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US President Joe Biden struggled on the debate stage on Thursday night, appearing tired and at times disoriented as his more energised Republican rival Donald Trump put in a far stronger performance, albeit one riddled with falsehoods.
Mr Biden's performance was so shaky that Democratic pundits suggested he should step down immediately to make way for a new candidate.
The two men sparred over their visions for America, with Trump, 78, calling the country a "Third World nation" while Mr Biden, 81, accused his opponent, a convicted felon, of being a "whiner" who poses a threat to US democracy.
Foreign policy featured prominently during the 90-minute CNN debate in Atlanta, Georgia, but neither candidate offered any new details on how they would tackle the many crises around the globe, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Mr Biden started badly, ambling to the podium and opening his remarks with a hoarse voice that at times was barely audible.
"I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either," Trump said at the end of one of the President's statements.
Trump meanwhile hammered his anti-immigration message while ducking questions on climate change and Palestine.
A CNN host asked if he would support the creation of an independent Palestinian state "in order to achieve peace in the region".
"I'd have to see," Trump said, before changing the topic in his answer.
He said the "whole world is blowing up" under Mr Biden and that the US is "literally an uncivilised country now".
Mr Biden struggled frequently to rebut attacks from Trump, even when he repeated false claims of fraud during the 2020 election. After the debate, pundits declared that voters were seeing a president incapable of managing another four years in office.
Democratic strategist Alyssa Batchelor-Causey told The National: "The Biden campaign will need to make really strong showings on the campaign trail after this debate. I think that Trump is showing a stronger presentation tonight. The debate rules have limited a lot of his usual antics, which I think is actually helping him."
CNN political analyst Van Jones, who previously worked for Mr Biden, appeared to be on the verge of tears when he said solemnly that it is "time for this party to find a different way forward".
US media reported that Democrats on Capitol Hill were "panicking" after Mr Biden's performance in Atlanta.
On Ukraine, Trump declared that Kyiv is "not going to win that war" but said Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms to end the conflict are "not acceptable".
He spoke of an increasingly chaotic world stage: "We are on the verge of World War Three."
Facing questions about the October 7 attack on Israel, the hostage crisis and the war in Gaza that has killed more than 37,700 Palestinians, Mr Biden claimed that his administration "saved" Israel.
"We saved Israel. We are the biggest producer of support for Israel of any one of the world," Mr Biden.
Trump said Israel should "finish the job" in Gaza. The former president also claimed Mr Biden was a "bad Palestinian".
False claims by Mr Trump outnumbered those made by Mr Biden, but the Democrat delivered an early foreign policy gaffe on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, falsely claiming that no US troops had died under his watch.
National polls showed tight margins between Mr Biden and Trump, at 47 to 49 respectively, with most Americans disappointed over their choices for president in November.
Nearly six out of 10 Americans say they are disappointed with both candidates, and outside the debate hall, a lively rally took place for third-party candidate Robert F Kennedy junior gathered.
Kyle Kemper, who is touring the country in his self-made "Kennedy 24 Bus", told The National: "Americans are sick and tired of the system, of the status quo."
The debate has been described as “historic” by American pundits, with the US facing unprecedented challenges this election cycle.
Among them is Trump being the first major candidate to be convicted of a crime and Mr Biden struggling with concerns over his age – he would be 86 by the end of a second term.
Mr Biden spent days preparing for the debate at Camp David – perhaps explaining his hoarse voice – and before his Atlanta arrival, the Biden campaign released a new attack advertisement that focuses on how former Trump appointees and staff believe that the right-wing populist is a “wannabe dictator” and “threat to democracy”.
After the event, Vice President Kamala Harris quickly took to national TV to defend the President in a heated exchange.
"Joe Biden is extraordinarily strong," she said. "The point has to be performance in terms of what a president does.
"The person I see is Joe Biden on the world stage, convening world leaders who frequently ask for his advice."
Ms Harris conceded that "it was a slow start" for her running mate, but added: "It's also important to recognise the choice in November ... involves extraordinary stakes, and there's one person on the debate stage who has the endorsement of their Vice President and that's Joe Biden."
Both candidates agreed to debate without a live audience, with CNN limiting presence on the debate stage to Biden and Trump while limiting access to photographers.
The White House Correspondent's Association had pressed CNN to permit one reporter into the room, a request that was subsequently denied.
It made for a rare rift between the association representing the media corps and CNN.
