The presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump – a Christian perspective

The first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump was conducted on June 27 amid polarization and deep-seated voter anxiety about American politics.

The two oldest presidential candidates in history vying for the office – Biden, 81, and Trump, 78 – exchanged personal insults ahead of the November 5 election during the 90-minute debate.

The contrast between the two visions for America could not have been stronger. Biden appeared feeble as he walked toward the podium before the start of the debate. Trump confidently walked to the podium.

The two candidates appeared in the debate without a live audience and their microphones automatically cut off when not speaking. They did not shake hands or acknowledge each other before or after the debate. The bad blood between the two men was evident during the debate with each calling the other the worst president in history. Biden referred to Trump as a “loser” and a “whiner,” while Trump called Biden a “disaster” for the country.

The CNN moderators did a relatively good job hiding their well-known biases in support of Biden and disdain for former President Trump.

The men debated abortion, immigration, wars, the economy, and golf games as they sought to disrupt a closely contested opinion poll race.

Biden struggled with his words at times but regained his footing about 30 minutes into the debate, attacking Trump over his conviction for covering hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump then brought up the recent conviction of Biden’s son, Hunter, for lying about drug use to buy a gun.

There were times that Biden appeared a bit confused as his words tailed off from his response to a moderator’s question, which did nothing to relieve doubts and speculation about his cognitive abilities. Conservative media reaction was that it was Trump’s best performance to date, but Christians should be concerned about his moderation on abortion which is shifting due to political pressure.

Economy

The first questions focused on the economy as polls show Americans are dissatisfied with Biden’s performance despite wage growth and low unemployment. Biden acknowledged inflation driving prices higher but credited him for putting things back together after the pandemic. Trump claimed to have overseen the greatest economy in history before the pandemic and took action to prevent further economic freefall.

Abortion

The abortion issue took center stage in the first half hour of the debate at a time when half the nation is polarized on either side of the issue.

Trump made it clear that unlimited abortion is wrong and not something that should be dealt with on the federal level. Biden’s responses during the debate and record demonstrate his entrenched support for unlimited abortion and willingness to engage in fearmongering and misinformation to campaign on the issue. Biden tried to minimize the scope of Roe v. Wade, which allowed abortions up until birth, while Trump commended the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, which returned the abortion issue to the people through their elected representatives.

Biden’s promotion of abortion during the debate superseded accuracy or facts. He supports taxpayer dollars to fund abortions and has used numerous administrative actions to push abortion into pro-life states. Biden has called for the elimination of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funds from being used to pay for abortions in many federal programs. He also has pledged to sign the “Women's Health Protection Act,” a bill that would enshrine unlimited abortion until birth in federal law and do away with virtually all existing protections for unborn children and their mothers on both federal and state levels, including parental involvement laws.

Illegal Immigration and Border Security

During a discussion about the southern border situation, Trump criticized Biden for allowing millions of people from prisons and mental institutions to enter the country and destroy it. Trump cited the deaths of three young girls, including 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, and the two illegal migrants from Venezuela charged with her murder. Trump criticized the situation and called the country an uncivilized one due to the untethered migration across the border, calling it, “Biden migrant crime.”

Biden emphasized the bipartisan Senate immigration bill that was defeated after Trump told Republican senators to vote against it. He emphasized the need to increase the number of asylum officers and praised the Border Patrol’s endorsement of his position.

“We had the safest border in the history of our country. All he (Biden) had to do was leave it. He decided to open up our border, open up our country to people that are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions, insane asylums, terrorist,” Trump asserted. “We have the largest number of terrorists coming into our country right now. All terrorists, all over the world.”

Biden responded “Everything he said is a lie. Every single one.”

January 6 Protests

Trump denied responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021 protests at the U.S. Capitol, saying many arrested were innocent. Protesters sought to halt the congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College win, and Trump critics accused him of claiming election theft through voter fraud. Biden criticized Trump for lacking a sense of American democracy.

Christians and Politics

The debate surrounding politics among followers of Christ is often fueled by the idea that religion and politics do not mix.

However, the Bible provides two truths regarding our stance toward politics and government: God’s will permeates and supersedes every aspect of life, and His plans and purposes are fixed and inviolable. Politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will, and even evil men abuse their political power for good.

The apostles never commanded believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire’s unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, they commanded Christians to proclaim the gospel and live lives that demonstrate the gospel’s transforming power. It is the Christian’s responsibility to the government to obey the laws and be good citizens, as God has established all authority for our benefit.

Christ’s change in individuals’ hearts is crucial for a culture to reflect that change. Believers have thrived under repressive governments, especially first-century believers who understood they were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They followed Paul's teachings to obey governing authorities and to protect them. This holds true for us today, as we follow the teachings of the Scriptures and become the light of the world as God intended.

Political entities are not the savior of the world, as salvation for mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that the world needed saving before any national government was founded and demonstrated that redemption could not be achieved through human power, economic strength, military might, or politics. Peace, contentment, hope, and joy are provided only through Jesus' death and resurrection.