The first presidential debate produced something rare in American politics these days: relative agreement.
It was a bad night for President Joe Biden, who often struggled to get his points across and looked worryingly old.
Former President Donald Trump’s performance was comparatively better, but did little to improve his standing with his many critics.
Here are five things that stood out from the debate.
Biden is faltering
Biden’s performance on the debate stage has worried many in his own party. The 81-year-old president spoke softly, walked slowly to the podium and often flubbed his words, failing to assuage fears that he is too old to govern the country for another four years.
The president defended his age by comparing himself to the 78-year-old Trump. “This guy is three years younger and a lot less competent,” he said.
But on Thursday, Democrats did little to endorse Biden’s views on age concerns.
After the debate, Vice President Kamala Harris admitted Biden was off to a “slow start” during an appearance on CNN, saying she was more interested in covering the final three and a half years of Biden’s presidential term than the 90-minute debate against Trump.
“Yes, it was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris said. “I understand why everyone wants to talk about it, but I think it’s also important to recognize that the choice in November between these two people who were on the debate stage carries extraordinary stakes.”
By contrast, the debate format appeared to work in Trump’s favor Thursday night. The former president was more restrained than he was during the 2020 presidential debates, due to a lack of an audience. Trump interrupted Biden so often four years ago that Biden asked him to “shut up.”
Trump unwilling to accept election results
CNN moderators of the debate asked Trump if he would commit to accepting the outcome of the race. He did not directly answer the question the first two times it was asked.
When asked a third time, Trump gave an evasive answer, but stuck to the disputed claim that widespread fraud contributed to his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
“If it’s a fair, legal and good election, absolutely. I would much rather have accepted this one. But the fraud and everything else was ridiculous.”
Dozens of lawsuits across the country have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, which has failed to quell a steady stream of Republican-led conspiracy theories about the security of U.S. elections, including in Arizona.
Biden attacks Roe overturn, while Trump doubles down on his efforts
Both candidates have made strong, if meandering, statements about their positions on abortion rights — a top issue in Arizona that is widely expected to boost Democratic turnout in the coming election cycle.
Biden promised to return America to the standards set in 1973 in the Roe vs. Wade of the Supreme Court, blaming Trump for the changing rules around abortion rights.
His campaign has emphasized that the Trump presidency has paved the way for state-level abortion restrictions, such as those on the books in Arizona.
“The idea … that the founders wanted politicians to be the ones making decisions about women’s health is ridiculous,” Biden said.
Trump said overturning Roe v. Wade was “something that everybody wanted” and “right now the states control it. That’s the voice of the people.”
Trump said Biden and Democrats are prepared to rip babies from the womb in the final days of pregnancy. Abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy account for less than 1% of all abortions, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trump continued: “We think the Democrats are the radicals, not the Republicans.”
For other Democrats, the distance to Biden could widen
The political aftershocks are just beginning, but it’s notable that Arizona’s most prominent Democrats did not defend the president shortly after pundits poured in after the debate.
U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego is also participating in the state campaign. His campaign has long kept its distance from the Biden campaign.
Biden has consistently trailed Trump in polls in Arizona, while Gallego has generally been ahead of his main Republican challenger, Kari Lake, since Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) indicated in March she would not seek re-election.
Lake has long portrayed Gallego as a “rubber stamp” for Biden, while presenting herself as “Trump in heels.”
Thursday’s debate is likely to reinforce the strategies of both Gallego and Lake.
Those running for the U.S. House of Representatives seem likely to fall into a similar pattern.
Democrats haven’t really run for a Biden-oriented team anyway, and they’re probably not eager to do so now.
Meanwhile, Republicans have generally embraced Trump as leader of their party and will welcome Democrats’ commitment to Biden.
Candidates look back, not forward
Biden and Trump offered little in terms of a vision for the future Thursday evening. Instead, the couple looked back. They argued over the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
When asked how they would prevent Social Security from running out of money over the next decade, neither Trump nor Biden had much to say.
“Let the very wealthy start paying their fair share,” Biden said, with a vague call for higher taxes. When pressed by moderators for more details, Biden said, “That one enough will keep it solvent.” Trump provided even less, claiming that Biden is allowing undocumented immigrants into the country, which is putting a strain on Social Security.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 Debate Points: Biden Falters, Trump Noncommittal on Elections
