U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump opened their first 2024 Presidential debate without shaking hands and went right to mixing it up on policy Thursday night. Some key moments from their 90-minute faceoff.

Economic fireworks

Their first exchange delved into the economy. Mr. Biden spoke softly, in a hoarse voice, as he talked up the economic gains on his watch, saying he rescued it from “free fall” and “chaos” when he took over the presidency from Mr. Trump in 2021. He cleared his throat several times.

Mr. Trump listened with a bemused expression but did not try to interrupt, though his microphone was muted while Biden spoke.

When it was his turn to speak, Mr. Trump bragged about the state of the economy during his term, saying “everything was rocking good.” He blamed Biden for rising prices that have frustrated Americans.

“Inflation is killing our country,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s absolutely killing us.”

Candidates tangle over who’s extreme on abortion

Mr. Biden blamed Mr. Trump for eroding abortion rights after the Republican’s three appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court voted to reverse Roe v. Wade, which had recognised a nationwide constitutional right to abortion. The reversal has energised many voters who support abortion rights and it helped power Democratic victories in the 2022 midterms and special elections.

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“It’s been a terrible thing what you’ve done,” Mr. Biden said, turning to his rival. He pledged to restore the law under Roe if given a second term but didn’t say how he’d accomplish that. He said the idea of turning abortion laws back to states “is like saying we’re going to turn civil rights back to the states.”

Mr. Trump said his presidency returned the issue of abortion to the people through state laws. He said he supports abortion ban exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, and he repeated his claim that Mr. Biden supports abortion up to and after birth.

“We think the Democrats are the radicals, not the Republicans,” Mr. Trump said.

Trump pushes January 6 falsehoods

Mr. Trump lied about his role in the January 6, 2021, attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol, and tried to deflect by pivoting to other issues. Pressed on his role, he said he encouraged people to act “peacefully and patriotically,” then changed the subject to launch an attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

He said Mr. Biden ought to “be ashamed” for the way the January 6 defendants have been handled.

Mr. Trump, who has floated the idea of pardons for the 6 rioters, suggested his supporters who stormed the Capitol were actually peaceful and are now being politically persecuted.

In fact, the rioters engaged in hand-to-hand combat with police and used makeshift weapons to attack officers. More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal offenses stemming from the riot, and more than 1,000 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.

“The only person who’s on this stage that’s a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now” Mr. Biden said of his rival.

U.S. President Joe Biden will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during his visit to India for the G20 Summit and his trip to Vietnam, the White House has said.

The announcement on Tuesday came after First Lady Jill Biden, 72, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden, 80, was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday following his wife’s positive test, but his results were negative.

The White House said the president has tested negative twice and there is no change in his travel plans for India and Vietnam later this week.

Responding to questions from reporters, it said the president, however, is taking all the necessary precautions and following standard procedures as per the CDC guidelines.

“What I can tell you is that the president certainly is going to test on a regular cadence determined by his physician. Of course, all travellers, including the president, will test before travelling to India,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Tuesday

“So, that is certainly something that the president will do. As I mentioned, he’s following CDC guidelines,” she said.

Mr. Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the historic meeting, the White House announced on Friday.

In its capacity as the current president of G20, India is hosting the annual summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

Ahead of his trip, reporters asked Mr. Biden on Sunday whether he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam.

“Yes, I am,” Mr. Biden replied.

“The CDC does not recommend testing every day after a close contact. That is their recommendation. We are going to follow the CDC guidelines. They recommend a combination of things, which is masking, testing, and monitoring for symptoms. He has no symptoms. We are going to continue to follow those guidelines. He is going to have those close consultations with his physician,” she said.

Jean-Pierre said all senior staffers test for COVID-19  anytime if they are around the president.

“We do tests. That has been the way we have moved forward for the past almost two years here. So that has not changed. No White House protocol is going to be changing, but when we do have a close engagement with the president, his senior staff and as you all know, or anyone, we do a test,” she noted.

As of now, there is no change in President Biden’s plans, she asserted.

“What I can say right now is that we do not have any changes, any updates or changes to his travel. The president tested negative yesterday. He tested negative this morning and he has no symptoms. He’s feeling good,” the press secretary said.

“Of course, he’s going to be very cautious and he’s going to wear a mask, as the CDC guidelines suggest or request. So that’s how we’re going to move forward. We just don’t have any updates and changes. We don’t have any updates in any schedule and the president’s feeling fine and we’re going to move forward,” she said.

U.S. President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the G20 leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the summit.

PM Modi will hand over the baton of the G20 Presidency to Brazilian President Lula on September 10.

Brazil will formally assume the G20 Presidency on December 1.

The G20 member countries represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).