More than 80 minutes into the debate, President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, were asked about their age and ability to serve well into their 80s. Biden, answering with the hoarse voice he’s had all night, launched on a litany of policy achievements and noted that Trump is only “three years younger.” Biden also used the answer to slap at Trump for bad-mouthing the U.S. “The idea that we are some kind of failing country? I’ve never heard a president talk like that before,” Biden said. In his retort, Trump bragged on his golf game and said he’s in as good a shape as he was 25 years ago and perhaps “even a little bit lighter.” --- The first general election debate of the 2024 season kicked off Thursday evening in Atlanta, with U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, squaring off as the candidates attempt to lure currently undecided voters. Biden, the Democratic incumbent, has the opportunity to reassure voters that, at 81, he’s capable of guiding the U.S. through a range of challenges. Meanwhile, the 78-year-old Trump could use the moment to try to move past his felony conviction in New York and convince an audience of tens of millions that he’s temperamentally suited to return to the Oval Office. Thursday’s debate in Atlanta marks at least a couple of firsts — never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, and never before has CNN hosted a general election presidential debate. #presidentialdebate2024 #biden #trump