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‘Just sad’: How the world’s media covered the US presidential debate
President’s performance dominates the headlines as Democrats digest the concerning debacle
![CNN Presidential Debate was the first debate of the election](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383648589_17195711446610_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqrS8Z1b0ZQjNoViJZ3HnGQ76Xj2WECU5tGTp4vDMBGsY.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Joe Biden and Donald Trump squared off in their first debate of the presidential race on Wednesday night.
The aftermath has dominated international headlines, with news outlets worldwide devoting swathes of coverage to the broadcast.
The Wall Street Journal: ‘debate clash’
Friday’s print edition of the Wall Street Journal, led with the headline: “Biden, Trump clash in debate on economy, border, and abortion.”
In a comment piece, Molly Ball, the WSJ senior political correspondent, asserted that Mr Biden “failed utterly”.
![Wall Street Journal US debate front page](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383670933_17195716114940_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwYjsewXRyBksgkzZgffyxto.jpeg?imwidth=350)
“Biden’s inability to articulate the case for his candidacy – rambling, losing his train of thought, and often appearing confused – left Democrats stunned and shell-shocked,” she wrote as the Democrats scrambled to find a way forward.
New York Post: Biden performance ‘just sad’
The New York Post’s print front page captured the essence of the evening with the stark headline “just sad”.
The accompanying article described the president as having “mumbled, stumbled, and froze”.
![New York Post sums up Joe Biden's performance in just two words](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383662198_17195719516130_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=350)
In a scathing opinion piece, the newspaper’s Michael Goodwin declared that Mr Biden was a “complete basket case”.
He vehemently criticised Mr Biden’s ability to lead, stating that “our president is not fit to serve,” dismissing any hopes of his potential for a second term.
“Our president is not fit to serve. Forget concerns about how old and infirm he would be after a second term. He’s a basket case now,” he wrote.
The Washington Post: ‘Biden struggles’
The Washington Post’s print splash succinctly captured the debate’s impact: “Biden struggles in testy debate.”
The Post reported that Mr Biden’s performance has “stirred worry” within the Democratic Party.
![The Washington Post notes Donald Trump's attacks and retorts](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383661650_17195718148590_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwU6O7_NJkt5hbOJf7g-cYfg.jpeg?imwidth=350)
It noted that amidst the heated exchanges, Mr Trump’s assertions went unchallenged while “barbs” flew between the two candidates.
Online, the Post said that Mr Biden’s performance was “halting, meandering — and unnerving for Democrats”.
Matt Viser and Marianne LeVine, its political reporters, wrote: “Neither were entirely successful during the course of 90 minutes, and both seemed to play into the stereotypes that existed before the debate.”
The New York Times: ‘Biden struggles as Trump blusters’
The New York Times painted a picture of Mr Biden’s performance as a struggle to ignite “fresh momentum” in his election bid, characterising it as causing a “wave of panic” among the Democrats.
The Times said that Donald Trump “verbally pummelled” Mr Biden, painting his political opponent as an ineffective leader with a torrent of attacks.
![The New York Times echos many of the front pages unpicking Joe Biden's worrying performance](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383671435_17195719922040_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqY5hV3fpjE7mWNK3L5nye6yVnpeHYaEmrDpotzyQY-x8.jpeg?imwidth=350)
But The Times’ Michael Gold added that Trump’s barbs “were frequently false, lacked context or were vague enough to be misleading”.
He noted a “wild misinterpretation of facts”, including his comments on immigration, international relations and the war in Ukraine.
Los Angeles Times: ‘Biden flops, Trump lies’
Similar to The New York Times, the LA Times highlighted Trump’s penchant for distorting facts about Mr Biden’s presidency.
It noted that Mr Biden failed to push back against Trump’s outlandish comments.
![LA Times compares both presidents as one stumbles and one makes unsubstantiated claims](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383671949_17195720364980_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqomonpEY2XkBW6QQdg2l6KFoRHFuOGZSsdrmpj1veo0w.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Lorraine Ali wrote: “Biden missed chance after chance to push back against former president Trump’s distortions on immigration, the economy, the opioid crisis and even his own health.”
She added that Mr Biden’s performance did nothing to “dispel attacks” from the Right — and concerns on the Left — that “he’s too old for the job”.
The Nightly: ‘TV disaster’
The Nightly, Australia’s daily digital newspaper, blacked out its splash, with only white text reading “excruciating” in capitals.
“America lost and in shock at Joe Biden live TV disaster,” it added.
![The Nightly goes into mourning after Joe Biden's performance](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383672042_17195720875490_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=350)
A photograph at the bottom of the page showed Mr Biden rubbing his face in apparent frustration.
O Gobo: Democrats ‘worried’
Brazilian newspaper O Gobo’s headline read: “Bad performance from Biden worries Democrats.”
![O Gobo focuses on what Joe Biden's performance means for the Democrats](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/politics/2024/06/28/TELEMMGLPICT000383661706_17195721318340_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqLqePcvlsShakbRYl6OoKJrXNLmK6CpmRNBNxrtqs2f4.jpeg?imwidth=350)
It led with a photograph of Mr Biden and Trump squaring off on the stage of the debate.