The first presidential debate is in the books. We have a full recap, as well as what the reaction has been like. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, June 28, 2024.

Biden, Trump tout their records in first presidential debate 

Thursday night, June 27, saw the first time a current U.S. President debated a former U.S. President. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump took the stage at CNN’s Atlanta studios for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election. 

Per CNN’s rules, there was no live audience and the candidate’s mics were muted when the other one talked. But that did not stop both from firing back at one another while discussing topics like the economy, abortion, immigration, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and their overall aptitude. 

Thursday’s debate began with the presumptive nominees walking on stage, forgoing the traditional handshake. 

The first topic was on the economy, with Biden focusing on Trump’s record as president, but seeming to lose his train of thought as his response went on.    

“We’d be able to help make sure that all those things we need to do — childcare, elder care, making sure that we continue to strengthen our health care system, making sure that we’re able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I’ve been able to do — with the COVID — excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with, look…we finally beat Medicare,” Biden said.

When it came to immigration, Trump highlighted the crisis on the border, calling the Biden administration’s recent legislation limiting asylum access a “nothing deal” and “insignificant.” 

“He decided to open up our border, open up our country too,” Trump said. “People that are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions, insane asylum, terrorists. We have the largest number of terrorists coming into our country right now. All terrorists, all over the world, not just in South America, all over the world. They come from the Middle East, everywhere, all over the world. They’re pouring in.” 

President Biden fired back, “I’m not saying that no terrorist ever got through but the idea they’re emptying their prisons, where we’re welcoming these people, that’s simply not true, there’s no data to support what he said. Once again, he’s exaggerating. He’s lying.”   

On the subject of abortion, Trump commended the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade while Biden vowed to reinstate it. 

“You had Roe v. Wade, and everybody wanted to get it back to the states,” Trump said. “Everybody without exception — Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, conservatives. 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.” 

“It’s been a terrible thing once you’re done,” President Biden rebutted. “The fact is that the vast majority of constitutional scholars supported Roe was decided support it Roe that was this idea that they were all against it. It just ridiculous.” 

As for American veterans, Trump claimed he took care of them during his presidency, as Biden took exception to reported comments made by Trump — which the former president denies. 

“Our veterans are on the street,” Trump said. “They’re dying because he doesn’t care about our veterans. He doesn’t like the military at all, and he doesn’t care about our veterans. Nobody been worse. I had the highest approval rating for veterans taking care of the VA he has the worst he’s gotten rid of all the things that I approved.” 

Biden responded, “I was recently in France for D-Day and I spoke at all about those heroes had died. I went to the World War II cemetery, World War I cemetery, refused to go to he was standing with his four-star general and he told me said, ‘I don’t want to go in there because they’re bunch of losers and suckers.’ My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You’re the sucker. You’re the loser.” 

Trump denied Biden’s claim, calling that a “made-up quote.”

On foreign policy, Trump argued Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan showed America was weak and inspired Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine. Biden called that “malarkey” and warned that Putin must be stopped. 

To the war in Gaza, Trump said, “Let Israel finish the job.” Biden remarked that the U.S. is providing Israel with “all the weapons they need and when they need them.” 

And while hearing the difference in policies was the goal of the debate, the two presidential candidates did not hold back on personal attacks. 

“The only person on this stage who’s a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now,” Biden said. “And the fact of the matter is he is what he’s telling you is simply not true.” 

Trump responded, “When he talks about a convicted felon, his son as a convicted felon at a very high level, his son has convicted going to be convicted probably numerous other times should have been convicted before, but his justice department let the statute of limitations laps. And the most important things. But he could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office, you could be a convicted felon with all of the things that he’s done.” 

When discussing their abilities to handle the presidency at their respective ages — Biden 81 years old and Trump 78 — the two began arguing over their golf game. 

As the debate ended, Trump said he would accept the results of the election if it’s “a fair and legal and good election.” In his closing statements, Trump said America is a failing nation under Biden and he’ll make it great again in a second term. Biden, meanwhile, said he made significant progress after what he called was a debacle left by Trump.   

The two are set to debate again in September.

Reports: Some Democrats calling for Biden to step aside after debate

The response to the first presidential debate has been swift on both sides. Fact checkers have issued corrections for statements made by both candidates, but it’s President Biden’s performance getting the most attention. 

His performance on the debate stage has put in question his future ability as president, as some Democrats are reportedly calling for him to step aside. 

News outlets in their recaps of the debate describe Biden as stumbling and seeming to ramble during his responses. The Biden campaign acknowledged the president came into the debate with a cold, admitting he had a slow start. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on news programs following the debate to vouch for the president.  

At one point, former President Trump questioned whether Biden understood his own response to a question on the border. 

Trump replied, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.” 

David Axelrod, a top adviser to former President Barack Obama, spoke of the concerns from Democrats during CNN’s post-debate coverage. 

“There is a sense of shock at how he came out at the beginning of this debate,” Axelrod said. “How his voice sounded; he seemed a little disoriented. There are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.” 

The Trump campaign declared victory after the debate, issuing a statement saying Biden was unable to defend his “disastrous record on the economy and the border.”

Former Uvalde schools police chief facing charges in deadly shooting

In a historic move, the former Uvalde school police chief has been indicted over his role in the slow police response to the 2022 mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of felony child endangerment or abandonment. 

He was briefly booked into the county jail before he was released on bond Thursday, June 27. 

A former school officer at Robb Elementary was also indicted on similar charges. 

More than two years later, they’re the first officers to face criminal charges in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. 

Earlier this year, the Justice Department released a report that said law enforcement officers had many opportunities to reassess their response. 

More than 300 law enforcement officers responded to the school that day, some waiting in the hallway outside the classroom, even as the shooter could be heard firing shots inside. It took them 77 minutes to shoot him and put an end to the killing. 

Oklahoma’s top educator orders the Bible be taught in schools

Oklahoma’s top education officials have ordered schools to teach the Bible and have a copy in every classroom. In a memo, the state superintendent of public schools said effective immediately, the Bible must be added as part of the curriculum in grades five through 12. 

The directive was immediately condemned by civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state, with some calling it an abuse of power and a violation of the Constitution. 

Oklahoma law already explicitly allows Bibles in the classroom and lets teachers use them in instruction. It’s not clear if the state has the authority to mandate that schools teach it. 

This is the latest church versus state case in public schools. On June 19, a Louisiana law was passed requiring the Ten Commandments be shown in all public school classrooms, another action civil rights groups are looking to stop.

NFL fined $4.7 billion in ‘Sunday Ticket’ anti-trust case

The NFL has been ordered to pay nearly $5 billion in damages after a jury found it broke anti-trust laws. The jury said the league conspired with DirecTV and network partners to increase the price of the exclusive “Sunday Ticket” package. 

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package from the 2011 through 2022 seasons. The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $ 96 million to the commercial class. 

The lawsuit claimed the NFL broke antitrust laws by selling its “Sunday Ticket” package at an inflated price and restricted competition by only offering it on a satellite provider. 

The NFL said it will appeal the decision.

NBA draft: Bronny James joins dad on Lakers

Like father, like son. The Los Angeles Lakers have drafted Bronny James. 

After going unselected in the first round, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James was drafted with the 55th overall pick Thursday, June 27. 

If they should go on the court together, they’ll make history as the first father-son duo to play on the same team at the same time.