The bill has been making its way up and down the court system.

Governors are taking action. Will either candidate do the same?

In response, Biden said he was the candidate endorsed by the Border Patrol and attacked Trump for policies separating families. He also pointed to recent changes to asylum-seeking, which he said have decreased illegal immigration by 40%.

Trump called the border the most secure under his administration and accused Biden of letting terrorists into the country. He also claimed the Border Patrol endorsed him and claimed people were dying everywhere as a result of immigration.

Biden pushed back, noting there is no data to support Trump’s claims that countries are “emptying prisons” and sending people to the U.S.

Biden said he supports Roe v. Wade and said the idea that politicians shouldn’t be making decisions about a woman’s health is “ridiculous” and said it should be up to doctors.

Trump once again claimed that post-birth abortion is happening, which Biden refuted. Trump claimed states can do “anything they want” in terms of late-term abortion. Many states where abortion is legal do limit the amount of time women may have an abortion.

Biden made the final point by saying that if Republicans passed a law outlawing or severely limiting abortion, he would veto it, and Trump would sign it.

Trump said “everyone” was in favor of returning abortion rights to the states and took credit for appointing Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. He came out in favor of exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. He also claimed Democrats were advocating for “post-birth abortion,” which does not exist.

Biden rebutted by saying Americans don’t want a landscape where access to abortion differs by state. He accused Trump of murdering women by limiting access to abortion services.

Trump returned to the subject of the border again, accusing immigrants Biden allowed into the country to murder people and reiterated his claim that everyone wanted Roe overturned.

RFK Jr. accuses both Trump and Biden of running up a deficit.

“We’ll never deal with inflation if we don’t deal with the money-printing problem,” he says, referring to Biden and Trump’s economic policies.

He said he will “confront” them both about it if given the chance.

“It’s been a terrible thing what you’ve done,” Biden said to Trump on abortion access.

RFK Jr. answers the first question on economy by blasting CNN for disqualifying him from the debate. Says they are making millions on the debate but excluded him.

Calls it “troubling” and says that is why “Americans believe the system is rigged against them.”

He also thanks Elon Musk for his “courage” to broadcast his livestream.

When asked about his plan to expand tax cuts for top earners and corporations, Trump said that would create a better economy and claimed his administration took in more revenue after cutting taxes. He blamed COVID-19 for the economy’s decline. Trump also attacked Biden on vaccine mandates and claimed that more people died during Biden’s administration.

Biden responded by saying Trump increased the national debt and blamed tax cuts on the wealthy for America’s economic woes.

Trump accused Biden of destroying Medicare and Social Security by allowing immigrants to access those services.

Biden is speaking quickly in his opening remarks and trying to pack a lot into his answers, but his voice sounds hoarse and it is immediately noticeable.

The president is standing on the right of the screen tonight after winning a coin flip, which decided that Trump will get the last word.

Biden is wearing a blue tie tonight and Trump is wearing a bright red tie. The candidates did not shake hands after walking out on stage.

The main differences in this debate: muted mics and a new set of rules.

Not so fast … it’s the watch parties.

Restaurants and bars across the D.C. area are expecting a high turnout of viewers. Other cities, such as Atlanta, are also advertising politically-fueled watch parties. The last time Donald Trump and Joe Biden took the debate stage, the COVID-19 pandemic forced political junkies to watch from home.

This go-around, a range of locations are offering deals for viewers to enjoy the discourse over a drink.

It’s not just about the drinking games. Reports are three Democratic governors are out on the West Coast: Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois — they’re hosting a watch party get-together. Proceeds will go to the Biden Victory Fund. Perhaps blue drinks only.

Trump said his plan to increase tariffs on China will not affect consumer prices (without providing details) before returning to the economic question. He accused Biden of taking credit for bounce-back jobs following the pandemic and championed his tax cuts.

The two candidates have taken the stage.

President Biden waving but there was no audience there besides the two moderators.

Former President Trump walking out looking focused and angry.

The lack of the energy from the audience could impact both candidates, who feed off the energy of their crowds at rallies.

This could make Trump appear more focused and serious, which may help him and hurt Biden.

More than 300,000 have tuned into RFK Jr.’s debate livestream as of 8 p.m. CT.

RFK Jr. has begun his livestream, which will play simultaneously with the Biden-Trump debate. He has said he will be answering the same questions given to the president and former president. The forum is being moderated by John Stossel.

Watch here:

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/watch-rfk-jr-debate-response-trump-biden/

Faced with criticism and speculation about his performance from the GOP, President Joe Biden joked about taking “performance enhancers” ahead of the debate. He posed with a can labeled “Dark Brandon’s Secret Sauce” and “GET REAL JACK, IT’S JUST WATER.”

The roughly half-dozen Republicans vying for a chance to join Trump on the ticket are taking their campaigning on the road.

Several of those banded about as top potential VP picks are in Atlanta tonight seeking to boost Trump at his first debate — and go to bat for him.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson are all in Atlanta tonight.

Trump has told reporters he’s already decided on his VP pick but hasn’t disclosed who he is leaning toward. He plans to announce his selection at the Republican National Convention in July.

Republican National Committee co-chair and Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump says the muted microphones in tonight’s debates are designed to help Biden.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stances on key issues like vaccines and abortion rights have made headlines during his campaign to challenge President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Here is a roundup of what he’s said so far:

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/watch-rfk-jr-debate-response-trump-biden/

While millions are putting the kids to bed and cooling off on the couch, Vegas bookies are taking last-minute bets.

According to the DraftKings Network, odds are set.

DraftKings Sportsbook says former President Donald Trump is the favorite over President Joe Biden and will take back his residence on Pennsylvania Avenue come January 2025.

Full disclosure: This is not solidified polling endorsed by NewsNation. But other notable figures are getting thrown in the ring. Less than an hour before debate time, popular names such as Michelle Obama and Gavin Newsom are making the list.

Person to win 2024 Presidential Election

• Donald Trump −155
• Joe Biden +160
• Michelle Obama +1600
• Gavin Newsom +2000
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. +3500
• Hillary Clinton +4000
• Kamala Harris +4000
• Nikki Haley +6500
• Gretchen Whitmer +10000
• Elizabeth Warren +20000

Party to win 2024 Presidential Election

• Republicans −155
• Democrats +120
• Independent +3500

Bill O’Reilly told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that this may be the second most historic debate, falling only behind the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, which set the country on the path to abolishing slavery.

“It’s not about Biden and Trump, but the systems they represent,” O’Reilly said.

Both candidates have suggested the other would change democracy in America as we know it as they promote their platforms.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is an environmental lawyer who has fought for causes such as clean water. He is running as an independent.

Kennedy belongs to one of the most famous American political families. His uncle was President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., served as attorney general and as a U.S. senator before seeking the Democratic nomination for president.

However, some members of Kennedy’s family have criticized his views and have publicly thrown their support behind President Biden.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows him polling at a little more than 7%, well behind the major party presumptive nominees.

A critical question for any incumbent is whether voters feel they are better off than they were before he was elected.

For Biden, that means addressing inflation and an economy that many Americans feel isn’t working for them, as well as frustration from young voters and voters of color over his handling of the war in Gaza.

But what makes this debate different is that Trump will also have a presidential record to fall back on, reminding people of what life was like under his administration. For voters, that may mean looking back to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his record of conflict with international allies.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom reiterated support for President Joe Biden in a spin room interview with NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer, calling Biden’s first term a “master class in delivering for the American people.” He called Biden “one of the most skilled debaters in history” and addressed concerns about the president’s age by saying, “We’re going to see a strong and vigorous president” at the debate.

NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer spotted prominent Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida in the spin room, each present to support their party’s candidate. She also reports seeing Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, former Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy and GOP strategist and former 2016 Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

RFK Jr., who did not qualify for tonight’s debate, posted on X asking voters to tune in to his livestream, where he will answer the same debate questions as Trump and Biden.

“We all know what to expect from Presidents Biden and Trump on CNN’s debate stage tonight. Arguments, name calling, accusations, and culture war issues– but no debate on most of the subjects that matter to Americans. That’s because Trump and Biden aren’t so different when it comes down to it. Both represent corporations, private equity firms, pharma, and the military-industrial complex – the interests of which determine what they can talk about,” Kennedy posted on X.

“The good news is that you can still see the three-man debate.”

These two men have hurled plenty of invective at each other over the years. Tonight will likely be no different.

From Trump’s hush money trial, Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict, claims of performance-enhancers and assertions about fuzzy mental acuity on both sides, tonight’s matchup is ripe for personal barbs.

It’s worth remembering some of the insults and name-calling lobbed at their first on-stage clash in 2020:

Biden on Trump: “Everybody knows he’s a liar” … “The worst president America has ever had” … “This clown”

Trump on Biden: “A disaster” … “Liar” … “There’s nothing smart about you”

With Biden revving attacks labeling his opponent a “convicted felon” and Trump dubbing his rival a “lying machine,” expect the debate insult lexicon to have a few new entries tonight.

President Biden and former President Trump will go head-to-head on stage in Atlanta tonight for their first debate of the 2024 election and their third in four years.

Here are five things to watch:

1. Which Trump shows up tonight?

Trump delivered a disruptive performance in the pair’s first debate in 2020, repeatedly interjecting as Biden tried to speak.

A month later, at their second and final debate, Trump was much more subdued and polished — though both still landed some punches.

It’s an open question heading into this faceoff which side of Trump will show up, with the candidate himself recently surveying supporters on which version they want to see.

“How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty … and just say, ‘You’re the worst president in history’? Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?” Trump asked a crowd in Philadelphia over the weekend.

We’ll likely get some version of both tonight, but with mics muted when candidates aren’t asked to speak, there will be far less opportunity for Trump to unilaterally take command.

2. How much will Trump and Hunter Biden’s convictions play into the night?

The political and legal worlds have intertwined more closely this election than any other in modern history.

Trump was found guilty by a New York jury in late May in the first of four criminal cases against him. Trials in the other three cases — two federal cases and one in Georgia — likely won’t happen before the November election.

Biden initially kept the proceedings against Trump in Manhattan at arm’s length but has more recently leaned into highlighting his rival’s newfound status as a convicted felon.

Trump will be sentenced in New York in the coming weeks, while a Supreme Court decision about his potential immunity from prosecution on federal charges of election subversion still looms over this debate.

Meanwhile, the president’s son was found guilty on three federal gun charges earlier this month in a widely publicized trial that put on display the inner turmoil within the Biden family centered on Hunter Biden’s past drug use.

Trump is likely to put his own spotlight on Hunter Biden — a tact that carries its own risks — by specifically going after his abandoned laptop and GOP claims seeking to link the president to his son’s business dealings.

3. Does Biden come out swinging?

The president has been dogged throughout his campaign by questions over his age and mental acuity (he’s the oldest president ever, surpassing the previous record set by Trump).

Republicans had a field day with special counsel Robert Hur’s description of the president as an “elderly man with a poor memory” and various verbal and physical slipups have been fodder for continued attacks.

Trump and his allies have baselessly claimed heading into this debate that the only way Biden will be able to recreate his feisty State of the Union performance tonight is if he is “jacked up.”

For Biden, touting his experience and ability to advance legislation through Congress will only go so far. He will need to show some spunk to allay concerns among voters over whether he’s up for another four years.

Fully 1 in 4 voters (25%) in a CBS News/YouGov poll explicitly said they are most interested in seeing if the candidates have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president.

Put another way, 82% said they are watching primarily to see how the candidates “perform.”

More than two-thirds of Democrats, 68%, want Biden to be “more forceful” at the debate. By contrast, 70% of Republicans said they want Trump to be “more polite.”

4. How does Biden defend himself on immigration, inflation?

The economy and immigration have been among the top issues for voters for months, and two where Republicans smell blood.

Biden, who wants to focus on abortion and Jan. 6 tonight, has sought to blunt attacks over the migrant crisis with fresh moves on immigration, including an order halting asylum processing.

Those actions, announced three weeks ago, have precipitated a 40% drop in encounters at the border, the administration announced Wednesday.

Senior administration officials have also fanned across the country to tout efforts aimed at curbing high prices for energy and housing as well as boosting wages for workers.

Biden has also homed in on drug prices — an issue particularly salient for older Americans, who are the most reliable voters — with his administration on Wednesday announcing lower costs for 64 prescription drugs for those on Medicare.

Still, high prices for millions of Americans and large numbers of migrants entering the U.S. will remain key attack points for Trump against Biden.

5. Will the new format survive?

Tonight’s debate will be the earliest presidential faceoff in history, taking place before both major party candidates are formally nominated at their party’s respective conventions.

It’s also the first time in more than three decades the two major party candidates will face off at a debate not organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (both camps worked directly with CNN this time).

If tonight’s debate goes off without major hiccups, it’ll likely offer a path for presidential matchups in future years.

There will also be huge interest in the role of tonight’s moderators and how Trump engages with them.

In 2020, Biden won by flipping key swing states, including Georgia. Those states will be critical again in 2024, as polls have shown both candidates getting wins and losses among key demographics.

In Georgia, Biden and Trump will be hoping to reach suburban moderates around Atlanta, a part of the state that turned it blue in 2020.

For Biden, that will mean addressing voter concerns over inflation and an economy that many Americans feel isn’t working for them as well as it is for Wall Street. For Trump, it will mean working to reassure voters about his legal woes after being indicted on election interference charges in the state.