A look at the first 2020 presidential debate
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden gestures as President Donald Trump walks onto the stage for the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland. (Olivier Douliery/Pool vi AP)
President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden faced off in the first 2020 presidential debate on Tuesday night. Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace moderated the explosive hour and a half debate, full of chaotic interruptions and bitter name-calling from both candidates.
Supreme Court
The first question was about the upcoming appointment of a nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
President Trump maintained that the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is fair. Biden disagreed with appointing a nominee before the election. An open discussion started about healthcare, including casual mentions of the Affordable Care Act and responses to COVID-19, before Wallace proceeded to the next topic.
Healthcare
When asked about his healthcare plan, Trump claimed drug prices would come down in cost, citing Insulin as an example.
“I’m cutting drug prices. I’m going with Favored Nations, which no President has the courage to do because you’re going against big pharma,” said Trump. “Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90%. You could have done it during your 47-year period in government, but you didn’t do it. Nobody’s done it, so we’re cutting healthcare.”
Trump claimed he improved Obamacare. Biden rebutted by claiming Trump was lying and does not have a healthcare plan.
In response to Trump’s accusation of socialized medicine, Biden said, “I’ll tell you what. He is not any help for people needing healthcare. Because he, in fact, already has cost 10 million people their healthcare that they had from their employers because of his recession.”
Wallace asked if Biden supports either ending the filibuster or packing the court. Biden avoided the question, and Trump repeated Wallace’s question multiple times, prompting Biden to say one of the most famous quotes of the night: “Will you shut up, man?”
COVID-19
The debate shifted toward a conversation about COVID-19. Biden answered first, claiming Trump did not act responsibly in the situation.
“Well, it is what it is because you are who you are. That’s why it is,” Biden said. “The President has no plan. He hasn’t laid out anything. He knew all the way back in February how serious this crisis was.”
During Biden’s answer, Trump repeatedly interrupted with phrases such as “wrong” and “it’s so wrong.” Wallace continually reminded Trump it was Biden’s two minutes to speak.
In one of these interruptions, Trump said, “If we would’ve listened to you, the country would have been left wide open, millions of people would have died, not 200,000 … It’s China’s fault. It should have never happened.”
After this interruption, Wallace attempted once more to reign in the conversation.
“It’s just fake news. They give you good press. They give me bad press because that’s the way it is, unfortunately. But let me just say something. I don’t care. I’ve gotten used to it,” said Trump. “But I’ll tell you, Joe. You could never have done the job that we did. You don’t have it in your blood. You could’ve never done that, Joe.”
The conversation then moved into a discussion of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Focusing on the future first, President Trump, you have repeatedly either contradicted or been at odds with some of your government’s own top scientists. The week before last, the Head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Redfield, said it would be summer before the vaccine would become generally available to the public,” said Wallace. “You said that he was confused and mistaken. Those were your two words, but Dr. Slaoui, the head of your Operation Warp Speed, has said exactly the same thing. Are they both wrong?”
Trump responded to Wallace by stating the topic of vaccines has become overly political because of “the left.” Trump claimed to disagree with the head of his own Operation Warp Speed.
The conversation then veered into Trump verbally attacking Biden’s previous education.
“You didn’t go to Delaware State. You graduated either the lowest or almost the lowest in your class. Don’t ever use the word smart with me. Don’t ever use that word,” said Trump to Biden.
From there, the conversation developed into the effectiveness of mask-wearing. Trump was adamant that he wears his mask “when needed.”
Trump addressed Biden next and said, “I don’t wear a mask like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from him, and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
The candidates then name-called and exchanged bitter insults with one another, once again.
The Economy
“We built the greatest economy in history. We closed it down because of the China plague. When the plague came in, we closed it down, which was very hard psychologically to do,” said Trump.
Adamant that he did not want to shut down the economy, Trump began to discredit his opponent. He claimed that if Biden had been in charge, America would have experienced far higher death numbers and a destroyed economy.
When given his chance to respond, Biden said, “The difference is millionaires and billionaires like him in the middle of the COVID crisis have done very well.”
Biden then brought up Trump’s taxes, referring to the New York Times article released days prior.
To conclude his point, Biden said, “You can’t fix the economy until you fix the COVID crisis, and he has no intention of doing anything about making it better for you all at home in terms of your health and your safety.”
Race Relations
Biden began the discussion on race and said, “It’s about equity and equality. It’s about decency. It’s about the constitution, and we have never walked away from trying to require equity for everyone, equality for the whole of America. But we’ve never accomplished it, but we’ve never walked away from it like he has done.”
Biden talked about the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed. He verbally attacked Trump by mentioning Trump’s decision to tear gas protestors, “so he could walk across to a church and hold up a Bible.”
Trump responded by discussing the states he believes he has won over.
“We believe in law and order, but you don’t,” Trump said to Biden. “They’ve got you wrapped around their finger, Joe, to a point where you don’t want to say anything about law and order. And I’ll tell you what, the people of this country want and demand law and order, and you’re afraid to even say it.”
The conversation then veered into systemic racism, racial sensitivity training and white supremacy.
“They were teaching people that our country is a horrible place. It’s a racist place. And they were teaching people to hate our country. And I’m not going to allow that to happen,” Trump said regarding a question about why he ended racial sensitivity training.
Biden responded by claiming the racial tensions in America are a direct cause of a lack of understanding and awareness.
“The only way we’re going to bring this country together is to bring everybody together. There’s nothing we cannot do if we do it together. We can take this on, and we can defeat racism in America,” said Biden.
Tensions rose to a peak when Wallace asked Trump to condemn white supremacists and right-wing militia groups specifically. Wallace asked Trump to condemn the Proud Boys — a far-right neo-Nazi group that has been blamed for violence at protest rallies in recent weeks.
Wallace and Biden seemingly dared Trump to “do it.”
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” replied Trump. “But I’ll tell you what: somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem; this is a left-wing.”
Climate Change
Wallace began this segment by asking the candidates what they believe about the science of climate change and what they plan to do to combat it in the next four years.
“I believe that we have to do everything we can to have immaculate air, immaculate water and do whatever else we can that’s good,” said Trump. “We’re planting a billion trees, the Billion Tree Project, and it’s very exciting for a lot of people.”
Trump claimed he rolled back the Obama Clean Power Plan — which limited carbon emissions and power plants — because “it was driving energy prices through the sky.”
Biden spoke on his environmental deal, including plans for renewable energy, electric vehicles and rejoining the Paris Accord.
Election Integrity
Biden began this segment by urging the American people to vote.
“Show up and vote. You will determine the outcome of this election. Vote, vote, vote. If you’re able to vote early in your state, vote early. If you’re able to vote in person, vote in person. Vote whatever way is the best way for you,” said Biden, talking directly into the camera. “Just make sure you understand. You have it in your control to determine what this country is going to look like the next four years. Is it going to change, or are you going to get four more years of these lies?”
Trump responded by reminding viewers he won the previous election while being presented with obstacles. During his answer, Trump also discussed the faultiness of mail-in ballots.
“I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully because that’s what has to happen,” said Trump, warning his supporters of alleged misconduct in voting centers.
The debate concluded after this segment with Wallace reminding viewers of the upcoming debates.
The next Presidential Debate will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Miami.
The Vice-Presidential Debates are next Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the University of Utah.
To watch the presidential debate, click here.
Anna Shand, News Editor, contributed to this article.
