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President Joe Biden gave a fiery speech to a campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday, a day after he struggled badly in the first television debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle against Donald Trump, as Democrats looked on in horror.
Referring to Trump as a “one-man crime wave” the president acknowledged his age and limitations but said the stakes were too high and promised he could do the job. He also received the backing of former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in social media posts.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden later flew to New York to speak at the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center alongside Elton John.
During the CNN showdown in Atlanta, Biden appeared frail and raspy, with the White House later saying he had a cold. Amid gaffes and misstatements, the president later rallied to rebuke Trump over his sordid personal history and record in office.
Trump repeated lies and falsehoods throughout, often failing to answer questions. He was pressed three times on whether he would accept November’s results.
Pundits discussed the possibility of Biden stepping down as the Democratic candidate. Lobbying for Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, or Gretchen Whitmer to take over has reportedly begun.

Biden makes pit stop at Waffle House in Atlanta after first presidential debate
Joe Biden and his wife Jill stopped at a Waffle House in the Atlanta area early on Friday morning (28 June) and told customers “I think we did well” in the presidential debate. The unexpected visit came shortly after the president’s heated clash with rival Donald Trump on CNN. Walking into the restaurant, the pair were warmly received by diners and staff, with many taking the opportunity to snap photos and share a few words with the president and first lady. During Thursday night’s debate, Biden sounded hoarse and delivered a shaky, halting performance while his Republican rival Trump battered him with a series of often false attacks.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 11:15
On Thursday night as America watched, two elderly men squabbled over gold handicaps
And then, as Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports, golf came up…
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 09:15
Gloomy Joe Scarborough laments Trump will be next president
The 81-year-old president hoped to silence critics who’ve questioned his age and mental fitness during Thursday evening’s first televised debate of the 2024 election on CNN.
James Liddell has the story.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 07:15
Key takeaways from the first Biden-Trump debate
It was a night of misinformation, abortion, and Democratic panic, as Katie Hawkinson reports.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 05:15

Biden freezes mid-answer during presidential election debate
Joe Biden appeared to freeze and stumble over his words during the first presidential debate on Thursday night (27 June). At times, the US president struggled to stem a barrage of attacks and false claims from his Republican rival Donald Trump. The Biden campaign had hoped that a strong debate would quell concerns among voters that the 81-year-old Democratic incumbent is too old to serve a second four-year term. Instead, a hoarse-sounding Biden stumbled over his words, especially in the early stages of the debate. Two White House officials said mid-debate that the president had a cold, but that only further reflected anxiety about his performance.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 04:15
‘Panic mode’ as Democrats begin calling for Biden to step aside
Ahead of the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Democrats had one piece of advice for President Joe Biden: Be yourself.
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi said it. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is running for Senate in Biden’s home state of Delaware said it. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent that people should ask what former president Donald Trump needed to do to have “half a chance” at sounding “barely cogent.”
But Democrats began to sound the alarm after Biden’s performance in Atlanta on Thursday evening.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 03:15
US allies fear a new Trump presidency may be one step closer
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 02:15

How late-night TV hosts reacted to Trump vs Biden debate
Joe Biden and Donald Trump went head to head on Thursday night (27 June) in the first presidential debate of 2024. Live on CNN, the two oldest presidential candidates ever exchanged personal insults ahead of the November election, while also clashing on major issues like abortion and tax policy. Biden delivered a shaky, halting performance while his Republican rival battered him with a series of often false attacks. Unsurprisingly, there has been a massive fallout from the debate, both on social media and on television. Here, The Independent takes a look at how late-night TV hosts reacted to Biden vs Trump.
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 01:15
Democratic lawmakers are urging Biden to skip next debate
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 00:45
Trump will ‘undo’ progress on tackling climate crisis, Biden says
Oliver O’Connell29 June 2024 00:15