The first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump featured heated exchanges on key issues such as inflation, immigration, abortion rights, and foreign policy. According to a CNN poll conducted after the debate, 67% of viewers believed Trump won, while 33% thought Biden emerged victorious. Several factors contributed to the perception that Trump outperformed Biden:
1. **Performance Expectations and Delivery:**
  - Before the debate, 55% of voters expected Trump to perform better than Biden. This expectation likely influenced viewers' perceptions during and after the debate.
  - Trump appeared more composed and coherent, particularly in the first 20 minutes, which contrasted with Biden's performance that some described as mumbling and incoherent.
2. **Polling and Viewer Reactions:**
  - The CNN poll results indicated a significant preference for Trump’s performance. Comparatively, after the final 2020 presidential debate, 53% of viewers felt Biden won, showing a shift in sentiment.
  - Observers and commentators on social media highlighted Trump's strong answers and criticized Biden's perceived confusion.
3. **Media Commentary:**
  - Columnists like Josh Barro from The New York Times noted Biden’s failure to reassure voters of his capability to lead, highlighting his age and coherence as significant concerns.
  - Michelle Goldberg also criticized Biden’s performance, suggesting that it would renew calls for him to consider stepping down from the race.
4. **Reactions from Biden's Team:**
  - Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Jill Biden defended Biden’s performance, emphasizing a strong finish and his command of the facts. However, their defense did not fully mitigate the negative perceptions formed during the debate.
5. **Concerns within the Democratic Party:**
  - Some Democratic leaders expressed concern over Biden’s performance. Jay Surdukowski, a Democratic activist, went as far as to declare Biden’s campaign in jeopardy.
Overall, the debate's outcome, as perceived by the majority of viewers and commentators, leaned in favor of Trump. This initial victory in the debate series has set the tone for the upcoming electoral battle, with Biden's team looking to rebound in subsequent debates.
