2020 United States presidential debates
![]() | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
2020 United States vice presidential debate | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
|
![]() | |
---|---|
Attempts to overturn | |
Democratic Party | |
Republican Party | |
Third parties | |
Related races | |
| |
The debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the major candidates in the 2020 United States presidential election, were sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. There were three initially planned scheduled debates. The first debate took place on September 29, 2020. The next debate was scheduled to take place on October 15 but was later canceled due to Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis and refusal to appear remotely rather than in person.[2] As a result, 2020 had the fewest debates since 1996.[3] The final debate took place on October 22. Additionally, a debate between the vice presidential candidates Mike Pence and Kamala Harris took place on October 7.[4]
Background
[edit]On October 11, 2019, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced that it would host three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.[5][6]
In 2019, Trump claimed that the 2016 debates were "biased", and suggested that he may not participate in further CPD-hosted debates. In December 2019, Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., the co-chairman of the CPD, met with Brad Parscale, Trump's campaign chairman, to discuss Trump's comments. Fahrenkopf said "the president wanted to debate, but they had concerns about whether or not to do it with the commission."[7] While Trump did not press the issue further publicly, in June 2020, he requested additional debates to the traditional three, which Biden's campaign declined.[8] At the end of June, representatives of the Biden campaign confirmed that they had agreed to the original schedule.[9]
The Trump campaign submitted a request to the CPD to move the scheduled debates up in the calendar, or to add a fourth debate in relation to mail-in voting; the request was declined in August 2020.[10] Later that month, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi suggested that Biden should skip the debates, claiming that Trump will "probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency". Biden responded by stating that he would go ahead and participate to "be a fact-checker on the floor while [...] debating [Trump]".[11]
Qualification of candidates
[edit]In order to qualify for the debates sponsored by the CPD, presidential candidates had to meet the following criteria; vice-presidential candidates qualify by being the running mate of a qualifying presidential candidate:[12]
- Be constitutionally eligible to hold the presidency.
- Appear on a sufficient number of ballots to have a mathematical possibility of winning a majority vote in the Electoral College.
- In theory, this means a candidate could win the election despite not meeting this criterion and hence not qualifying for the debates, as a candidate can win the election despite having a minority vote in the Electoral College. In practice, this has only happened once.
- Have a level of support of at least 15% of the national electorate as determined by five national public opinion polling organizations selected by the commission, using the average of those organizations' most recently reported results at the time of determination. The five polls were chosen with the advice of Frank Newport of Gallup, based on how Newport and the commission perceived these criteria:[13]
- The reliable frequency of polling and sample size used by the polling organization.
- The soundness of the survey methodology employed by the polling organization.
- The longevity and reputation of the polling organization.
- The five polls were:[13]
- ABC/The Washington Post Poll
- CNN Poll
- Fox News Poll
- NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll
- NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll
Debate list
[edit]Three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate were initially scheduled:[14]
2020 United States presidential election debates | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Date and time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants | ||||||||||
Key: P Participant |
Republican | Democratic | |||||||||||||
President Donald Trump of Florida |
Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware | ||||||||||||||
1 |
Tuesday, September 29, 2020 9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. EDT[15] |
Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, Ohio | Chris Wallace | P | P | |||||||||
9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. EDT |
Canceled | ||||||||||||||
3 |
Thursday, October 22, 2020 9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. EDT[15] |
Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | Kristen Welker | P | P |
2020 United States vice presidential debate | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Date and time | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants | ||||||||||
Key: P Participant |
Republican | Democratic | |||||||||||||
Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana |
Senator Kamala Harris of California | ||||||||||||||
VP |
Wednesday, October 7, 2020 9:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m. EDT[15] |
University of Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah | Susan Page | P | P |
September 29 presidential debate (Case Western Reserve University)
[edit]Presidential debate | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Date(s) | September 29, 2020 |
Duration | 95 minutes |
Venue | Health Education Campus (HEC) Samson Pavilion at Case Western Reserve University |
Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
Participants | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Footage | Fox News (lower bitrate), PBS (higher bitrate) |
Moderator(s) | Chris Wallace of Fox News |
Transcript | [1] [2] [3] |
Fact checking | FactCheck.org CNN CBS News The New York Times |
Website | my.clevelandclinic.org/debate |
The first debate was held on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT at the Samson Pavilion of the Health Education Campus (HEC), which is shared by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.[16][17] Chris Wallace of Fox News moderated the debate.[18]
According to a 2021 book by Trump's White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 26, three days before the debate, and six days before he was hospitalised for COVID-19. Meadows also said Trump tested negative from a different test shortly after the positive result. Trump denied this story and called it false.[19]
The debate was originally scheduled to take place in the Phillip J. Purcell Pavilion located within the Edmund P. Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, but Notre Dame withdrew as a host site on July 27, 2020, due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][20]
Prelude
[edit]Entering into the debate, Biden had a significant and persistent lead in the polls. Biden's lead was compounded by a funding shortage in Trump's campaign, with Biden's campaign donations improving significantly.[21]
Since Biden's successful nomination in the Democratic primaries, Trump had attempted to cast doubt over Biden's abilities, claiming that he was suffering from dementia and that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs in the primaries. Trump called for Biden to be drug tested before the debate. Biden mocked the idea.[22] Trump also claimed that Biden would use a hidden electronic earpiece for the debate, demanding that Biden's ears be searched. Biden declined.[23][24]
Running up to the debate, Trump made repeated claims that the election would be rigged by means of voter fraud, especially with regards to mail-in ballots.[25][26] When asked if he would commit to a peaceful transition of power, Trump said, "we'll have to wait and see;" however, in a later press briefing, he said that he did believe in a peaceful transition of power.[27][28] In several instances, Trump called for his supporters to vote twice—in order to test safeguards against voter fraud[29]—even though voting more than once is a felony.[30]
In the weeks leading up to the debate, Trump became part of various controversies. Bob Woodward released his second book on the Trump presidency, based on 19 recorded interviews with Trump. In one recording made in February 2020, Trump indicated that he understood the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic early on, which contrasted with Trump's attempts to publicly play down the virus.[31] Trump confirmed that he downplayed the severity of the pandemic, saying that "I don't want to create a panic."[32] The New York Times published an investigation into Trump's federal tax returns, which found that Trump had paid no tax at all in 10 out of 15 years studied, and only $750 in federal income tax for 2016 and 2017. Additionally, they reported that his businesses lost money in most years.[33] A few days before the debate, the US reached the milestone of 200,000 deaths from COVID-19. This number represented 20% of worldwide fatalities, despite the US having only 4% of the world's population.[34]
Nearly two weeks prior to the debate, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died from cancer.[35] Ginsburg was one of four Supreme Court justices who are commonly considered liberal; the other five justices are commonly considered to be conservative. The day after Ginsberg's funeral, Trump nominated conservative Amy Coney Barrett. Senate Republicans, under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, moved swiftly, promising to vote on her nomination before Election Day.[36] The move was controversial, since the same Senate Republicans had refused to consider a Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland by then-President Barack Obama in an election year.[37]
Format and debate
[edit]The debate was divided into six segments: "Trump's and Biden's records, the Supreme Court, the COVID-19 pandemic, race and violence in cities, election integrity, and the economy".[38] Each was approximately 15 minutes in length; Wallace introduced each topic and gave each candidate two minutes to speak, followed by facilitated discussion between them. The allotted time was generally not upheld; Trump repeatedly interrupted and criticized Biden during Biden's answers to the initial questions as well as during the facilitated discussions,[39] and was chastised by Wallace several times for doing so. On several occasions, Wallace pleaded with Trump to respect the rules and norms of the debate.[40] At one point, Biden refused to answer a question given by Wallace, leading to Trump interrupting him. Biden then remarked to Trump, "Will you shut up, man?"[41] Biden also said in response to allegations that he would implement "socialist medicine" "The party is me. I am the Democratic Party right now. The Democratic platform is what I, in fact, approved of."[42] Additionally, Biden called Trump a "clown" during the discussion about healthcare plans.[43]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Proud_Boys_SBSB.png/220px-Proud_Boys_SBSB.png)
At one point during the debate, Biden and Wallace pressed Trump to condemn white supremacy groups. When Trump replied "Give me a name...", Biden responded with "The Proud Boys".[45] Trump then said "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by", a remark interpreted by some members of that far-right group, as well as others, as a call to arms.[46][47][48] When asked about his position on police reform, Biden called for an increase in police funding, in opposition to left-wing rhetoric calling for a defunding of police. He explained such funds would be used to hire psychologists or psychiatrists who would accompany police officers during 9-1-1 calls in order to defuse potentially violent situations and reduce the use of force, and improve officer training.[49]
Fact checkers challenged many of Trump's statements. Trump falsely said that he "brought back (college) football"; as he had commented on his wish for the conferences to play, but took no official action. Trump also repeated the claim that he "got back" Seattle and Minneapolis from left-wing protesters, and continued to repeat conspiracy theories about voter fraud. He said, without evidence, that drug prices will fall "80 or 90 percent," in reference to his efforts to cut drug prices[50] and exaggerated that he is making insulin at prices "so cheap, it's like water", despite insulin prices remaining fixed at about $300 per vial. Trump also misleadingly said that the U.S. economy before the pandemic was "the greatest economy in the history of our country"; although GDP growth was high in the first three years of the Trump presidency, it was higher under Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Bill Clinton, and the unemployment rate was lower under Eisenhower.[51] Nominal GDP was higher than at any point in US history, but this is true for the large majority of US Presidencies.
When Biden brought up Trump's March 2020 remarks about injecting disinfectant to treat COVID-19, Trump claimed that they had been made sarcastically. Trump then stated that he brought back 700,000 manufacturing jobs; a false figure given that the actual number was 487,000.[52] Biden then made several false claims, claiming that under Trump, the trade deficit with China grew and violent crime went up (only the national murder rate increased).[51] Trump criticized Biden's handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, a pandemic in which an estimated 60 million cases in the United States occurred, with an estimated death toll of about 12,000. When Biden mentioned that Trump should get "a lot smarter", Trump said, "Don't ever use the word smart with me, don't ever use that word [...] Because there's nothing smart about you, Joe," and incorrectly stated that Biden forgot where he went to college, referring to a video in which Biden talks about announcing his first Senate campaign on the campus of Delaware State University.[53][54]
Reception and aftermath
[edit]A post-debate CNN/SSRS poll found that 60% of debate-viewers thought that Biden had won and 28% thought Trump had, with a margin of error of six points.[55][56] According to a CBS News poll taken following the debate, 48% of people thought Biden won, 41% of people thought Trump won, while 10% considered it a tie, with a margin of error of three points. In the same poll, 83% of the respondents believed the tone of the debate was negative, while 17% believed it was positive. The debate was largely seen negatively across the political spectrum.[57][58]
The debate was widely criticized by commentators and journalists. It was called "a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck" and a "disgrace" (CNN's Jake Tapper); a "shitshow" (CNN's Dana Bash); "mud-wrestling" (ABC's Martha Raddatz); "the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my life" (ABC's George Stephanopoulos); and "the single worst debate I have ever covered in my two decades of doing this job" (CNN's Chris Cillizza).[59][60][61][62][63][64] The New York Times editorial board called the debate "excruciating" and wrote: "After five years of conditioning, the president's ceaseless lies, insults and abuse were no less breath-taking to behold."[65] The Washington Post editorial board called the debate "a disgrace" and demonstrated that "Trump's assault on democracy is escalating."[66] ABC White House correspondent Jonathan Karl said that Trump "came across as a bully" in the debate.[67] According to the Washington Examiner, some conservatives criticized Wallace for an alleged bias against Trump due to Wallace's frequent interruptions of Trump.[68] After moderating the debate, Wallace described his performance as moderator as "a terrible missed opportunity" and remarked that he had not been prepared for Trump's behavior.[69] In response to the failure of the debate and subsequent criticism, the Commission on Presidential Debates indicated that it would modify future debates to encourage a more civilized and orderly discussion. While Biden said that he was open to changes, Trump rejected the idea, suggesting that changes would erode his advantage.[70] Despite criticism of his moderation, the CPD defended Wallace's moderation ability, commending his "professionalism and skill".[71][72]
Trump's "stand by" remarks received criticism.[73][74] Rick Santorum, a former Republican senator, later said that it was a "huge mistake" by Trump not to condemn white supremacy properly during the debate.[75] Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade criticized Trump for not condemning white supremacy, saying that Trump "ruined the biggest layup in the history of debates" by not doing so.[76] Trump's team disagreed with these criticisms, arguing that Trump has "continuously denounced" white supremacists and did so twice during the debate.[77] The day after the debate, Trump said, "I don't know who Proud Boys are, but whoever they are, they have to stand down."[78] On October 1, Trump said on Sean Hannity's show: "I've said it many times, and let me be clear again: I condemn the KKK. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I don't know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing. But I condemn that."[79][80][81] Researcher Rita Katz, executive director of SITE Intelligence Group, told The Washington Post that Proud Boys memberships on Telegram channels grew nearly 10 percent after the debate.[82] Proud Boys merchandise featuring the phrases "stand back" and "stand by" appeared online after the debate and was subsequently banned from sites including Amazon Marketplace and Teespring; it remained available on eBay as of October 1.[83]
The debate had a total of at least 73.1 million viewers on television, according to Nielsen ratings. It was the third most watched debate in U.S. history, behind the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 (84 million), and the only debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980 (80.6 million).[84][85][86] The television viewership declined 13% compared to the debate for the first presidential debate of 2016, but an unknown number of people watched or listened to the debate via live-streaming or radio, so the total audience likely surpassed the 2016 record.[86][85]
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Legend
|
Total television viewers
|
Viewers 25 to 54
|
|
Vice presidential debate (University of Utah)
[edit]Vice presidential debate | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Date(s) | October 7, 2020 |
Duration | 90 minutes |
Venue | Kingsbury Hall at University of Utah |
Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Participants | Mike Pence Kamala Harris |
Footage | C-SPAN |
Moderator(s) | Susan Page of USA Today |
Transcript | [4] |
Fact checking | FactCheck.org BBC News The New York Times |
Website | debate2020.utah.edu |
The vice presidential debate was held on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.[89] Susan Page of USA Today moderated the debate.[18]
Changes due to COVID-19
[edit]After President Trump and a number of White House individuals tested positive for COVID-19, it was announced that Pence and Harris would stand 12 feet apart.[90] On October 5, the Commission on Presidential Debates approved the use of plexiglass,[91] but the next day, it said that the candidates and moderator would each be allowed to choose whether they wanted such a barrier near their own body. A commission member argued that Harris "is the one who wanted plexiglass...If [Pence] doesn't want plexiglass, that is up to him."[92] Pence subsequently agreed to a plexiglass barrier, so there were two barriers; one by each candidate.[92][93]
Format and debate
[edit]![]() |
The debate was to be divided into nine 10-minute segments,[94] although the moderator was only able to ask candidates about eight topics. The candidates were positioned 12 feet and 3 inches apart.[95]
During the debate, Pence echoed many of Trump's false or misleading claims, including on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic (Pence inaccurately said that the administration had "always" been truthful about the pandemic), health care (Pence inaccurately claimed that he and Trump had a plan to "improve health care and to protect pre-existing conditions for every American," when no such plan has been put forth by the administration), and universal mail-in voting (Pence inaccurately claimed that this system would "create a massive opportunity for voter fraud," a claim contrary to numerous studies). Pence also misrepresented the findings of the Mueller investigation, as well as Biden's position on fracking and the Green New Deal. To a lesser degree, Harris also made statements that were misleading or lacked context, mostly relating to the U.S. economy.[96]
During the debate, moderator Susan Page asked both vice presidential candidates whether they had discussed, or reached an agreement with their running mates, "about safeguards or procedures when it comes to presidential disability." The issue had come to prominence due to the age of both presidential candidates (both were in their 70s) and Trump's hospitalization with COVID-19 earlier that same month. Both Pence and Harris dodged the question and instead pivoted to other topics.[97][98][99]
When Harris was asked if she would support an expansion of the number of justices on the Supreme Court if the Senate confirmed Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Court, she did not answer the question, instead mentioning how President Abraham Lincoln did not nominate a successor for Justice Roger B. Taney, as he had died 27 days before the 1864 presidential election.[100][101] Toward the end of the debate, Pence refused to commit to accepting the results of the election, and ensuring a peaceful transition of power, if Trump and Pence lost. Pence's response echoed Trump's own repeated statements refusing to commit to honoring the results if he loses.[102][103][104]
A fly landed on Pence's head during the debate and Pence's left eye appeared bloodshot, attracting commentary and spawning internet memes and a popular Halloween costume, as well as speculation that he might have had COVID-19 at the time.[105][106][107][108]
Shortly after the debate, the candidates' spouses joined them onstage. Harris's husband Douglas Emhoff wore a face mask, while Pence's wife Karen Pence did not, in apparent violation of a Commission on Presidential Debates rule requiring that every attendee, except the candidates and moderator, wear a mask while in the debate hall.[109] Following a backlash, a spokesman for Karen Pence stated that she had "followed an agreement established between both campaigns prior to the debate."[110]
Pundits had mixed views on the performances of Pence and Harris.[111] FiveThirtyEight reported the debate didn't appear to move the needle for either presidential ticket nor did it shift who people thought would win the election, but a slight increase in enthusiasm was observed among the supporters of both campaigns. An Ipsos survey found Harris's performance was seen as more impressive than Pence's among viewers, with 69% of viewers saying Harris's performance was either "somewhat good" or "very good," compared to 60% of viewers saying the same for Pence.[112]
Viewership
[edit]The debate had a total of 57.9 million viewers on TV and had the second-largest television audience of any U.S. vice presidential debate; it was watched by an estimated 22 million more people than the amount who watched the 2016 vice presidential debate, falling behind the only debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden in 2008.[113][114][115]
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Legend
|
Total television viewers
|
Viewers 25 to 54
|
|
Canceled October 15 presidential debate (Arsht Center)
[edit]Presidential debate | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Date(s) | October 15, 2020 (canceled) |
Venue | Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts |
Location | Miami, Florida |
Website | www.arshtcenter.org |
The second debate was scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 15, 2020, from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT, at the Arsht Center in Miami. This debate had originally been scheduled to be held at the Crisler Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but the University of Michigan withdrew as a host on June 23, 2020, over public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.[118][119] Steve Scully of C-SPAN was to have moderated the debate, which would have been in the town hall meeting format.[18]
Trump contracts COVID-19
[edit]On the morning of October 2, the White House press office announced that the president had contracted COVID-19. One of his close advisers, Hope Hicks, had shown symptoms on the plane while returning from the first debate, and subsequently tested positive. Trump, along with First Lady Melania Trump, tested positive shortly afterwards and went into quarantine.[120] The president was hospitalized for three days.[121] The second debate would have been within the CDC's recommended quarantine period of two weeks. The Commission on Presidential Debates did not immediately specify if Trump's diagnosis would affect the second debate.[122][123]
Change of format
[edit]On October 8, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that, due to Trump's positive COVID diagnosis, the second debate would be held virtually, with the moderator in Miami and the candidates participating remotely. Biden agreed to participate in the debate, but Trump said he would not take part in a virtual debate and would instead hold a rally.[124] Trump's campaign team attempted to "push the October 15 debate back a week to October 22 and then move the third debate to October 29".[125] A Biden campaign spokesperson stated, regarding Trump's declination to participate in a virtual debate, that "Biden would be happy to appear virtually, but said if the president declines to appear, the former vice president will hold a town hall elsewhere."[124] The Biden campaign later scheduled a nationally televised town hall on ABC with George Stephanopoulos on October 15.[126][127]
Trump's physician Sean Conley said on October 8 that Trump's condition was stable and that he was "devoid of symptoms"; however, that evening Trump appeared by phone on Hannity and suffered several coughing fits.[128] Conley said that he anticipated that Trump could have a "safe return to public engagements" by October 10, ten days after his diagnosis.[129] According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 remain contagious for up to 20 days after their onset of symptoms, depending on the severity of the case; Trump's treatment using remdesivir and dexamethasone was typical of a severe case.[130] The Trump campaign called for the second debate to be held in person as originally scheduled, saying there was "no medical reason" for the debate to be shifted to a virtual setting, postponed, or otherwise changed "in any way."[131] However, Fahrenkopf said that the commission would not reconsider its decision to make the event virtual so as to "protect the health and safety of all involved."[132]
Steve Scully incident
[edit]Prior to the debate, Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that would-be debate moderator Scully was a "Never Trumper".[133] He later reiterated these comments in a tweet saying "Steve Scully, the second Debate Moderator, is a Never Trumper, just like the son of the great Mike Wallace. Fix!!!". On October 9, shortly after these comments were made, a tweet was made by Scully appearing to ask former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci about advice on how to handle Trump in the debates.[134] It was believed by many that this was meant to be a direct message rather than a public tweet. Afterwards, Scully claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked which was later proven to be false. On October 15, he was suspended indefinitely for lying about these comments.[135]
Cancelation
[edit]The commission announced on October 9 that the second debate had been canceled while the final debate would still proceed as originally planned, with Kristen Welker moderating.[136] As a result of the debate cancelation, each candidate participated in separate town hall events televised at the same time (8:00 p.m. EDT). Biden's town hall was broadcast on ABC and Trump's town hall was broadcast on NBC.[137] Biden's town hall was watched by 14.1 million people on ABC, while Trump's town hall was watched by 13.5 million people on NBC.[138] More people watched Biden's town hall, broadcast solely on ABC, than Trump's town hall, broadcast on NBC and two of its cable channels, MSNBC and CNBC.[139]
Columbia Journalism Review editor and publisher Kyle Pope characterized the duelling events as "a craven ratings stunt".[140] During the 1968 United States presidential election, Richard Nixon refused to debate Hubert Humphrey, also resulting in separate late-night television events: fundraising telethons were scheduled for mostly-overlapping time slots with the Democratic candidate similarly appearing on ABC and the Republican candidate on NBC.[141]
October 22 presidential debate (Belmont University)
[edit]Presidential debate | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Date(s) | October 22, 2020 |
Duration | 93 minutes |
Venue | Curb Event Center at Belmont University |
Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
Participants | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Footage | CNN |
Moderator(s) | Kristen Welker of NBC |
Transcript | [5] |
Fact checking | FactCheck.org CNN CBS News The New York Times |
Website | belmontdebate2020.com |
The final debate took place on Thursday, October 22, 2020, from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT, at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, with Kristen Welker of NBC moderating. This would have been the third debate, but became only the second, following the cancelation of the October 15 debate.[18][142]
Format and debate
[edit]In response to the interruptions that occurred during the first debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced on October 19 that each candidate's microphone would be muted during the other's initial two-minute response to each question. The announcement also stated that after each candidate gave his two-minute response, the microphones would not be muted.[143] The muting was performed by production staff instead of the moderator.[144]
The debate was divided into six segments: "fighting COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership".[145] On the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump claimed that a vaccine would be released in the next few weeks, while Biden criticized Trump for his lack of action (along with the lack of a plan) to contain the virus.[146][147] Referring to Trump, Biden said, "This is the same fellow who told you this was going to end by Easter last time. This is the same fellow who said, 'Don't worry, we're going to end it this by the summer.' We're about to go into a dark winter [...] and he has no clear plan." Biden also said that there was "no prospect" that a vaccine would be "available for the majority of the American people" before mid-2021.[147] Trump responded by saying that Americans had to learn to live with the virus; Biden replied that, under Trump, Americans were "learning to die from" the virus.[148] Asked whether he took responsibility for his actions, Trump said, "I take full responsibility. It's not my fault that it came here. It's China's fault."[149] While Trump stated that he would re-open the country as soon as possible, Biden stated that he would do it with certain restrictions.[150]
On national security, the candidates were asked about the recently released Director of National Intelligence report about interference in the ongoing election by Russia and Iran. Biden described foreign electoral interference as an interference with American sovereignty, specifically referencing Russia, China, and Iran, and said that any country that interfered in U.S. elections would "pay a price."[151] Biden also expressed concerns over Russian misinformation sent to Rudy Giuliani, whom he called a "Russian pawn".[152] Trump responded by falsely claiming that Biden had received money from the Mayor of Moscow.[153]
After Biden brought up newly reported information about Trump's tax returns, as well as Trump's secret bank account in China, Trump stated that he prepaid millions in taxes and complained that the IRS had treated him "very unfairly."[154][155] Biden replied, "Release your tax returns, or stop talking about corruption."[155] On the topic of North Korea, Trump said that he had a "good relationship" with Kim Jong-un and that because of that, "there's no war."[156] On his turn, Biden stated that the nuclear weapons in North Korea were still a problem for the US and criticized Trump's friendship with Kim, whom Biden called a "thug".[157]
On healthcare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"), Trump said, "I would like to terminate Obamacare, come up with a brand new, beautiful health care" that would be "better" and reaffirmed his support for a lawsuit to invalidate the ACA. Trump offered no replacement plan. Biden said he would build on and improve the ACA, adding a public health insurance option in addition to existing private plans.[158] Trump compared Biden's plan to that of Bernie Sanders, while falsely claiming that Biden's plan would be "socialized medicine".[159][153]
On proposals for a new round of coronavirus economic relief legislation, Trump blamed Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for the failure of relief legislation to pass, although Pelosi was in the midst of negotiating a relief bill with Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Biden reminded viewers that the Democratic-led House had passed a coronavirus relief months ago, and that the legislation was not taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate. Biden asked Trump why he was not conferring with his "Republican friends" about an agreement. (Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged the Trump White House not to make an agreement with Pelosi before the election.[160]) Trump said that he opposed the bill passed by House Democrats in part because it included funds for Democratic-led local government.[161] Trump called the House Democrats' bill "a big bailout for badly run Democratic cities and states."[162] In response, Biden stressed unity, saying, "Look what he's doing. Blue states or red states — they're all the United States."[161] Biden noted that every state was experiencing fiscal stress due to the economic downturn,[162] saying that in the absence of relief, budget shortfalls would force the state governments, "whether red or blue," to "start laying off [...] cops, firefighters, first responders, teachers."[163] Speaking after the debate, Biden said that, if elected, he would work with state and local leaders on a relief bill during the transition.[164]
On proposals to raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour, Biden reaffirmed his support for the increase, while Trump said that the minimum wage should be left to the states and that a federal minimum wage increase would hurt businesses.[165]
On immigration and the Trump administration policy of separating children from their parents at the border (a policy that the administration halted after an international outcry), Trump dodged the question, falsely claiming that his administration had inherited the policy that led to the separation of thousands of families from the Obama administration.[153][166][167] An impassioned Biden condemned the Trump administration policy and said that it was "criminal" that 545 children separated under the policy have still not been reunited with their parents.[168]
On the topic of race in America, both candidates were asked to address Black parents about "the talk", in which Black parents talk to their children about racism in the United States. While Biden addressed the public, Trump asserted that Biden had caused harm to the African-American community during his time as a senator.[169][170] Trump claimed that he had done more for the African-American community than any other president except possibly Abraham Lincoln, and that he was the "least racist person in this room", to which Biden mockingly said "Abraham Lincoln over here is one of the most racist Presidents in modern history".[171]
On climate change, Trump pointed to the fact that the US had the lowest carbon emissions numbers since the 1990s and claimed that the air in China, Russia, and India was "filthy".[172] On his turn, Biden proposed a plan to combat global warming by transitioning the country from fossil fuels to renewable energy, saying this shift would create millions of jobs.[173][174][175] In his response, Trump claimed that he knew more about wind energy than Biden and that "wind [turbines] kill all the birds."[176]
The moderator asked Trump, "Some people of color are much more likely to live near oil refineries and chemical plants in Texas. There are families who worry the plants near them are making them sick. Your administration has rolled back regulations on these kinds of facilities. Why should these families give you another four years in office?" This marked the first time that environmental justice issues were discussed in a general election debate.[177] Trump replied that the plants give them good sources of employment,[178] while Biden stressed expressed support for regulating pollutants that negatively affect fenceline communities. When both were asked about the future of energy, Trump emphasized economic priorities, while Biden stressed alternate forms of energy and said he wanted to "transition from the oil industry."[178]
In the final segment (on "leadership") both candidates were asked what they would say on their inauguration day to the Americans who did not vote for them. Trump focused on the state of the economy, while Biden said that he would promise to represent every American in the country, "choose science over fiction", create new jobs, and give Americans the even chance that they "haven't been getting for the last four years."[179][180]
Reception
[edit]A post-debate CNN/SSRS poll found that 53% of debate-viewers thought that Biden had won and 39% thought Trump had, with a margin of error of 5.7 points.[181] The debate was generally praised for its less hostile nature and for the candidates being prompted to go into more detail about their proposals.[182][183][184] FiveThirtyEight opined that the debate did not have a major impact on either candidate's favorability, polling numbers, or likelihood of winning.[185] The second and final presidential debate was watched by 63 million people, an estimated 10 million fewer people than the amount who watched the first debate, and 8.6 million fewer than the number who watched the final debate of 2016. This was likely due to the debate being broadcast concurrently with Thursday Night Football, which accumulated a total of 7 million viewers on FOX.[186][187]
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Legend
|
Total television viewers
|
Viewers 25 to 54
|
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Trump's official state of residence was New York in the 2016 election but changed to Florida when his permanent residence was switched from Trump Tower to Mar-a-Lago in 2019.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ Choi, Matthew (October 31, 2019). "Trump, a symbol of New York, is officially a Floridian now". Politico. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^ "What will happen to the debates? Trump's diagnosis throws schedule into limbo". KTVI. October 4, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (October 9, 2020). "Commission Officially Cancels Oct. 15 Presidential Debate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Siders, David (October 7, 2020). "Covid and Court take center stage at a more normal debate". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "CPD: Overview". debates.org. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Presidential Debate Schedule Announced for General Election". The Commission on Presidential Debates. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie; Karni, Annie (January 24, 2020). "Trump May Skip Debates, or Seek New Host, if Process Isn't 'Fair'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Mucha, Sarah (June 22, 2020). "Biden campaign agrees to 3 debates with Trump and slams push for more as 'distraction'". CNN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Goldmacher, Shane (June 22, 2020). "Biden Campaign Commits to 3 Presidential Debates Ahead of November Election". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Stevens, Matt (August 6, 2020). "A 4th Presidential Debate? Commission Says No to Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ Coleman, Justine (August 27, 2020). "Pelosi says there shouldn't be any debates between Biden and Trump". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ "CPD: Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites and Dates for 2020 General Election Debates and 2020 Nonpartisan Candidate Selection Criteria". debates.org. Commission of Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Polls to be used in 2020 Candidate Selection Criteria". debates.org. Commission of Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "Media". The Commission on Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Phillips, Amber. "What to know about the 2020 presidential debates". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Edelman, Adam (July 27, 2020). "Notre Dame withdraws as 2020 presidential debate host citing coronavirus threat". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic to Host First Presidential Debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Health Education Campus' Samson Pavilion". Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. July 27, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 2, 2020). "Presidential Debate Moderators Include Fox News' Chris Wallace, C-SPAN's Steve Scully and NBC's Kristen Welker". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ Parker, Ashley; Dawsey, Josh; Linskey, Annie; Diamond, Dan (December 1, 2021). "Trump tested positive for coronavirus before first debate with Biden, three former aides say". Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ "Notre Dame readies to host first 2020 presidential debate". Notre Dame Magazine. Winter 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Goldmacher, Shane; Haberman, Maggie (September 7, 2020). "How Trump's Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Bella, Timothy (September 28, 2020). "'The president thinks his best case is made in urine': Biden campaign mocks Trump's drug-testing demand". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Trump ads push baseless Biden earpiece conspiracy". BBC News. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (September 29, 2020). "The Long History of 'Hidden Earpiece' Conspiracy Theories". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Collinson, Stephen (October 2, 2020). "Trump won't stop interfering in the election". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "ANALYSIS: Donald Trump wants to discredit the U.S. election, not delay it". Global News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Trump won't commit to peaceful transfer of power". BBC News. September 24, 2020. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ National, Scripps (September 27, 2020). "President Trump says 'of course there will' be a peaceful transfer of power if he loses election". thedenverchannel.com. ABC Denver 7. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Vazquez, Maegan; Carvajal, Nikki (September 3, 2020). "Trump appears to encourage North Carolinians to vote twice to test the system". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie; Saul, Stephanie (September 24, 2020). "Trump Encourages People in North Carolina to Vote Twice, Which Is Illegal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Green, Lloyd (September 12, 2020). "Rage review: Will Bob Woodward's tapes bring down Donald Trump?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie (September 9, 2020). "Trump Admits Downplaying the Virus Knowing It Was 'Deadly Stuff'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Barstow, David; Craig, Susanne; Buettner, Russ (October 2, 2018). "Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Kluger, Jeffrey (September 22, 2020). "Tragic Math: The U.S. Exceeds 200,000 COVID-19 Deaths". Time. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Greenhouse, Linda (September 24, 2020). "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court's Feminist Icon, Is Dead at 87". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Reich, Robert (September 20, 2020). "Rushing to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McConnell shows power trumps principle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Bradner, Eric (September 19, 2020). "Here's what happened when Senate Republicans refused to vote on Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination". CNN. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex (September 22, 2020). "Debate organizers reveal 6 topics for first Trump-Biden showdown". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Kaufman, Amanda (September 30, 2020). "Trump interrupted Biden more than 10 times as he tried to answer one question. It got worse from there". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
In one instance, Trump interrupted Biden more than 10 times during a 3-minute exchange about health care.
- ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (September 29, 2020). "Chris Wallace Struggled to Rein In an Unruly Trump at First Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Beauchamp, Zack (September 29, 2020). "Biden to Trump: "Will you shut up, man?"". Vox. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Knutson, Jacob (September 30, 2020). "Biden: "I am the Democratic Party right now"". Axios. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ Manchester, Julia (September 29, 2020). "Biden calls Trump a 'liar' and a 'clown' at first debate". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ "Alt-right group Proud Boys share Trump's words on social media". MSNBC. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ "Read the full transcript from the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Thrush, Glenn; Kanno-Youngs, Zolan (September 29, 2020). "Refusing to categorically denounce white supremacists, Trump falsely says extremist violence is 'not a right-wing problem'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Olorunnipa, Toluse; Wootson, Cleve R. Jr. (September 30, 2020). "Trump refused to condemn white supremacists and militia members in presidential debate marked by disputes over race". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Altman-Devilbiss, Alexx (September 30, 2020). "Sen. Tim Scott says Trump 'misspoke' when he told Proud Boys 'stand back and stand by'". WPDE. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Marsh, Peter; Olson, Emily (September 30, 2020). "First presidential debate live updates: Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off in first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Waldrop, Thomas; Rapfogel, Nicole (October 15, 2020). "Too Little, Too Late: Trump's Prescription Drug Executive Order Does Not Help Patients". Center for American Progress. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Kessler, Glenn; Rizzo, Salvador; Kelly, Meg (September 30, 2020). "Fact-checking the first Trump-Biden presidential debate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Jackson, Brooks (January 20, 2020). "Trump's Numbers January 2020 Update". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Wadington, Katie; Brown, Matthew (September 30, 2020). "Debate fact check: Where Biden, Trump land on COVID-19, campaigning, law and order, more". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Caldera, Camille (September 29, 2020). "Biden says Trump needs to get 'a lot smarter' on COVID-19, Trump says 'there's nothing smart about you'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Agiesta, Jennifer (September 29, 2020). "Post-debate CNN poll: Six in 10 say Biden won the debate". CNN. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Prokop, Andrew (September 30, 2020). "The first post-debate polls say Biden won". Vox. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Richardson, Reed (September 29, 2020). "Breaking: Biden Beats Trump 48–41 in CBS News' Instant Post-Debate Poll". Mediaite. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ HORNING, COLIN. "First Presidential debate: a fail". Northern Iowan. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Sinha, Charu (September 30, 2020). "That Was a shit-show". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Emmrich, Stuart (September 30, 2020). "Last Night's Presidential Debate Was a 'Shitshow' and a 'Train Wreck.' Can We Survive Two More Like This?". Vogue. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (September 30, 2020). "Presidential debate 2020 memes: 'Worse than a Real Housewives reunion'". CNET. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Barbaro, Michael (September 30, 2020). "Chaos and Contempt: The First Presidential Debate". The Daily (Podcast). Event occurs at 28:47. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Strauss, Daniel (September 30, 2020). "Moderator Chris Wallace criticized as Biden drowned out by Trump in debate". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Cilizza, Chris (September 29, 2020). "Analysis: Hits and misses from the first Trump-Biden debate". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Editorial Board (September 30, 2020). "Opinion A Debate That Can't Be Ignored". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Editorial Board (October 1, 2020). "The debate was a disgrace. It showed us Trump's assault on democracy is escalating". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Takala, Rudy (September 29, 2020). "'The Worst Presidential Debate I Have Ever Seen in My Life': George Stephanopoulos Pans Trump-Biden Faceoff". Mediaite. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Ortiz-Lytle, Carly (September 30, 2020). "Chris Wallace's debate performance met with swift blowback: 'This is a Get Trump fest'". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Grynbaum, Michael (September 30, 2020). "Chris Wallace Calls Debate 'a Terrible Missed Opportunity'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Linskey, Annie; Dawsey, Josh; Janes, Chelsea; Costa, Robert (October 1, 2020). "As debate commission considers rule changes, Trump signals he'll reject them". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "CPD Statement". Commission on Presidential Debates. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Renshaw, Jarrett; Hunnicutt, Trevor (October 1, 2020). "Next Trump-Biden debate will have new rules to aid 'orderly discussion'". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ "President Donald Trump Tells Hate Group Proud Boys to 'Stand Back and Stand By'". Variety. September 29, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ "Asked to condemn them, Trump tells white supremacist groups to 'stand back and stand by'". Politico. September 29, 2020. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Coleman, Justine (September 30, 2020). "Santorum: 'Huge mistake' for Trump not to condemn white supremacy at debate". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Ross, Jamie (September 30, 2020). "'Fox & Friends' Trashes Trump for Blowing the Debate Over White Supremacists". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Singman, Brooke (September 30, 2020). "Trump campaign says president has 'continuously denounced' white supremacists, amid criticism". Fox News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Fritze, John; Subramanian, Courtney (September 30, 2020). "Trump says he doesn't know Proud Boys but 'they need to stand down,' as he faces backlash for not criticizing white supremacists". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Samuels, Brett (October 1, 2020). "Trump: 'I condemn all white supremacists'". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Choi, Matthew (October 1, 2020). "Trump condemns white supremacist groups 48 hours after debate". Politico. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Martin, Jeffery (October 1, 2020). "Donald Trump says 'I condemn the Proud Boys' after Republican backlash". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Timberg, Craig; Dwoskin, Elizabeth (September 30, 2020). "Trump's debate comments give an online boost to a group social media companies have long struggled against". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Gibson, Kate (October 2, 2020). "Amazon blocks sale of merchandise with 'stand back' and "stand by"". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (September 30, 2020). "Presidential Debate Viewership Falls From 2016 To 73.1 Million; Fox News Tops Ratings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Stelter, Brian (September 30, 2020). "Trump-Biden clash was watched by at least 73 million viewers". CNN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Koblin, John (September 30, 2020). "In TV Ratings, Trump vs. Biden Was No Match for Trump vs. Clinton". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (September 30, 2020). "Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020.
- ^ Katz, A.J. (September 30, 2020). "Fox News Is Most-Watched For First Trump-Biden Debate". Adweek. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020.
- ^ "The University of Utah will host a vice presidential debate next year". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Parker, Mario (October 2, 2020). "Pence, Harris Will Be 12 Feet Apart at Their Debate Next Week". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex; Cadelago, Christopher (October 5, 2020). "Plexiglass to separate Harris and Pence at VP debate". Politico. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Merica, Dan; Acosta, Jim (October 6, 2020). "Pence team agrees to allow plexiglass barrier near him at VP debate after back-and-forth over Covid precautions". CNN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex (October 6, 2020). "Pence accedes to plexiglass at debate". Politico. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (October 7, 2020). "What Are the Rules for Tonight's Debate? (Plexiglass Is Allowed, for One)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Barr, Jeremy (October 8, 2020). "Susan Page responds to debate critics: 'The refusal to answer a question, I thought, could be telling'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Merica, Dan (October 8, 2020). "Fact check: Pence echoes Trump's false claims at vice presidential debate". CNN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Contorno, Steve; Ross, Allison; Wilson, Kirby (October 7, 2020). "Mike Pence and Kamala Harris dodge questions in more civil debate". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Snyder, Tanya; O'Donnell, Katy (October 8, 2020). "The biggest dodges from last night". Politico. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Jenkins, Aric (October 7, 2020). "Both Pence and Harris completely dodged a question about presidential succession". Fortune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Green, Emma (October 8, 2020). "Biden and Harris Need an Answer on Court Packing". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Groppe, Maureen; Collins, Michael; Jackson, David; Garrison, Joey; Jansen, Bart; Fritze, John (October 7, 2020). "Mike Pence, Kamala Harris end vice presidential debate that focused on Trump's policies". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Wolf, Zachary B. (October 8, 2020). "This is Vice President Mike Pence's answer on a peaceful transfer of power. Read it carefully". CNN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (October 7, 2020). "Pence Clashes With Harris and Evades Question on Peaceful Transfer of Power". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Neidzwiadek, Nick (October 7, 2020). "Pence sidesteps question about peaceful transfer of power". Politico. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Relman, Eliza; Choi, David (October 7, 2020). "A gigantic fly landed and rested on Pence's head during the vice-presidential debate". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Orr, Gabby (October 8, 2020). "What caused Mike Pence's bloody eye". Politico. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ "Mike Pence Debate Fly Halloween Costume". October 10, 2020.
- ^ Sheinin, Aaron Gould (October 8, 2020). "Pence's Red Eye Raises COVID Concerns". WebMD. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Klein, Betsy (October 7, 2020). "Karen Pence didn't wear a mask on stage after debate". CNN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Moniuszko, Sara M. (October 8, 2020). "Following backlash, Karen Pence's team says 'both sides agreed' spouses would remove masks". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ "Opinion: Who won the vice presidential debate?". CNN. October 8, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Wolfe, Aaron Bycoffe, Laura Bronnner, Elena Mejia, Julia (October 6, 2020). "Who Won The Vice Presidential Debate?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Patten, Dominic; Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 8, 2020). "VP Debate Between Kamala Harris & Mike Pence Is Second Most Watched Ever – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Fischer, Sara (October 8, 2020). "57.9 million people watched the VP debate on television". Axios. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020.
- ^ Koblin, John (October 8, 2020). "Pence-Harris Matchup Draws 58 Million TV Viewers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 8, 2020). "Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.7.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020.
- ^ Katz, A.J. (October 8, 2020). "2020 Vice Presidential Debate Ratings: Fox News, ABC Are Most-Watched Networks". Adweek. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020.
- ^ Haddad, Ken (June 23, 2020). "University of Michigan will no longer host 2020 presidential debate due to public health concerns". WDIV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Jesse, David; Gray, Kathleen (October 11, 2019). "University of Michigan to host presidential debate in 2020". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Dawsey, Josh; Itkowitz, Colby. "Trump says he and first lady have tested positive for coronavirus". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Foster, Robin; Mundell, E. J. (October 5, 2020). "Trump Released From Hospital After 3 Days of COVID Treatment". U.S. News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ "When to Quarantine". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States Government, CDC. February 11, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Wang, Christine; Calia, Mike (October 2, 2020). "President Trump, first lady Melania test positive for coronavirus". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Merica, Dan; Bohn, Kevin; Duster, Chandelis (October 8, 2020). "Trump's rejection of virtual format puts future of debates in question". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Merica, Dan; Bohn, Kevin (October 9, 2020). "Commission cancels second debate between Trump and Biden". CNN. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Byrnes, Jesse (October 8, 2020). "Biden to participate in ABC town hall Oct. 15 in lieu of Trump debate". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Grynbaum, Michael M.; Haberman, Maggie (October 8, 2020). "Campaigns Spar Over Debate Plan After Trump Rejects Virtual Face-Off". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ Darcy, Oliver (October 9, 2020). "Coughing Trump tells Hannity he's healthy and ready to hold rallies". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie (October 8, 2020). "Trump's doctor says he's completed his Covid-19 treatments and can return to 'public engagements' on Saturday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ McNamara, Audrey (October 9, 2020). "Is it safe for President Trump to return to the campaign trail?". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie; Astor, Maggie (October 9, 2020). "Trump says he wants to hold a rally on Saturday after his doctor cleared him to resume public events". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ "President Trump wants to hold rally in Florida on Saturday". ClickOrlando.com. October 8, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Fellow, Jocelyn Grzeszczak Newsweek (October 9, 2020). "Is Presidential Debate Moderator Steve Scully a 'Never Trumper?'". Newsweek. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 9, 2020). "Odd Tweet Draws Scrutiny to C-SPAN's Steve Scully, Who Was Set to Moderate a Presidential Debate". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Concha, Joe (October 15, 2020). "C-SPAN's Steve Scully suspended after admitting to lying about Twitter hack". The Hill. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "October 15 Presidential Debate Will Not Proceed" (Press release). Commission on Presidential Debates. October 9, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Herbert, Geoff (October 14, 2020). "NBC to Host Trump Town Hall at the Same Time as Biden's ABC Event Instead of Presidential Debate". The Post-Standard. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 16, 2020). "Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (October 16, 2020). "More people watched Biden on ABC than Trump on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Goodman, Amy (October 16, 2020). "Headlines for October 16, 2020". Democracy Now!. Event occurs at 6:50. Pacifica Foundation. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Maddow, Rachel (October 16, 2020). "The Rachel Maddow Show for October 16, 2020". The Rachel Maddow Show. MSNBC.
- ^ Milton, Immanual John (November 17, 2019). "Behind the decision for Belmont to host their second Presidential debate in twelve years". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Merica, Dan (October 19, 2020). "Debate commission to mute candidates during their opponent's initial responses to prevent interruptions". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ Chen, Shawna (October 22, 2020). "Moderator Kristen Welker will not control mics during final presidential debate". Axios. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Brett Samuels (October 16, 2020). "Climate change, national security among topics for final Trump-Biden debate". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Coronavirus vaccine expected 'within weeks', claims Donald Trump in final US presidential debate". Scroll.in. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Caitlin O'Kane (October 23, 2020). ""We're about to go into a dark winter": Biden says Trump has no plan for coronavirus". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Andrew Solender (October 22, 2020). "'People Are Learning To Die From It': Biden, Trump Clash On Pandemic Timeline". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ German Lopez (October 22, 2020). "Trump on Covid-19: "I take full responsibility. It's not my fault."". Vox. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Amelia Nierenberg; Adam Pasick (October 23, 2020). "Trump and Biden Finally Talk Schools". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020.
- ^ Adam Lucente (October 23, 2020). "Trump, Biden talk reported Iranian election interference at final debate". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Vandana Rambaran (October 23, 2020). "Biden slams Trump ally Rudy Giuliani as 'Russian pawn' in 2nd debate". FOX News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Fact check: Toned-down Trump continues his onslaught of falsehoods". CNN. October 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Naomi Jagoda (October 22, 2020). "Biden presses Trump to release tax returns after report on China bank account". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Jacqueline Feldscher (October 22, 2020). "Trump says he prepaid 'millions and millions' in taxes". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ W.J. Hennigan (October 23, 2020). "President Trump Touted His Relationship With North Korea – Even Though He's Got Little to Show for It". TIME. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Catherine Kim (October 22, 2020). "Biden slams Trump for his friendship with Kim Jong Un". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Sahil Kapur (October 22, 2020). "Trump says Obamacare must die. Biden says he'll make it into 'Bidencare.'". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Eliza Relman (October 22, 2020). "Biden called Trump 'a very confused guy' during the debate when the president falsely claimed he's a far-left liberal who wants 'socialized medicine'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ "WATCH: Trump, Biden blame each other's parties for no new virus relief". PBS. Associated Press. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Astead W. Herndon (October 23, 2020). "4 Key Biden Moments at the Final Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Andrew Romano (October 23, 2020). "4 takeaways from a less abrasive — but more revealing — debate between Trump and Biden". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Laura Olson (October 23, 2020). "Trump in final debate slams pandemic aid as a 'big bailout' for blue states". Georgia Recorder.
- ^ Caitlin Oprysko (October 23, 2020). "Biden says he will start working on coronavirus relief during transition if elected". Politico. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Martha C. White (October 23, 2020). "Increasing the minimum wage would help, not hurt, the economy". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Zolan Kanno-Youngs (October 23, 2020). "Trump Tried to Blur Responsibility for His Family Separation Policy in Final Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Jeremy Stahl (October 23, 2020). "Trump on the Thousands of Children He Separated From Their Parents: "They Are So Well Taken Care Of"". Slate. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Rafael Bernal (October 22, 2020). "Biden fact checks Trump on 545 families separated at border, calls policy 'criminal". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Marty Johnson (October 22, 2020). "Welker raises question about 'the talk' during final debate". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Maggie Astor (October 22, 2020). "Addressing systemic racism, Kristen Walker asks the candidates about 'The Talk'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Emily Stewart (October 22, 2020). "Trump says he's the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln but is not actually Lincoln". Vox. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ "US elections: Look at Russia, China, and India, it's filthy, says Trump on carbon emissions". WION. October 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Ellen Knickmeyer; Kathleen Ronayne (October 24, 2020). "Biden's warning on oil tests voter resolve on climate change". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Lisa Friedman (October 23, 2020). "A Debate Pledge to 'Transition' From Oil Puts Climate at Center of Campaign Finale". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Ella Nilsen (October 23, 2020). "Trump might be surprised to learn most Americans want more wind and solar". Vox. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Sophie Lewis (October 23, 2020). "Trump claims wind energy "kills all the birds." Cats and windows are actually much more to blame". CBS News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ "Environmental Justice Debated". Living on Earth. October 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Abby Livingston (October 22, 2020). "Donald Trump and Joe Biden sparred over Texas' energy industry and global warming during final presidential debate". the Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Grace Segers; Stefan Becket; Melissa Quinn (October 23, 2020). "Trump and Biden make final pitch to voters at last presidential debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Colby Itkowitz; Isaac Stanley-Becker; Matt Viser; Sean Sullivan; Glenn Kessler; Salvador Rizzo; Felicia Sonmez; John Wagner (October 23, 2020). "Final Biden-Trump meeting covers coronavirus, race, climate change". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
- ^ Agiesta, Jennifer (October 23, 2020). "CNN Poll: Biden wins final presidential debate". CNN. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Anthony Zurcher (October 22, 2020). "Presidential debate: Key takeaways from the Trump-Biden showdown". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ Chris Cillizza (October 23, 2020). "Hits and misses from the final presidential debate". CNN. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ Julie Pace (October 23, 2020). "Analysis: Debate is brief interlude of normalcy in 2020 race". AP News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Who Won The Last Presidential Debate?". FiveThirtyEight. October 23, 2020. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ Dominic Patten (October 23, 2020). "Final Presidential Debate Scores 63M Viewers; Fox News Tops The Pack Again – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Ahiza García-Hodges (October 23, 2020). "Ratings drop for final presidential debate with 63 million viewers". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Mitch Metcalf (October 23, 2020). "Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.22.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ A.J. Katz (October 23, 2020). "Fox News Is Most-Watched for Coverage of the 2nd and Final Presidential Debate of 2020". Adweek. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
Further reading
[edit]- Olorunnipa, Toluse; Sullivan, Sean (September 28, 2020), "Report on Trump's tax avoidance shakes up presidential race ahead of Tuesday night's debate", The Washington Post
External links
[edit]- 2020 United States presidential debates
- 2020 United States presidential election
- 2020 in American television
- Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign
- Events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign
- September 2020 events in the United States
- Simulcasts
- October 2020 events in the United States
- United States presidential debates
- Internet memes introduced in 2020