VIEWERS blasted Joe Biden’s performance in his debate with Donald Trump and were convinced by claims that his poor performance was down to a cold.

The commander-in-chief locked horns in a combative duel with tycoon Trump in Atlanta on Thursday night.

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But the first thing many viewers seemed to notice was the volume of the candidates’ voices — especially President Biden’s.

“We put things back together” after Trump’s presidency, Biden said in a low, husky voice to kick off the talk, adding that things were “just chaos” under Trump’s supervision.

“I don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either,” Trump said during his response.

The president has reportedly been under the weather over the last few weeks.

A White House official shared during the debate that Biden was evaluated by his doctor at Camp David this week and tested negative for Covid and was diagnosed with a cold, according to CBS News.

Some of the millions of viewers tuning in wrote similar comments on social media.

“Biden old as s**t lol. Is he ok?? lol,” J (@jaypthomas) a viewer immediately commented on X.

One viewer said they could tell that Biden was ill.

“Biden sounds like he has a cold. Trump is smooth,” they wrote on Facebook.

Others wondered if Biden was whispering or if he lost his voice.

Caitlin Hornik talks with Times Radio about the 2024 Presidential Debate

Biden struggled throughout and has received a torrent of criticism following last night’s showing.

“It’s obvious that he has a cold yes. But perception is everything and it’s not just the cold. This is the worst possible display,” a Biden supporter posted on X.

Critics claimed that Biden looked lost at points during the debate and feared what a second term could look like if he’s re-elected.

Even top Democrats have said Biden’s performance was painful.

“I love that guy, that’s a good man,” CNN commentator Van Jones said.

“He loves his country. He’s doing the best he can but he had a test to meet tonight to restore confidence of the country and of the base and he failed to do that.”

Thursday’s presidential debate was the first in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election and represents a significant shift from typical debate formats.

Unlike all previous presidential debates since 1988, tonight’s event was organized by CNN instead of the Commission on Presidential Debates — and each candidate’s mic was muted when the other was speaking.

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderated the discussion, both veteran journalists who have overseen multiple primary and national election debates in the past.

Bash and Tapper have pledged to do their best to avoid creating another “s**tshow,” as Bash famously dubbed the first presidential debate of 2020.

That debate, hosted by veteran then-Fox News host Chris Wallace, famously melted down into chaos as the candidates constantly interrupted one another — and the moderator — and slung insults back and forth.

VOTERS ON THE LOOKOUT

Biden’s health has been a hot topic throughout his presidency, as voters wonder if the 81-year-old can stay healthy through another term.

His health may be playing into his low approval ratings, which began to drop almost immediately after he assumed office in January 2021, according to an ongoing poll by Reuters-Ipsos.

Going into the debate, Biden had a 36% approval rating — his lowest in two years.

Trump too had a low approval rating at the end of his first term — just 34% when he left office after the Capitol riots on January 6.

The poll found that the economy has dominated voters’ concerns for weeks, outpacing extremism and immigration for the top spot.

The presidential candidates covered a wide range of policy issues during the debate.

In just the first hour of the discussion, Biden and Trump touched on domestic issues regarding the economy, abortion rights, and jobs.

They also delved into foreign policy concerns in the ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas.

Biden doubled down on his support for Ukrainian and Israeli forces, while Trump claimed the President was not adequately helping either our allies or ourselves.

AGE-OLD DEBATE

Both men have entered this 2024 election cycle with great concern about their health and age.

Biden, 81, sparked worry among viewers following last night’s debate due to his voice and when he appeared to freeze on stage.

The current president struggled to calm these concerns throughout the debate and even drew worry from some Democrats.

David Axelrod, a former advisor to former President Barack Obama, explained why the start could have unsettled people.

“I think there was a sense of shock, actually, of how he came out at the beginning of this debate, how his voice sounded,” Axelrod said.

“He seemed a little disoriented. He did get stronger as the debate went on but by that time, I think the panic had set in, he added.

One of Biden’s ex-communications directors, Kate Bedingfield, also critiqued his display.

“It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden,” she remarked.

“I don’t think there is any other way to slice it.”