Live blog: Biden and Trump face off in Atlanta for 2024 presidential debate

US President Joe Biden and his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, have kicked off the inaugural debate of the 2024 general election season.

This pivotal event offers both candidates a critical opportunity to reshape the political landscape and sway undecided voters with their respective visions and policies.

Follow our live coverage👇

0245 GMT — Here's the wrap

This is what Biden and Trump said on hot-button topics:

Social Security: Biden vowed to ensure Social Security's solvency by making the wealthy pay their fair share while protecting those earning under $400,000 annually.

Court Cases: Biden criticised Trump's criminal record, stating, "The only felon on this stage is the man before me." He questioned Trump's morals, likening them to those of "an alley cat."

Democracy: Trump downplayed his involvement in January 6 case, saying, "I had little to do with it; they asked me to give a speech."

Immigration: Biden highlighted a failed bipartisan border deal he negotiated and condemned Trump's family separation policy. Trump blamed rising crime on Biden's immigration policies.

Foreign Policy: Trump criticised Biden's Afghanistan troop withdrawal as "our country's most humiliating day."

On Palestine-Israel, Trump evaded supporting Palestinian statehood. Biden promoted a hostage-prisoner exchange and conditional ceasefire in Gaza. Trump deemed Putin's terms for ending Ukraine's war unacceptable.

Abortion: Trump supported state-level abortion regulation and promised not to block abortion medication access. Biden opposed leaving abortion rights to states, comparing it to delegating civil rights.

Economy: Trump attributed job growth under Biden to pandemic recovery, disputing it as merely a rebound. Biden blames inherited economic challenges for inflation, whereas Trump insists Biden inherited a stable economy.

Elections: Trump stated he would accept the election result if he deemed it fair, prompting Biden to express skepticism, saying, "I doubt whether you'll accept it." Trump later emphasised that violence during the next election would be "totally unacceptable," while declining to accept the election result unconditionally.

0235 GMT — Biden and Trump spar over age and competence

Talking about his age, President Joe Biden said his opponent is only a few years younger than him, "but a lot less competent."

"First of all," Biden said, "I spent half my career being criticised for being the youngest person in politics … and now I’m the oldest."

“This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent,” Biden said.

Trump retorted, "This shouldn’t be a debate … He is the worst president in the history of our country." "If he wins this election, our country doesn’t have a chance — not even a chance of coming out of this rut. We probably won’t have a country left anymore," he continued.

0215 GMT — Biden and Trump clash over Russia-Ukraine war

On the war between Ukraine and Russia, Trump said, "I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelenskyy as president-elect. Before I take office on Jan. 20, I'll have that war settled."

Biden replied, "He (Putin) wants all of Ukraine. That's what he wants. And then you think he'll stop there? Do you think he'll stop when the, if he takes Ukraine? What do you think happens to Poland, Belarus? What do you think happens to those NATO countries?"

0215 GMT — Biden praises his administration's climate change efforts

Biden celebrates 'most comprehensive' climate change action in history, highlighting his administration's achievement of approximately $783 billion in energy and climate investments under the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022.

0210 GMT — 'You have the morals of an alley cat'

Biden accused Trump of having the "morals of an alley cat" in a blistering attack on the Republican's character.

"The crimes you are still charged with. Think of all the civil penalties you have. How many billions of dollars do you owe in civil penalties for molesting a woman in public... for having sex with a porn star on the night, while your wife was pregnant? What are you talking about? You have the morals of an alley cat," he told Trump.

0200 GMT — Trump: Biden 'like a Palestinian' in exchange on Israel

Trump accused Biden of siding with Palestinians in the brutal Gaza conflict for allegedly refusing to help Israel "finish the job" in the war against Hamas.

"He doesn't want to do it. He's become like a Palestinian — but they don't like him because he's a very bad Palestinian, he's a weak one," Trump said during their presidential debate at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

Asked if he will support creation of an independent Palestinian state in order to achieve peace in the region, Trump deflected, steering the conversation toward NATO instead.

0155 GMT — Biden calls Trump a 'convicted felon'

Biden has slammed Trump's felony conviction as the pair clashed in their first debate of the 2024 campaign season.

"The only person on this stage is a convicted felon is the man I'm looking at right now. And the fact of the matter is, what he's telling you is simply not true," Biden shot at Trump, after his predecessor said some Democrats should be in prison.

0150 GMT — Trump: Ukraine war would never have started 'if we had a leader'

Trump laid the blame for the Ukraine war at Biden's feet, insisting that the invasion never would have happened "if we had a leader."

"This is a war that never should have started. If we had a leader in this war... He's given $200 billion now or more to Ukraine, he's given $200 billion. That's a lot of money. I don't think there's ever been anything like it," Trump said during the pair's first debate clash of the 2024 election campaign.

0145 GMT — 'You're the sucker, you're the loser,' Biden tells Trump at debate

Biden delivered a broadside at Trump at their debate, declaring "you're the loser" as he accused his Republican rival of disparaging veterans and members of the military.

"My son was not a loser, he was not a sucker," Biden said of his late veteran son Beau, over Trump's alleged comments in 2018 that he refused to visit a European cemetery with American war dead and called them "losers."

"You're the sucker, you're the loser,' Biden told Trump, who denied ever using the word to describe US troops.

0140 GMT — Trump: Inflation is 'killing' United States

Inflation is "killing our country," Trump said in his opening salvo against Biden at their first debate of the 2024 election cycle Thursday.

"He has not done a good job. He's done a poor job. And inflation is killing our country. It is absolutely killing us," Trump said.

0130 GMT — Biden: Trump role in curbing abortion access 'a terrible thing'

Biden attacked Trump for his role in curbing American abortion access, calling it "a terrible thing" after his Republican rival boasted of nominating Supreme Court justices that helped overturn Roe v Wade.

"It has been a terrible thing, what you have done," Biden said, in one of his firmer critiques of his presidential predecessor as the two squared off in Atlanta in their first in-person debate of the 2024 election season.

0115 GMT — Biden appears subdued as the debate unfolds

Biden's voice is audibly hoarse, a testament to the weight of leadership, while Trump is his cavalier self as the debate unfolds.

Their starkly contrasting demeanours create an atmosphere charged with anticipation, marking the beginning of a gripping clash of ideologies and strategic visions that has seized America's attention.

Both candidates are passionately vying for voter support, each seeking to articulate their policies and positions with eloquence and conviction on this pivotal stage.

0100 GMT — Debate gets underway

During their highly anticipated debate, Biden and Trump notably refrained from shaking hands as they entered the stage, setting a tone of tense anticipation.

Biden began the evening by emphasizing his administration's efforts to bolster the economy, highlighting his policies as beneficial and forward-thinking.

In contrast, former Trump asserted his viewpoint that the United States economy achieved unparalleled success during his tenure, underscoring his administration's achievements and setting the stage for a vigorous exchange of contrasting economic visions.

2245 GMT — Atlanta debate a departure from tradition

Tonight marks a significant departure from tradition in presidential debates. For the first time since the election cycle, the upcoming presidential general election debate is not sponsored by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

The Republican National Committee withdrew from CPD-sponsored debates in 2022, alleging bias. As a result, the two sides have agreed to debates in this cycle that are not endorsed by the CPD.

The CPD has defended its role in managing the debate process and initially announced plans to proceed with four debates as scheduled but that seems to be not the case now. Both US presidential candidates have negotiated directly with networks, thereby gaining more control over their campaigns.

2230 GMT — Pro-Palestine protests ahead of presidential debate

Hundreds of passionate pro-Palestinian supporters have assembled in Atlanta, converging to voice their dissent against the continuing warfare in Gaza.

The demonstration comes ahead of the highly anticipated presidential debate, adding a vocal dimension to the political discourse unfolding in the city.

2210 GMT — No distinct underdog, expert tells TRT

Rina Shah, a seasoned political analyst from Washington DC, shared her insights with TRT World, emphasising that the forthcoming debate between Biden and Trump is set to showcase a matchup devoid of a distinct underdog.

Each candidate, she noted, is diligently ramping up their preparations, underscoring the pivotal nature of this impending face-off which is generating significant anticipation and scrutiny across the political spectrum.

2150 GMT — Biden and Trump arrive in Georgia

Biden arrived in Georgia about six hours before the on-air showdown, and took the opportunity to greet supporters outside his hotel in Atlanta.

Trump arrived in Georgia a few hours ahead of his historic debate with Biden.

The Republican candidate touched down in his private jet, which he has dubbed "Trump Force One," at the airport in Atlanta, pumping his fist to supporters on the tarmac before he ducked into a waiting vehicle.

2100 GMT — CNN agrees to have independent print reporter in studio during debate

CNN has responded to calls from the White House Correspondents' Association to allow an independent print reporter into the studio during tonight’s presidential debate to send out behind-the-scenes reports.

The network says the event is "closed to press" — meaning that outside journalists are not allowed access to it.

"As proud members of the White House Correspondents Association, we respect the role the organization plays and their support for press freedom and access," CNN said in a statement.

The debate was "being held without an audience in a CNN studio and is closed to press."