A year ago today: The Biden-Trump debate rematch that changed the election
The highly anticipated rematch occurred much earlier in the election than previous debates, as both candidates were all but certain to become their party's nominees. Usually, the debates are hosted throughout October by the Commission on Presidential Debates. But after some social media goading, the two candidates opted two debates, the first on June 27, 2024.
What happened shocked the country. Biden's performance prompted a groundswell of questions about his mental acuity, questions that are still being asked today. Then, on July 21, Biden announced he was ending his re-election campaign and endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.
The Democrats backed her swiftly, but it wasn't enough to defeat Trump in the November election.
Here is a look back at some of the most viral moments in the debate that upended the 2024 presidential election.
More: Trump stumbles up the stairs to Air Force One, stoking memory of Biden tripping video
In a moment everyone has heard about, the presidential candidates were derailed by a back-and-forth over golf and whose game is better.
In a conversation about competency at an older age, Trump responded by bragging about the alleged cognitive tests he's passed and his golf game, saying he'd recently won two club championships.
'He challenged me to a golf match,' Trump said of Biden. 'He can't hit a ball 50 yards.'
'I'd be happy to have a driving contest with him," Biden responded, saying he had accomplished a handicap of six during his vice presidency. 'I'm happy to play golf with you if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it?'
'That's the biggest lie, that he's a six handicap, of all,' Trump shot back. Biden then accused Trump of having a handicap of eight, to which the former president responded. 'I've seen your swing. I know your swing.'
The exchange ended with both men accusing the other of acting childish.
Social media quickly took to what is being called the "Biden freeze," making several posts and memes about the president stumbling on his words.
The big "freeze moment" came when Biden was discussing healthcare, the economy and the high debt levels under Trump's administration. He mentioned increasing taxes on billionaires but his response then became briefly meandering, concluding with 'if we finally beat Medicare" after a pause.
Concerns over the ages of the candidates have been a major talking point this election season − whether their answers during the debate assuaged or intensified these concerns is up to the viewer, but they were asked about their cognitive abilities head-on.
"I spent half my career being criticized for being the youngest person in politics," Biden said, referring to his election to the U.S. Senate at age 30, "Now I'm the oldest. This guy is three years younger and a lot less competent."
"I took two tests, cognitive tests, I aced them, both of them, as you know," Trump responded. "I'd like to see him take on, just one, a real easy one, like go through the first five questions, you couldn't do it," he said of Biden.
During an exchange in which Trump and Biden each accused the other of failing veterans, Trump claimed that veterans and soldiers "can't stand this guy" about Biden. "And they like me more than just about any of them," he said.
Biden shot back by referring to his own late son, Joseph "Beau" Biden, who served in the Army National Guard as a major and deployed to Iraq before dying of brain cancer in 2015 at 46 years old. He also referred to an Atlantic report from 2020 in which anonymous sources said Trump had called soldiers that died in battles "suckers and losers." Trump has denied this report since its release, though other news outlets have corroborated it.
"I went to the WWI cemetery he refused to go to," Biden said, referring to Trump. "He was standing with his four-star general and he told me 'I don't want to go in there because they're a bunch of losers and suckers.' My son was not a loser, he was not a sucker, you're the sucker, you're the loser."
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This day last year: Biden, Trump faced off in a consequential debate
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