President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have squared off in the first debate of the 2024 United States presidential race, seeking to pull ahead in a match-up that has, so far, been in a dead heat.

But despite delivering the opening salvo in Thursday’s event, Biden struggled to articulate his points at several moments, appearing to fumble for his words.

Meanwhile, Trump took the opportunity to redirect the conversation at several points to Biden’s perceived weaknesses, drumming up fears about immigration and the state of the economy.

He also attempted to dodge questions about whether he would honour the results of November 5’s presidential election, saying he would only do so if it was “fair” and “free” – and then reiterating false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.