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By Billie Schwab Dunn
Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter
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On Thursday night President Joe Biden and Donald Trump faced off in their first presidential debate—and Barbra Streisand isn't happy about how it went down.
Political observers view the election as one of the most important races in modern history, as 81-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, are set to face off in a rematch of the 2020 vote. The two have sparred over issues ranging from the economy to abortion rights as the election season continues to heat up.
Both men sought to win over undecided voters, as polls show the pair locked in a close race a little more than four months before the election. The two men sparred on issues including the economy, abortion and immigration.
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The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who have faced criticism for not fact-checking the candidates during the debate. Now Streisand has criticized the anchors for not keeping Trump on topic.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Streisand and contacted Bash and Tapper via CNN for comment on Friday.
"What is wrong with these two moderators who let Trump change the subject? They ask him a question, but then let him go on a rampage about something else. Not fair!" the Hollywood star posted to X, formerly Twitter.
At the time of writing, her post had been viewed 370,000 times.
People took to the comment to agree with Streisand, with one person writing: "It's journalistic malpractice as many have said. It's unbelievable."
"Trump never plays fair. He cheats and wins. We must learn to stop him in his tracks!" said another.
"Worse 'moderators' in any debate ever," someone else commented.
A fourth person added: "They both are miserable failures. Shame on CNN."
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However, others took the opportunity to disagree with the Funny Girl actor and show their support for Trump.
"We're not through winning. Please don't be a sore loser," one X user commented.
"This is what panic mode looks like," said another.
A third added: "Your guy is not mentally capable. Just be honest."
After being approached for comment, Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, directed Newsweek to Trump's campaign statement posted online.
"Tonight President Trump delivered the greatest debate performance and victory in history to the largest voter audience in history, making clear exactly how he will improve the lives of every American," part of the statement reads.
"Over and over President Trump highlighted common-sense plans to reduce inflation, bringing down the costs of groceries, housing, and gas, as well as his plans to bring back his successful first-term policies that kept our southern border secure and free from the wave of Biden Migrant Crimes currently sweeping our country," it continues.
In light of recent polls showing Biden closing the gap with Trump but still trailing in several battleground states, Biden needed to perform well in the debate. Voters have expressed concerns about his age, despite a positive medical report from his physician Kevin O'Connor earlier this year.
However, on Thursday night, Biden drew scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats alike. His voice sounded hoarse, particularly as the debate began, and his answers at times seemed muddled. As the debate approached its midpoint, he seemed a bit sharper. But he is still facing a wave of criticism over his performance, including new calls for him to step down from the campaign. However, a Biden aide told Newsweek that the president was battling a cold during the debate.
Like Biden, Trump also needed a strong debate performance. His standing in the polls has weakened in recent weeks, following a Manhattan jury finding him guilty of falsifying business documents. The conviction has had a minor, yet notable, effect on his polling, as Biden has gained ground.
Trump appeared more alert throughout the debate and largely avoided fueling concerns about his age. Some Democrats said that he performed stronger than Biden.
However, he made several inaccurate claims on the night, including that the Biden administration supports abortions "after birth."
Neither the Biden administration nor the Democratic Party have supported post-birth abortions.
Update 06/28/24, 09:37 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
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