The funny thing about debates, they’re most often supposed to be for helping “undecideds” make up their minds. Did they? That remains to be seen, but what we know for sure after last night? President Trump and his Democrat adversary Joe Biden don’t care for each other – or what it means to be moderated.
Both men spoke over each other, at each other – and the debate moderator Chris Wallace – in what social media has decreed was an absolute free-for-all. Before the 90-minute event was over, both men accused each other of being liars, clashed over the response to the coronavirus, the economy, race relations and climate change.
Wallace reprimanded the President for interrupting several times, but Biden was tapped, too. At one point in the debate, Biden told Trump to "Shut up, man" – something that the Biden camp is already selling on T-shirts. Trump also accused Biden of being fueled by "radical left Democrats." The debate ended with Trump railing against massive mail-in voting. Biden said there is absolutely no evidence that mail balloting promotes voter fraud.
If there was a singular takeaway moment, it may have been when Wallace – egged on by Biden – gave Trump an uninterrupted space to denounce white supremacists. After debating “what to call them,” Trump mentioned the Proud Boys group and said they should “stand back and stand by.” “I'm willing to (tell them to stand down),” Trump offered. “But I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing. I'm willing to do anything. I want to see peace.” The Proud Boys is a far-right, neo-fascist organization that admits only men as members and promotes and engages in political violence. The Southern Poverty Law Center says is a hate group.
Source: C-SPAN
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