Biden-Trump Debate: 'We Finally Beat Medicare' and 'I Don't Think He Knows What He Said Either' (June 27, 2024)

In the first presidential debate of 2024, on CNN in Atlanta, President Joe Biden tried to finish an answer on taxes and the debt and lost his place. “Making sure that we’re able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I’ve been able to do with the – with – with – with the COVID. Excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with – look, if – we finally beat Medicare,” Biden said [1].

Former President Donald Trump took it from there. “Well, he’s right. He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death,” Trump said [1].

The video above shows part of the June 27, 2024, debate. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”We Created 15,000 New Jobs”

The trouble started with the first question, on prices. Biden blamed his predecessor and then misstated his own record. “We created 15,000 new jobs. We brought out in a position where we have 800,000 new manufacturing jobs,” he said [1].

”Billion Dollars, I Should Say”

The same answer had two other corrections. Biden spoke of “trillionaires in America – I mean, billionaires in America.” If they paid more, he said, “they’d raised $500 million – billion dollars, I should say, in a 10-year period” [1].

”Troops Dying Anywhere in the World”

Biden also made a claim about the military. “The truth is, I’m the only president this century that doesn’t have any this – this decade, that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world, like he did,” he said [1].

His own words said otherwise. In 2021, Biden issued a proclamation honoring “the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan” [7]. In January 2024, his statement said: “Last night three U.S. servicemembers were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border” [8].

”The Border Patrol Men Endorsed Me”

Moderator Jake Tapper asked about the border. “President Biden, a record number of migrants have illegally crossed the southern border on your watch, overwhelming border states and overburdening cities such as New York and Chicago, and in some cases causing real safety and security concerns. Given that, why should voters trust you to solve this crisis?” [1]

Biden answered with an endorsement. “Significantly – by the way, the Border Patrol men endorsed me, endorsed my position,” he said [1].

“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either,” Trump said. “Look, we had the safest border in the history of our country.” He added that “according to Border Patrol, who is great – and, by the way, who endorsed me for president” [1].

”Down to a 6”

Near the end, the two argued about golf. “I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him. I got my handicap, which, when I was vice president, down to a 6,” Biden said [1].

“That’s the biggest lie that he’s a 6 handicap, of all,” Trump said. “I was 8 handicap,” Biden replied. “Let’s not act like children,” Trump said. “You are a child,” Biden answered [1].

Trump had answered his own age question by pointing to his tests. “Well, I took two tests, cognitive tests. I aced them, both of them, as you know. We made it public,” he said [1].

”Hard to Debate a Liar”

Just after midnight, at a Waffle House in Atlanta, a reporter asked whether Biden had concerns about his performance. “No. I—it’s hard to—hard to debate a liar,” he said [2].

“Are you suffering from a cold? Your campaign said that you’re sick,” a reporter asked. “I have a sore throat,” Biden answered [2].

”I Don’t Debate as Well as I Used To”

The next day in Raleigh, North Carolina, Biden addressed it head-on. “I know I’m not a young man—[ laughter ]—to state the obvious,” he said [4].

“Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth,” Biden said [4].

By the Numbers

15,000: new jobs, by Biden’s misstatement in his first answer [1].
3: U.S. servicemembers killed in Jordan in January 2024, per Biden’s own statement [8].
2: cognitive tests Trump said he took and “aced” [1].
6, then 8: the golf handicaps Biden claimed [1].
24 days: from the debate to Biden’s exit from the race [5].
312: electoral votes Trump won in November 2024 [6].
226: electoral votes for Vice President Kamala Harris [6].

What Happened Next

Biden left the race. On July 21, 2024, Biden wrote: “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term” [5].

The Border Patrol union picked Trump. On Oct. 13, 2024, “The official union of the U.S. border patrol announced its full support of former President Trump during a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona,” Fox News reported [3].

Trump won. Trump carried 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, according to the National Archives [6].