Donald Trump and Joe Biden faced off for the first time since 2020 on Thursday night. Trump made several false claims throughout the debate, including that Nancy Pelosi “turned down” his offer to send thousands of soldiers and the National Guard to the US Capitol during the January 6 2021 insurrection.
Meanwhile, Biden’s debate performance was marred by his raspy voice, jumbled words and repeatedly interrupting his own sentences.
Neither candidate hesitated to take shots at the other — and there was no handshake between the two candidates as they took the stage.
Social media reacted to the 90-minute debate with a mixture of horror and humor.
“All of the US right now,” a user wrote on X (X)
“bro this debate,” Connor Franta wrote on X (X)
“Biden has looked like this the entire debate,” a user wrote on X (X)
“Give him one of the panera lemonades maybe,” a user wrote on X (X)
“I say give them both a Roku remote and the first one to start a movie gets to be president,” a user wrote on X (X)
“Biden coughing like Beth in Little Women I’m sure it’s fine,” a user wrote on X (X)
“Biden is saying true s*** incoherently,” one X user said. “Trump is saying fake s*** coherently. We’re f*****.” (@amandastern/X)
“DEBATE NIGHT IN AMERICA! Sweet Jesus! The networks are packaging this as entertainment, like a boxing match, and selling democracy down the river,” Stephen King wrote on X. “It’s a shame” (X)
“Bruh if y’all not watching Trump embarrass Biden in this debate… y’all missing out on pure comedy,” a user wrote on X. (X)
