Top issues to watch for at first Trump-Biden debate – Washington Examiner

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both preparing for their first faceoff of the 2024 cycle.

The first presidential debate is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 27, in an important contest that could make or break both candidates’ 2024 bids.

The Washington Examiner has compiled some of the top issues below that are likely to be discussed at the debate.

Abortion

This week marked the two-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court, and Biden is counting on galvanizing the Democratic base and women voters by campaigning on national abortion protections.

Trump has taken credit for Roe’s demise through his appointment of conservative justices, and Vice President Kamala Harris this week declared him “guilty” of “stealing” reproductive rights from women.

Congressional Democrats are also running heavily on the issue, warning that a Republican White House, Senate, and House could mean a nationwide abortion ban amid restricted access in many red states. They also say abortion pills, contraception, and in vitro fertilization could be next on the chopping block.

Republicans equate the rhetoric to fearmongering, and Trump has said abortion should be left to individual states.

Criminal trials

Trump’s guilty verdict of 34 felony counts in his New York hush-money case is sure to be a point of criticism from Biden, a history-making trial that marked the first time a former president was convicted. Biden has repeatedly referred to Trump as a “convicted felon” on the campaign trail.

Trump also faces three other separate criminal trials, including in Georgia and Washington, D.C., for trying to overturn the 2020 election, and in Florida for mishandling classified documents. Trump is likely to revisit a favorite talking point about a “rigged” justice system determined to keep him from retaking the White House.

Biden is expected to face scrutiny from Trump over first son Hunter, who is facing his own set of legal woes and was convicted in Delaware this month on federal gun charges, facing a separate criminal trial on tax charges.

The first son has also been at the center of investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings by House Republicans, who have alleged a foreign influence peddling scheme that has personally enriched the president. However, House GOP lawmakers have failed to produce evidence directly tying Biden to his son’s financial dealings, and impeachment efforts have failed to garner steam.

Immigration

Illegal immigration has emerged this election as a top concern for voters, even in states that are hundreds or thousands of miles from the southern border. High-profile violent crimes committed by those in the country illegally and a record influx of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have plagued the Biden administration with negative headlines.

Biden has received the brunt of the blame over his recession of Trump-era immigration policies that have since overwhelmed border security officials. While congressional Republicans ultimately rejected a bipartisan bill that experts and the border patrol union said would have significantly alleviated the flow, GOP critics say the president is still refusing to use his full executive authority.

The White House says it needs congressional approval, a position it recently undercut with an executive order that tightened the number of migrants allowed into the country seeking asylum.

The economy

Another policy issue top of mind for voters is inflation and cost of living. Stubbornly high inflation has hamstrung Biden’s reelection campaign, with many voters maintaining a negative outlook on the economy and their personal finances despite continued overall job and wage growth coupled with low unemployment.

The cost of gas has been a particular point of frustration for voters since a pandemic-era price plummet. Although presidents often receive too much credit, and blame, for fluctuating prices that are based on outside factors and a global market, drivers are reminded daily of the cost with giant signs plastered along roadways. The average price for regular gas was $3.49 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA, compared to $2.39 when Trump left office.

Biden and White House officials have noted inflation has significantly dropped from a 40-year high of more than 9% in 2022 to 3.3% in May. But while inflation may be down, the cost of most goods and services continue to rise with no signs of ever returning to pre-pandemic prices.

Foreign policy

Biden is likely to be pressed on the Israel-Hamas war, as the conflict drags on and continues to divide Democrats. The president has been plagued with low approval ratings, particularly in his own party, over his handling of the conflict.

Trump has stated he believes Israel is “losing the PR war” as the death toll on both sides continues to rise during the country’s quest to eliminate the terrorist organization Hamas.

The war in Ukraine will also be on the table, as Trump has used the ongoing conflict as a tool to contrast himself against Biden on multiple occasions. Trump has often stated, without going into detail, that he would put an end to the conflict if he were in power. Biden’s administration has been a staunch ally of Ukraine as it seeks to repel Russia’s invasion, though continued aid to the region has become a partisan issue.

To date, the United States has approved roughly $175 billion for Ukraine since March 2022.

Crime

Recent FBI statistics show violent crime in the U.S. is trending downward, but Biden is up against years of frustration among voters over elevated rates coming out of the pandemic and in the face of the defund the police movements. Trump has touted a “law and order” agenda he says would more harshly crack down on violent criminals and support law enforcement.

Public perception of crime, much like with the economy and inflation, is also working against Biden. More people, 58%, now say reducing crime should be a top priority than the 47% who said the same when Biden took office in 2021, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Republicans are more likely to consider crime a priority, and 77% of people overall believe crime is up nationally.

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Energy and environment

Biden’s green energy agenda has been a pillar of his first term in office. Legislation and federal regulatory policies will reshape sectors of the economy for decades to come, including how U.S. households receive power and travel with automobiles.

Trump is likely to attack Biden’s electric vehicle mandate as another inflation-inducing policy that strips people of consumer freedom. Biden could respond by invoking Trump’s pledge to roll back clean energy initiatives to benefit domestic oil and natural gas production that would worsen the long-term fight against climate change.