U.S. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump participate in the CNN Presidential Debate on June 27, 2024.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia and Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University With four months to go until Election Day, the earliest-ever general election debate featured two presidents – one current, one former – and a lot of bitter personal attacks. Joe Biden’s universally acknowledged poor performance surprised and even panicked Democrats; Donald Trump gave a more forceful – if not truthful – performance. The Conversation asked two scholars, Mary …