Biden, Trump spar during first presidential debate
The moderators had the ability to mute the mics so that when one candidate was answering a question, the other would not be able to interrupt.
There was no audience to play to, no shouts or applause to slow down the Q and A Thursday night.
This was the first presidential debate between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump.
“Hi is the worst, probably the worst administration in history," Trump said.
"Every single thing he said is a lie. Every single one," Biden countered.
The "CNN Presidential Debate," the earliest-ever election-year match-up between the two major party contenders for the White House, picked up right where it left off nearly four years ago, on Oct. 22, 2020, when they last set foot on a stage together.
On the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic
“Fifty-thousand new jobs. We brought out in a position where we have 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. There's more to be done and more to be done. Working-class people are still in trouble,” Biden said.
“The only jobs he created are for illegal immigrants and bounce back jobs that bounce back from the COVID. He has not done a good job. He's done a poor job. And inflation's killing our country. It is absolutely killing us,” Trump said.
On abortion
“So he's willing to, as we say, rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby,” Trump said.
“We are not for a late-term abortion. Period. Period. Period,” Biden said.
On health care and housing for military veterans
“Under our veterans are on the street. They're dying because he doesn't care about our veterans. He doesn't care. It isn't like the military at all,” Trump said.
Biden countered by recalling 2018 reports that Trump refused to visit a World War I memorial, calling the killed and captured suckers and losers. Biden's late son Beau was an Iraq war veteran.
“My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You are the sucker. You're the loser,” Biden said.
At one point, when debating border security, Trump ceased on one of several moments during the debate, during which Biden appeared shaky on stage.
“We will take care of the border and, um, we um, improving that security…” Biden said.
“I don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows either,” Trump said.
The U.S. Supreme Court did not release its ruling on whether Trump will enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution in his four criminal cases, including one in which he’s scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
The second presidential debate, and quite likely the last, will be broadcast on Sept. 10.