June 27, 2024

The PCI gathered students from the University of Akron, the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Missouri to study the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.  

Fifty-five participants answered a survey about where they stand on the election immediately prior to watching the debate, then viewed the live debate via Zoom with the PCI research team. After the debate, they were invited to complete a post-debate questionnaire asking them to evaluate how candidates performed and to update their responses to pre-debate questions. 

The results showed that 17% of participants were undecided about who to vote for before the debate, and 6% of participants moved from undecided to supporting a candidate after viewing the debate. Trump picked up 7% of the vote, including 1% from Biden, and Biden lost 1% of the vote to Trump and failed to pick up any undecided voters. 

Prior to the debate, participants expressed significant concern about Biden’s age and fitness for office. After the debate, these concerns remained as salient as ever. 

PCI Director Ben Warner said that, in the past, candidates have used debates to dispel concerns about their weaknesses, citing Ronald Reagan’s famous performance in 1984 as an example. “President Biden missed an important opportunity to reassure voters about his capacity to serve a second term,” said Warner.