Presidential Debate Recap

A contentious and sometimes chaotic presidential debate took place on Tuesday, Sept. 29, between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The debate was moderated by FOX News anchor Chris Wallace who struggled to maintain order as the candidates repeatedly interrupted each other and indulged at times in name-calling and personal attacks.

The debate consisted of 7 segments, each lasting approximately 15 minutes. Prior to the debate, the candidates agreed on 2-minute uninterrupted answers for each section and then open-ended discussion for the rest of the segment. 

Due to COVID-19, the candidates did not shake hands. 

The Supreme Court

Wallace first addressed the issue of the empty seat left by the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg’s dying wish was that her spot not be filled “until a new president is installed.” However, there is nothing in the Constitution that makes it illegal for President Trump to appoint a new Supreme Court justice this close to an election. 

Trump began by saying that they — referring to the Republican party — have the right to fill her spot because they won the 2016 election and “elections have consequences.” Trump further argued that if the Democrats were in the same position, they would do the same and maybe even faster.

Biden countered that this effort by President Trump and the Republicans is an “abuse of power” because it will ensure Trump’s ideologies remain present in Washington. Biden expressed his concern that confirmation of Trump’s nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, could ultimately result in the overturn of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which he argued would strip millions of Americans — especially those with pre-existing health conditions — of health insurance. Biden asserted that, if elected, he would expand the ACA. Trump responded by saying he had just signed an executive order to protect people with preexisting conditions five days prior; however, he also affirmed his position against the ACA by stating, “No matter how well you run Obama Care, it’s a disaster.”

Wallace ended the segment by asking Biden to comment on a possible Democratic response to a Senate confirmation of Judge Barrett. Specifically, Wallace asked Biden whether he would support “either ending the filibuster or packing the court”. Biden declined to articulate his position on either measure. When pressed by Trump to answer the question, Biden responded, “Will you shut up, man?”

COVID-19

Wallace began the second segment by asking, “Why should people support you in your plan for healthcare?” Biden responded by claiming that the president has no plan. He admitted he is reluctant to open the economy and schools until the government is able to provide companies with the funds to purchase personal protective equipment in order for them to safely open.

Biden then advocated for social distancing and mask wearing, claiming that it will save 100,000 lives between now and next January. He also voiced that Trump is “irresponsible” when it comes to masks and social distancing.

Trump said that the Democratic governors praised him for doing a “phenomenal job” closing the country, and claimed that a vaccine is weeks away. He followed this by accusing the media of bias, claiming, “No matter what you say to them, they give you bad press…it’s just fake news. They give you (pointing to Biden) good press, they give me bad press, because that’s the way it is, unfortunately.”

It was during this section that Trump referred to COVID-19 as the “China Plague”. He also criticized Biden’s intelligence by saying, “There’s nothing smart about you, Joe.” 

Biden countered by saying America shouldn’t trust the president because he panicked about COVID-19 and lied to the public about the severity of it. He ended by emphasizing the need to fund what needs to be done now to save lives.

The Economy Race 

Trump began by claiming that the United States has the “greatest economy in history” and he’s confident that the economy is in a “v-shape recovery.” He also discussed how he put a record-breaking 10.4 million people back into the workforce.

Biden claimed that the country is in a “k-shape recovery” because the wealthy are recovering quickly but the middle class isn’t. He continued by saying the economy can’t be fixed until COVID-19 is fixed and that Trump has no intention of fixing the pandemic. Biden then followed up with a claim that his economic plans will create one trillion dollars in economic growth.

Wallace then addressed the New York Times article released earlier this week regarding Trump’s federal income tax returns. The article claimed that Trump paid $750 in federal income tax in both 2016 and 2017. When asked by Wallace, Trump claimed these accusations were false and insisted that he paid “millions” in 2016 and 2017. In fact, he encouraged voters to go to the Board of Elections and fact check him. Trump admitted he has benefited from certain tax advantages, which he defended as legal.

Biden and Trump continued to argue back and forth until Wallace asked them both to stop because they were going to move on to segment four. 

Violence in U.S. cities

Biden began by claiming that Trump wants to “divide” the country and not unite it. He said “[Trump] is the racist.” Trump interrupted and accused Biden of calling black Americans “super-predators” in 1994, which Biden denied. Biden then acknowledged that there is systemic injustice in this country — particularly in law enforcement — towards black Americans and minorities. Biden suggested that there needs to be a system where people are held accountable because violence is never appropriate. His solution? Adding trained psychologists and psychiatrists to the police force so that officers are less likely to use excessive force.

Wallace then turned to Trump and asked him about the violence during some recent Black Lives Matter protest in cities like Kenosha and Portland. Trump claimed it to be a “left-wing problem, not a right-wing problem.” Trump then asserted that he has done more for black Americans “than any other president,” with the exception of “maybe Abraham Lincoln.”

Wallace then gave Trump an opportunity to condemn white supremacist groups. Trump declined to do so and instead directly addressed white supremacist group the Proud Boys after they were brought up by Wallace, instructing them to, “stand back, and stand by.” Wallace followed up by asking Trump why he eliminated government racial sensitivity training. Trump responded by saying that racial sensitivity training in and of itself is racist and too many people complained about it. 

Trump later accused Biden of not talking about law and order, to which Biden responded that he’s in favor of law and order with justice — where everyone is treated fairly.

Climate Change 

Trump addressed climate change by explaining his vision for “crystal clear water and no more fires.” His solution includes a plan to plant “a billion trees” and implement good forest management to eliminate forest fires. He also intends to create relaxed fuel economy standards.

Biden said he plans to end the use of fossil fuels by 2035 and eliminate greenhouse gasses by 2050. He also plans to bring down the cost of renewable energy and that no new fossil fuel power plants will be built in America. He intends on rejoining the Paris Accords, and while emphatically stating that he is opposed to the Green New Deal, he supports what he calls the “Biden Plan,” which will include tax incentives for people to weatherize their homes and buildings.

Trump’s and Biden’s Records

Trump claimed that there is no president that has accomplished more than he has in three-and-a-half years. Trump then turned to the subject of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, whom Trump charged should be investigated for allegedly accepting a $3.5 million payment from the wife of Moscow’s ex-mayor. 

Biden briefly defended his son, called Trump a “clown,” then stated that under Trump’s administration, the country has become “sicker, weaker, more divided and more violent.”

The Integrity of the Election

Trump emphatically voiced his concerns that mail-in ballots will be subject to rampant fraud. He also expressed concern that the election results will be delayed by months due to mail-in ballot counting. Wallace pointed out that in the 2016 election, 31 million citizens cast their ballots by mail and that the military has been voting by mail since the Civil War.

Biden contradicted Trump’s claim that mail-in ballots are “rigged” because there is “no evidence” of cheating. He claimed that it is an attempt by Trump to scare voters. Another Trump presidency will be “four more years of lies,” Biden claimed. Wallace asked both candidates to pledge not to declare victory until all the ballots have been counted, which only Biden did. Trump ended by urging his supporters to watch carefully for fraud at polling places.

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The next election-related debate will occur on Oct. 7 between Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris.