The first presidential debate occurred on June 27th. Hosted by CNN, the former 45th president and GOP nominee Donald Trump squared off against the incumbent command in chief Joe Biden in a contest that was widely viewed by millions of American citizens. The current president, Joe Biden, often appeared cognitively impaired and struggled to answer questions. A CBS poll that occurred after the debate ended claimed that most Americans believe that Biden is not cognitively up to the job of the presidency.
The future of America is ominously uncertain. The cost of living has skyrocketed since the beginning of Bidens tenure and the value of the dollar has declined. The working class, which has been shrinking for decades, has had to grapple with the changing realities of American life and attempt to stretch their ever stagnant wages even thinner. Some 60% of citizens are estimated to be living paycheck to paycheck; America decreasingly appears as the land of prosperity. At the southern border, millions of illegal migrants have entered the nation since early 2021. Biden rescinded many of the former president Donald Trump’s border policies which were seemingly working and helping to mitigate the problem of illegal migration in the country. After several Iranian nationals possibly linked to the instability in the middle east were apprehended at the border, it appears that there is evidence that dangerous individuals from across the globe are using the border as a method of infiltration into the union.
Ultimately, these issues of national security and migration remain a central focus as the election cycle heats up and both issues were front and center at the debate. Trump used them heavily to weaken Biden and attack his job performance. The night was a disaster for Democrats. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat Representative from Maryland, claimed on MSNBC that Biden’s lackluster showing was a serious issue and that the party should have conversations about a new strategy.
