The first debate was a complete disaster for Joe Biden
It was a high-stakes gamble for the president, who has consistently trailed the former president in both national and swing state polls.
It went horribly.
From the very beginning of the debate, there was an unmistakable frailty to Biden's demeanor.Responding to the CNN moderator Jake Tapper's first question, which was about the economy, Biden appeared out of breath. He hastily began reciting facts while slurring and occasionally omitting words.
At times, Biden uttered nonsensical phrases.
On another question about the war in Gaza, Biden flubbed, saying, "We are the biggest producer of support for Israel of anyone in the world."
During another question about the national debt, Biden inexplicably concluded by saying "We finally beat Medicare."
"Well, he's right," Trump responded. "He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death."
Trump, for his part, effectively capitalized on Biden's weak performance, maintaining a calm demeanor and staying disciplined while occasionally making jabs at the president.
"I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence," said Trump. "I don't think he knows what he said either."
Over the course of the debate, Biden's voice grew slightly less hoarse. But the incoherence in many of his responses remained.
...Even as the former president maintained a relatively even keel at the debate, he told a litany of lies.
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It hardly ended up mattering: Biden's poor performance outshined all of it.
