Biden, Trump face off in first presidential debate in 2024 election

ATLANTA, the United States, June 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took the stage at CNN's Atlanta studio Thursday night for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election.

Without shaking hands, Democratic incumbent Biden and his Republican rival Trump engaged in fierce exchanges that lasted about 90 minutes and featured frequent personal attacks. They debated a range of topics including U.S. economic policy, immigration and border issues, abortion rights, foreign policy, health care, and climate change.

The two candidates accused each other of being unfit to serve as president of the United States. Biden called Trump a "loser," emphasizing that he has been convicted in criminal cases which made him a "felon."

Trump countered by calling Biden the "worst president in U.S. history," claiming that the United States is a "failing country" under the Biden administration. He also suggested that Biden might face criminal charges after leaving office.

During the debate, Biden made several verbal slips, and his speech was at times unclear. According to U.S. media reports, some Democrats were disappointed with Biden's performance. Although Trump spoke for a longer time than Biden, he failed to answer some of the questions directly, and his statements contained many exaggerations and falsehoods.

Many television viewers took to social media to complain, describing the debate as a "disaster," a "train wreck," and a "waste of time," expressing concerns about America's future.

Multiple polls show that the majority of American voters are weary of another Biden-Trump matchup in the 2024 presidential election, with the proportion of voters holding negative views of both candidates reaching the highest level in 30 years.

The second presidential debate for the 2024 U.S. election, to be hosted by ABC, will take place on Sept. 10.