President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump refused to shake hands as they took the stage for their first presidential debate on CNN Thursday night. The snub marked the first face-to-face encounter between the two since the 2020 election, underscoring the deep animosity between them.
GOP strategist Amy Koch told Daily Express US: 'Zero love lost between these two and any semblance of respect doesn’t exist.' The debate, moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, is the earliest general election debate in history and the first hosted by a single news outlet after both campaigns bypassed the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.
Biden, 81, aimed to reassure voters of his capability to lead, while Trump, 78, sought to move past his felony conviction and convince the public of his temperamental fitness. The two candidates have not spoken since their last debate in 2020, and Trump skipped Biden's inauguration after the January 6 Capitol riot.
The debate highlighted stark differences on abortion, the economy, and foreign policy, with both candidates facing a weary electorate. Biden argued Trump poses an existential threat to democracy, while Trump promised sweeping changes to government if re-elected.
