Biden, Trump, face off in historic debate matchup

President Biden and former President Donald Trump, in a repeat historic presidential rematch clashed repeatedly, Thursday night, June 27, in their first debate of the 2024 presidential election.

The debate hosted by the CNN with other news outlets logged on and beaming live updates in real time also got fact checkers on their feet verifying evidence as candidates sparred over numerous topics, including the economy, abortion, immigration and health care costs.

Hosted by CNN at the cable network’s studios in Atlanta, the debate featured a new set of rules: there was no studio audience, the candidates’ microphones were muted when their opponent spoke, no prewritten notes were allowed and neither candidate presented opening statements. Trump had the final word during closing statements, as determined by a coin flip.

Nevertheless, the rhetoric got heated at times. Biden at one point referred to Trump as a "felon," a reference to his recent 34 guilty counts in a hush money trial. Trump called Biden "Brandon," a derogatory nickname his followers have adopted for the president. The two called each other the worst president in the history of the country.

The debate which was atypically early — more than four months before voters head to the polls on November 5, 2024, marked the first major showdown between the two candidates. 

In a sign of how early in the election cycle Thursday's debate occurred, both Trump and Biden have yet to officially receive their party's nominations, which will come at the party conventions later this summer.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, have been running close in polls all year. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll earlier this month showed Biden leading Trump by a scant 46%-44% margin. Only the two frontrunners appeared on stage, Thursday night, with independent and third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Cornel West failing to qualify.

Biden and Trump are currently scheduled to meet one more time on the debate stage before the election, on September 10. That debate will be hosted by ABC News.

Over on X, formerly known as Twitter, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, streamed his own debate after not qualifying for CNN's debate. The network required participating candidates to be on enough state ballots to secure 271 electoral votes and have at least 15% support in four approved national polls. Kennedy is officially on the ballot in only seven states and achieved 15% support in only three polls.

Called "The Real Debate," Kennedy's event streamed from Los Angeles in front of a large screen that streamed CNN's debate. John Stossel, a former ABC and Fox Business host, was Kennedy's moderator — although, since Kennedy was responding to CNN's questions, Stossel's main job was to make sure Kennedy didn't go over time.

The stream ran close to three hours and accumulated 6 million views, according to X.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SMAGOGA Renovates Goretti College Administrative Block

Image
Cross section of delegates of SMAGOGA, staff and students of St. Maria Goretti Girls' Grammar School, Benin City, during the commissioning of their administrative block. By Bernadette Idalu Members of St. Maria Goretti Old Girls Association, SMAGOGA, (North American Chapter) on Monday, March 10, 2025, commissioned for use, the administrative block of St. Maria Goretti Girls' Grammar School, Benin City. Addressing elated staff and students of the college, President, SMAGOGA, Lucy Dunmi Ukponmwan, reminded guests and the school community that the renovated administrative building " Is a symbol of hope, a place where dreams are nurtured" hence "It is our collective responsibility that the students feel valued and supported." Global Publicity Secretary, SMAGOGA, Janet Adenrele said the caliber of people who turned up to witness the commissioning showed its value. Reflecting on values and excellence of the school which incidentally has been in existen...
Read more

Panelist calls on Okpebholo to make policies that are of utmost benefit to ordinary people

Image
Panelists- L-R: Prof. Onoho'Omhen Ebhohimhen; Dr. Paddy Iyamu; Prof. Felix Oriakhi; Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole and Barr. Paul Ohonbamu as they tackled questions of stakeholders. By Bernadette Idalu In furtherance of activities marking the hundred days in office of Governor Monday Okpebholo, the New Festival Hall, Dennis Osadebey Avenue, Government House, Benin City, was today, Friday, February 21, 2025, set alight with tantalizing ideas and advocacies, with a call on Mr. Governor, by a panelist, to make policies that impact, align and of utmost benefit to the ordinary people. Taking this stand, Prof. Onoho'Omhen Ebhohimhen from Mewar International University, Abuja, encouraged the governor to impact on policies that are beneficial to the ordinary people to stem the tide of, "People of no ambition giving birth to those of no aspiration." He observed, " When leaders are shaped by the toughness of society, they tend to be more public policy oriented to b...
Read more

Idahosa flags off environmental sanitation exercise in Benin and environs ...Calls on residents to take ownership of exercise as he inspects donated waste management equipment

Image
By Bernadette Idalu The Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the National Museum Ground, Oba Ovonranmwen Kings Square,  Benin City, flagged off Edo State's reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with a call on residents to implement the sanitation exercise. The deputy governor who thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for giving directives for the flag off and implementation of the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, called on all Edo state residents clustered within the eighteen local government areas of the state to comply with the laid down environmental sanitation exercise and timeline, operational every last Saturday of the month, from 7-10am. Idahosa in his address, called on all to see the exercise as a clarion call and a civic responsibility to take ownership of "our environment, cherish the land we call our homes, to make for a healthier and more sustainable state that guarantees heal...
Read more