President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump exchanged blows concerning both Trump's felony convictions and Hunter Biden's felony conviction during the pair's first debate on the campaign trail.
Roughly 45 minutes into the debate, CNN's Jake Tapper asked Trump to clarify previous statements he made in wake of his 34 felony convictions in Manhattan, in which Trump said he would have "every right to go after" his political opponents.
"Well I said my retribution is success, we're going to make this country successful again," Trump responded, before switching focus onto Biden's son, Hunter, and his recent felony conviction.
"When he talks about a convicted felon, his son is a convicted felon, at a very high level, his son is convicted probably going to be convicted numerous other times," Trump said, adding that "Joe could be a convicted felon with all of the things that he's done, he's done horrible things."
Trump then reiterated his previous stance regarding his recent trial in Manhattan, stating that he did nothing wrong, called Biden a "criminal," and maintained that his trial was rigged and unfair.
Biden fired back at Trump during his response, condemning the idea of a president retaliating against political opponents or "any american" before taking shots at Trump for "having sex with a pornstar" and referring back to his felony convictions and civil penalties.
"I didn't have sex with a pornstar," Trump responded, reiterating his intention to appeal the case.
Trump nods along as Biden notes that Trump was found liable of sexual assault
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 28, 2024
"I didn't have sex with a porn star," Trump replies (note that he doesn't deny the assault) pic.twitter.com/HzNZt6oPiU
Biden and Trump both attempted to use the debate to reach undecided voters in seven key swing states that are expected to decide the election. Pre-debate polling showed Trump leading in those states but with a very small margin.
This is the first time they have been on the same stage or even spoken since their last debate leading up to the 2020 election.
With the general election still four months away, this June debate was the earliest ever held in a presidential campaign with neither candidate having the official nomination of their party. It is also the first time a former president has debated a current president.
The debate was held in an Atlanta studio with no audience. The candidates' microphones were muted when it was not their turn to talk.
The were also two commercial breaks scheduled during the debate, which was not the norm in debates previously held by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. Both campaigns rejected using the commission this year.
