Economy, Immigration Likely to Dominate Trump-Biden Debate

The first debate of the 2024 election between presumptive nominees President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump takes place on CNN Thursday night, scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. ET.

As the two men were poised to take the stage against one another for the first time since the 2020 campaign, many observers were predicting that four topics were likely to dominate the discussion: the struggling U.S. economy, the immigration crisis, the ongoing tussle over abortion, and the ever-changing realm of foreign policy.

At the same time, both men were looking to capitalize on an opportunity to alter the campaign's trajectory through their debate performance. For Biden, it was being viewed as a chance for the 81-year-old Democrat incumbent to try reassuring voters that he’s capable of guiding the U.S. through a range of challenges despite questions over his age, stamina and mental acuity. The 78-year-old Trump, meanwhile, was aiming to use the moment to try to move past recent felony conviction in New York and convince an audience of tens of millions that he’s temperamentally suited to return to the Oval Office.

“Debates tend not to change voters’ perception in ways that change their vote: They ordinarily reinforce, not persuade,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on presidential communications. “What makes this debate different is that you have in essence two incumbents about whom voters have very well-formed views. But that doesn’t mean that those perceptions are right or match what voters will see on stage.”

The issues

Despite improvements in the inflation rate and the labor market, most Americans continue to express concern and consternation with the economy, particularly when it comes to high prices for goods and services.

The candidates have detailed opposing plans for improving the economy. Biden has vowed to increase taxes on high-earning individuals and corporations, while Trump is pushing to extend the tax cuts passed during his administration and to reduce the corporate tax rate.

On immigration, Biden recently moved to crack down on illegal border crossings with his executive order earlier this month but still faces criticism over the number of crossings since he first took office. Trump has made border enforcement a key issue of his campaign and has proposed deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democrats have pushed to make abortion rights and access a major talking point following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, and Biden has promised to codify the protections that were granted by Roe v. Wade into federal law if reelected. Trump has maintained that abortion regulations should be a state-level issue and has said he would not support a nationwide abortion ban.

In regards to foreign policy, Biden has come under fire from the left over his position on Israel and from the Israeli government over his comments on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the tactics used in the ongoing war against Hamas. Trump has stated his support for Israel but also said Netanyahu has "rightfully been criticized" for the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 of last year.

Another likely foreign policy topic is the war in Ukraine. Biden has supported the country and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his administration has avoided pushing Ukraine to negotiate with Russia.

Trump has reportedly said that he would push Kyiv to negotiate and to pursue an end to the war with an agreement for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, a proposal opposed by Zelenskyy's government and most Ukrainians.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.