Supporters of President Joe Biden gather at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta for a watch party for the first presidential debate on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Again and again, Atlanta has been the backdrop for some of this decade’s most pivotal moments in American politics — an upset 2020 victory for President Joe Biden in Georgia, an effort by then-President Donald Trump to overturn that result and his indictment here on multiple criminal charges.
Thursday night’s presidential debate, the first of the 2024 election, may be another.
While Biden’s Georgia surrogates urged voters to focus on substance over style, privately some Georgia Democrats fear that Biden’s halting delivery will only affirm what some voters were already feeling: that the president is too old to serve a second term.
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In group chats and at watch parties, some Georgia Democrats are wondering whether Biden should be replaced on the ticket. Others believe that voters are capable of setting aside the president’s shortcomings if it means keeping Trump out of the White House. “Is it harder after tonight? Yes. Does that change the assignment? No,” one Democratic state lawmaker said.
But in the post-debate spin room, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, a surrogate for the Biden campaign, batted down questions about the president’s performance.
“I would be concerned if the president didn’t have a record to run on, but the fact of the matter is this is a man who has passed historic legislation,” Warnock told reporters. “The contrast could not be clearer. What concerns me is that a man can stand on the stage and lie for 90 minutes flat.”
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden speak to supporters attending a presidential debate watch party at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta after the debate on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Trump did repeatedly spout false claims. He declined to say he would accept the 2024 election result, no matter the outcome. And he denied responsibility for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Asked what he would say to voters who believe he violated his oath on Jan. 6 and worry he would do it again: “Well, I don’t think too many believe that,” he said. “And let me tell you about January 6. On January 6, we had a great border, nobody coming through, very few. On January 6, we were energy independent. On January 6, we had the lowest taxes ever.”
Saying Trump has the “morals of an alley cat,” Biden highlighted his predecessor’s felony convictions and litany of criminal cases, including in Georgia. But many Democrats still came away frustrated by Biden’s inability to more sharply challenge his opponent’s claims.
While Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp stopped to gaggle with reporters hours before the debate, no Georgia Republicans were on hand as official surrogates for the Trump campaign. Several GOP contenders for vice president made their way through the spin room after a debate watch party hosted by former Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
“If you were watching this debate, you’re voting for Donald Trump,” Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, told reporters. “It’s one of the greatest contrasts between two politicians I’ve ever seen in my life. The dominance of Donald Trump was undeniable.”
Biden and Trump also sparred over abortion rights, including Georgia’s roughly six-week abortion ban. Trump claimed credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, but brushed aside the outcry over that ruling.
“What happened is we brought it back to the states, and the country is now coming together on this issue. It’s been a great thing,” Trump said.
“It’s been a terrible thing, what you’ve done,” Biden responded. “We’re in a state where in six weeks, you don’t even know whether you’re pregnant or not, but you cannot see the doctor and have him decide on what your circumstances are, whether you need help.”
Supporters of President Joe Biden gather at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta for a watch party for the first presidential debate on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
The debate capped a flurry of political events across Atlanta as the campaigns and their supporters moved to set the agenda for the months ahead. Biden’s campaign rallied around abortion rights and democracy. Trump’s team focused on election integrity and organized events to woo Black men.
A key question now: did the debates clarify the choice for Georgia’s undecided voters or just dampen their motivation even more to cast a ballot for one of two candidates they already did not like?
Next, the candidates are fanning out across the South — Biden heads for North Carolina and Trump for Virginia. But if history is any guide, it won’t be long before the two men are back in Georgia.
WABE’s Rahul Bali contributed reporting and Brendan Rivers produced this week’s episode of “Plugged In.“
