All right after 90 minutes that is now the end of the first presidential debate of the

2024 cycle a rematch between former President Trump and President Biden the first time

the two men have squared off face to face since

the fall of 2020. You're watching PBS news coverage. Thanks for staying with us.

Let's bring in our panel now. We're joined in studio by White House correspondent

Laura Barone Lopez, political correspondent Lisa

Dejahdan, Amy Walter of the Cook political report with Amy Walter, Democratic

strategist Guy Cecil, and Republican strategist Kevin Madden and watching the debate in

Atlanta, Georgia is Pamela Kirkland of Georgia Public Broadcasting with a welcome to

all of you. Laura will start with you because Democrats were desperate for President

Biden to put on a show of vitality and mental sharpness amid questions about his

age. Your phone has been blowing up for the last hour and a half as you've been

texting with your sources what's the word from the campaign and the democrats

with whom you're in contact well the democrats that i've been in contact with

we're not necessarily happy with the president's performance.

They, you know, at the beginning, were really nervous,

thought that he did not get off to a strong start.

They felt as though he got a bit stronger

as the night went on, a bit more clear,

drew more contrast as the night went on, a bit more clear, drew more contrast as the night went on.

But again, they wanted him to be able to strike really strong contrast with Trump on immigration, abortion on January 6 and a lot of the folks I talked do don't feel as though he necessarily did that in a way that is going to reach the voters either whether it's motivating his base or also reach those independent moderate votes the Their internal polling, this is a course campaign pulling, but their live internal

pulling, the dials as they were listening to voters as the debate was going on,

...