The first 2024 Presidential Debate saw former President Trump and President Biden engage in a heated exchange over their age and cognitive abilities. Trump, emphasizing his cognitive fitness, asserted that he had aced two cognitive tests, challenging Biden to take one. He then shifted the focus to their golf skills, highlighting his recent club championships as a testament to his mental acuity. Trump stated, “I took two cognitive tests, I aced them. He took none, I’d like to see him take one, just one. I just won two club championships, not even senior, two regular club championships. To do that, you have to be quite smart. And you have to be able to hit the ball a long way.”
Biden, in response, defended his age, emphasizing his extensive political experience, stating that he “spent half my career being criticized about being the youngest person in politics. I was the second-youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate, and now I’m the oldest. This guy is three years younger and a lot less competent.” He also challenged Trump to a driving contest, saying, “Look, I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him.”
Trump retaliated, dismissing Biden’s remarks as childish, asserting, “I’ve seen you swing. I know your swing. Let’s not act like children.” Biden retorted simply, “You are a child.”
A Fox News Digital focus group, tracking voter sentiment in real-time, revealed mixed reactions to the candidates’ statements. Republican and independent voters generally approved of Trump’s comments, while Democrats showed disapproval. Conversely, Democratic approval surged during Biden’s responses, with independent and Republican approval declining. The focus group participants used dials to indicate their approval or disapproval, with Republican sentiment graphed in red, Democratic in blue, and independent in yellow. These results highlight the stark partisan divide in voter perception of the candidates’ performance in the debate.
