--- ---  # The Internet Can't Get Over This Moment From the Biden-Trump Presidential Debate by [Anna Gordon](https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jun 28, 2024 11:41 AM UTC  President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee former President Donald Trump battled it out during the first presidential debate on June 27, 2024\. Pictured here is a viewing of the debate in Chicago, Illinois. President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee former President Donald Trump battled it out during the first presidential debate on June 27, 2024\. Pictured here is a viewing of the debate in Chicago, Illinois.Scott Olson—Getty Images by [Anna Gordon](https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jun 28, 2024 11:41 AM UTC President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, faced off against each other at the first 2024 presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday evening. The [90-minute debate](https://time.com/6993360/first-presidential-debate-biggest-moments-2024/) was moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, and resulted in plenty of talk-worthy moments. The candidates discussed topics such as immigration, [abortion](https://time.com/6993365/biden-trump-abortion-first-presidential-debate-2024/), inflation, [Charlottesville](https://time.com/6993399/donald-trump-charlottesville-presidential-debate-2024/), and climate while also engaging in personal attacks against each other. [Trump’s recent conviction](https://time.com/6993442/trump-guilty-conviction-mentions-presidential-debate/) of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the landmark hush-money trial was also mentioned. But what stood out to many pundits and viewers was [Biden’s performance](https://time.com/6993335/first-presidential-debate-analysis-2024/). The President frequently stumbled on his words and at times even rambled off into tangents that others struggled to understand. At one point, Trump said of Biden: “[I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQEL6ShXE3U). I don't think he knows what he said either.” The reaction online has been strong. Some Biden supporters have said the debate “[hurt](https://twitter.com/VanJones68/status/1806544106644021439).” > [](https://twitter.com/ginnyhogan%5F/status/1806499060494332102) > [](https://twitter.com/Geiger%5FCapital/status/1806505906344956329) Elsewhere, famous author Stephen King expressed concern with the future of the country, given how the debate had been commercialized. > [](https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1806481656012009750) Towards the end of the debate, one moment drew an especially strong reaction online: [an argument over golf.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VyAfQBV2%5Fc) Co-moderator Bash asked both candidates what they would say to voters who question their capability to serve, [given their ages](https://time.com/6693305/biden-age-memory-trump-campaign/). **Read More:** [_Why the Biden-Trump Debate May Boost RFK Jr_](https://time.com/6993371/rfk-jr-debate/) Trump responded by saying that he is in “very good health,” attempting to highlight this by saying he had just won two regular golf club championships. “To do that you have to be able to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way… He \[Biden\] can’t hit a ball 50 yards,” Trump said. “He challenged me to a golf match, he can’t hit a ball 50 yards.” In exchange, Biden said he would be happy to play golf with Trump, if Trump could carry his own bag. Biden also said that when he was Vice President, he was able to bring his Golfing Handicap score, a numerical score used to ensure golfers can fairly play other golfers of equal ability, “down to a 6.” The exchange left many viewers who don’t play golf confused, and others shocked that the topic of golf had found its way into the presidential debate. As a result, the exchange became the subject of several social media reactions. > [](https://twitter.com/GaryParrishCBS/status/1806516234894315708) > [](https://twitter.com/shepmates/status/1806548231708705025) > [](https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/1806515585251004740) > [](https://twitter.com/HC%5FRichardson/status/1806514109342699960) > [](https://twitter.com/PGATUOR/status/1806516310421262625) > [](https://twitter.com/AkilahObviously/status/1806514298124185807) Internet Fixates On Wild Moment From the Biden-Trump Debate ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6993490/biden-trump-presidential-debate-internet-social-media-reactions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6993490/biden-trump-presidential-debate-internet-social-media-reactions/"},"headline":"The Internet Can't Get Over This Moment From the Biden-Trump Presidential Debate","datePublished":"2024-06-28T11:41:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T17:52:03.195Z","description":"Towards the end of the debate, one moment drew an especially strong reaction online: an argument over golf.","url":"https://time.com/6993490/biden-trump-presidential-debate-internet-social-media-reactions/","keywords":["2024 Elections","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83f577de6ce4ec72/698a5841cabb1dc258e5446e/GettyImages-2159618320.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Anna Gordon","jobTitle":"Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau.","url":"https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83f577de6ce4ec72/698a5841cabb1dc258e5446e/GettyImages-2159618320.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-2159618320","caption":"President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee former President Donald Trump battled it out during the first presidential debate on June 27, 2024. 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