The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden left me at a loss for words. Watching that debate felt more like an SNL skit than a debate between two presidential candidates who are discussing life and death matters of a country in the middle of a pandemic. If it were an SNL skit, it would have been incredibly funny, but considering that it wasn’t made it terrifying. Watching our two presidential candidates bicker like inappropriate middle school boys was not reassuring given the tenuous times our country is in. Hopefully, the next debate will be a bit more productive and professional, but for now, let’s break down the first debate.
- Trump’s Nonstop Interruptions
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Trump debated the moderator, Chris Wallace, almost as much as he debated Biden. The debate was chaotic because of Trump’s constant interruptions and downright refusal to answer questions. Biden responded with snide comments chiding Trump. I’m sure everyone at this point knows about the “Will you shut up man?!” line, but he also called Trump a “clown” on numerous occasions. Biden even went as far as to tell Trump, “You’re the worst president America has ever had. Come on.”
- Low Blows and Making it Personal
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Trump spared no expense as well. He frequently took the debate to personal levels and used low blows to attempt to get under Biden’s skin. Trump questioned Biden’s intelligence, calling him stupid and that he had one of the worst GPAs at Delaware State. When Biden’s family was brought up, Trump criticized Hunter Biden, who had a past history with drug abuse. And considering drug addiction is a serious topic and one that many Americans suffer from, Trump’s comments were inappropriate and insensitive (although unsurprising).
- Covid-19 and Real Content
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Between all the name-calling, personal attacks, and interruptions, it felt like little time was taken during the 90-minute debate to discuss real policy issues. COVID-19 was briefly touched on. Biden kept trying to bring the conversation back to the coronavirus by bringing up the 200,000 Americans who died from it, but Trump consistently deflected the topic. Rather than taking the moment to provide hope for the American people, Trump made fun of Biden for constantly wearing a mask, even when he is far away from people (comments that have aged poorly given Trump’s recent positive test result for corona). Biden missed the chance to point out Trump’s unmasked rallies during the pandemic. When Biden did attempt to make his arguments, they were not as clear or strong as they should have been. Also, Biden could have been stronger when the Supreme Court was brought up and the talk shifted to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s potential replacement, Amy Coney Barrett.
- Trump Won’t Condone White Supremacy
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The end of the debate grew even more concerning when white supremacy was brought up. Trump was asked to condone white supremacist groups, and in his convoluted answer, he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” a phrase that the Proud Boys have incorporated into a new logo. I think I am not alone when I say that, of all the craziness of the debate, Trump refusing to condone white supremacy was the most concerning and disturbing of it all.
Overall, the debate was characterized by Trump’s name-calling and the way he continually talked over Biden and Wallace, while Biden often missed many opportunities to make strong points. Perhaps the next debate will make Americans feel more proud and less embarrassed. The Commission on Presidential Debates is hoping to help with this by adding more structure to the debates for more “orderly discussion” between the candidates. Until then, I urge you to have your voice heard and to vote.
Stay tuned for the second presidential debate on Thursday, October 15!