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US elections 2020
Donald Trump ensures first presidential debate is national humiliation
Analysis: Only one man looked remotely presidential on the debate stage in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was not the incumbent
Trump plunges debate into chaos as he talks over Biden More
It was tipped to be an explosive event and it didn’t disappoint. Jonathan Freedland and Guardian columnist Richard Wolffe discuss the highlights and lowlights of the first presidential election debate of 2020
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This episode first aired on The Guardian UK: Politics Weekly More
US elections 2020
The reality of the coronavirus pandemic was never far off as Americans gathered to watch the first presidential debate of 2020
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6:22
Biden and Trump trade insults in frenzied presidential debate – video highlights
The first US presidential debate of the 2020 campaign cycle was an experience most American voters had never witnessed before: a bitter and divisive spectacle on a night in which the reality of the coronavirus pandemic was never far off.
At a debate watch party for Donald Trump supporters at Glory Days, a bar in Seal Beach near Los Angeles, servers, but few patrons, were wearing masks. The crowd cheered whenever the president landed a line they liked, but stayed mostly quiet during the section of the debate when Biden made his case for why Trump had failed the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
Several southern California Trump supporters said they felt the debate moderator, the Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, had slanted the debate against Trump, and that he had interrupted him more often and pressed him for responses on tough questions, while letting Biden get away with not answering.
A man who identified himself as a current police officer, and declined to give his name, said that Trump’s “law and order” message was crucial to him, and that he did not think Biden had spoken out in the same way as Trump in support of police during the past months of national protests over police violence towards black Americans.
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US presidential debate moderator Chris Wallace struggles to contain Trump – video
This was not a crowd that was still making up their minds about Trump: “I have never made more money than I have now. I’m busier than ever, even with the pandemic,” said Lily Green, 56, an immigrant from Peru who now works in real estate in southern California, and was wearing pro-Trump gear.
Asked about the New York Times report that Trump had only paid $750 in taxes, Green said that she was sure what the president had done was legal, and she respected a businessman trying to pay as little in taxes as possible.
One of the loudest jeers of the night at the Glory Days bar was when Biden said that anti-fascists, or “antifa”, were more of an idea than an actual organization, despite Trump’s attempts to label “antifa” as “terrorists”.
Lois Beckett
(@loisbeckett)
Huge jeers at a SoCal GOP watch party as Biden calls antifa “an idea, not an organization.” pic.twitter.com/Y6I4gbjRQh
September 30, 2020
Elizabeth, from Seal Beach, who declined to give her last name, was one of the people who had exclaimed in disgust at this line. She said that she believed there had been too much chaos in the country for protests to have happened spontaneously.
One Trump supporter did give Biden some credit for his demeanor during the debate: “I think that empathy is Joe Biden’s strong point,” said Sally Cohen, 78, who said the former vice-president came across as grandfatherly, even if she did not like his political record.
Viewers at online events organized by Mills College, a liberal arts college in Oakland, California, appeared staggered by how dysfunctional and overwhelming the debate was, using the chat function to untangle claims made by the candidates. “Was that a threat?” one viewer asked when Trump told the Proud Boys, a far-right group, to “stand back and stand by”.
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Trump namechecks Proud Boys as he refuses to condemn white supremacists in debate – video
In San Francisco, more than 100 people tuned into a live-stream watch party organized by Manny’s, a popular progressive event space, cafe and bar in the city’s Mission neighborhood.
Manny Yekutiel, the space’s founder, led a discussion ahead of the debate wearing a wig and gown. “I’m Lady Liberty!”, he exclaimed before starting the streaming event, Viewers could be seen in their respective homes, cooking food, eating, or just watching the show.
“I miss watching with friends, but seeing Manny in his wig, reacting to Trump’s comments, is honestly one of the few things keeping me going tonight,” said San Francisco resident Cambria Minott. “Manny’s creates platforms for shared experiences in our community that make all of this bearable,” she added.
“I would be in a dark hole if I didn’t have the sense of Manny’s community tonight,” said Laura Sander.
Topics
US elections 2020
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
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US elections 2020
Presidential candidates to face off for first time in Cleveland and for Biden no news would be good news More
The US will get confirmation that election season is under way on Tuesday night, when Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, face each other in the first presidential debate.The debate, held in Ohio, is the first of three tête-à-têtes ahead of the vote on 3 November.Both Biden and Trump have said they are looking forward to the debate, and onlookers are set to be subjected to an hour and a half of argument between the Democratic nominee and the Republican president.Here’s what you need to know.When is the debate?It will begin at 9pm US eastern time (ET). The event will run until 10.30pm ET.Where is it taking place?At the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio.Ohio has been a swing state over the past two decades, but Trump won there by eight points in 2016. The state is seen as trending towards becoming more solidly Republican, due to its whiter, older population compared with the rest of the US.Who’s moderating?Fox News host Chris Wallace will be the man in charge. The Fox News channel has been fawning in its coverage of Trump for the past four years, but Wallace is seen as a relatively independent, straight journalist.Wallace won praise for an interview with Trump in July, when he challenged Trump over the coronavirus death count and memorably dug into Trump’s claim to have aced a cognitive test. He’s no favourite of Trump – who on Thursday baselessly claimed Wallace is “controlled by the radical left”.What’s the format?The debate will have six 15-minute segments. It will run for 90 minutes, with no breaks for commercials. There will be no opening statements, and the first question will go to Trump.Wallace said he’s hoping to let the debate flow. He isn’t expected to factcheck either candidate – it would be a mammoth, time-consuming task – and has said he will strive to be as “invisible as possible”.What about coronavirus precautions?The podiums will be further apart than usual, and Biden and Trump won’t shake hands before or after. According to CNN 60 to 70 people are expected to be in the audience, way below the usual number at a presidential debate.What’s up for debate?Wallace was in charge of selecting the six topics, and they were announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates last week. They are:The records of President Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.
The supreme court.
Covid-19.
The economy.
Race and violence in our cities.
The integrity of the election.
How are the candidates preparing?Biden is said to have spent days preparing, and has held mock debates with Bob Bauer, campaign adviser and former White House general counsel, ABC News reported. Bauer has apparently adopted Trump’s debate style for the practice sessions.Trump has used flashcards and videos to prepare and has eschewed traditional rehearsals, CBS News reported.On Sunday, Trump said Rudy Giuliani and the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie had been helping him prepare. According to CBS, Trump aides have studied Biden’s debate habits and created an “arsenal” of material for Trump to use.How can I watch?All major US networks are airing the debate, and most news channels, so Americans are spoilt for choice. ABC, CBS, CNN, C-Span, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC are among those who will carry it live. Most of those networks will also offer live coverage online.Outside the US, viewers can watch the debate on C-Span, a non-profit bipartisan cable channel which televises government proceedings. The channel will run coverage on its website and YouTube channel.The Guardian will also be streaming the debate, as well as offering live coverage, factchecking and analysis. More
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