The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden quickly morphed into a messy wrestling match in Cleveland, as the President repeatedly interrupted Biden from the start, and the former Vice President returned the favor, presenting Americans with a less than presidential debate.
From the first question, President Trump made clear his game plan, as he repeatedly injected himself into the middle of Biden’s answers, as the President sparred with both Biden and the moderator, as Chris Wallace of Fox News at one point laid the blame on Mr. Trump.
Here are some of the high points from this first debate:
1. Trump tries to keep Biden off balance. From the start, President Trump repeatedly badgered Biden and interrupted Biden during his responses, and even tangled with moderator Chris Wallace, as the President’s game plan seemed to be to interrupt Biden as often as possible. Biden was left frustrated at times, telling the President at one point to ‘shut up.’ “Keep yapping, man,” Biden added. If the President’s strategy was to cause Biden to commit some kind of verbal error, the plan did not seem to bear fruit on the stage in Cleveland.
Joe Biden to President Trump: "Will you shut up, man?!"
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 30, 2020
Full video: https://t.co/GMx4T2yMxi#Debates2020 #debates pic.twitter.com/u7w5BhP5np
Trump strategy: Rattle Biden into gaffes.
— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) September 30, 2020
Biden strategy: Shush Trump, talk to camera.
2. Trump also clashes with Fox News Sunday moderator. It was not a quiet night for Chris Wallace, the moderator of the first debate. The host of Fox News Sunday tried his best to first quiet President Trump, and then rein in former Vice President Biden, imploring them to stop interrupting each other. At one point, Wallace laid much of the blame on the President for the disjointed debate.
Wallace says to Trump that he’s appealing to him to stop interrupting. Trump says Biden has been interrupting, too.
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) September 30, 2020
Wallace says Trump has been interrupting more #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/pIrYNX3pAI
3. At times it turned into schoolyard taunts. With the frequent interruptions, the first 35 minutes of the debate was a brutally choppy and disjointed debate that probably pleased very few viewers. Biden chuckled out loud and sighed at the President’s interruptions and catcalls, calling him a ‘clown’ at one point. Mr. Trump returned fire repeatedly as well.
Joe Biden: "You're the worst president America has ever had."
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 30, 2020
President Trump: "I’ve done more in 47 months. I've done more than you’ve done in 47 years, Joe."
Full video: https://t.co/GMx4T2yMxi#Debates2020 #debates pic.twitter.com/hk7vfz3qLo
4. What does this portend for the next debate? Much of Tuesday night’s debate was unwatchable, so much cross talk that it was hard for people to listen or follow. Some long time political experts quickly declared that unless the President changed his ways, the next two debates shouldn’t even go forward.
CANCEL THE REMAINING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES. It is impossible to have an orderly, productive exchange with Donald Trump. Stop pretending otherwise. #Debate2020
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) September 30, 2020
5. Trump makes fun of Biden for wearing a mask. During a discussion about the Coronavirus outbreak, President Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask at his campaign events, saying there weren’t enough people there to cause any problems. The President has been holding large gatherings - mainly outside - during the virus outbreak in recent weeks. He’ll have a campaign stop in Wisconsin later this week during a time when that state is seeing some of the highest new virus case numbers around the nation.
Pres. Trump mocks Joe Biden on the issue of masks: "I don't wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he's got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I've ever seen." https://t.co/5Bl4Ob3O2t #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/OA3ffVcrkg
— ABC News (@ABC) September 30, 2020
6. There were some unanswered questions. There were probably two notable points in the debate where each candidate skirted a direct question. Biden wouldn’t answer whether he would support doing away with the filibuster or enlarging the Supreme Court, amid questions over the President’s push to quickly confirm a new Supreme Court nominee. And President Trump wouldn’t explicitly condemn the threat posed by white supremacist groups, arguing left-wing violence was the problem in America.
Chris Wallace: "Are you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down..."
— Axios (@axios) September 30, 2020
Trump: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by! But I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left." pic.twitter.com/4vrPocKzcu
WATCH:
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) September 30, 2020
Biden refuses to answer a question about ending the filibuster & packing the courts. pic.twitter.com/mqA70RQD0Z
7. Trump draws moderator rebuke over Hunter Biden attacks. Veering off subject again and again, the President tried his best to raise questions about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter - as his campaign had foreshadowed. Biden rejected the President’s claims of huge foreign payments to Hunter, as the constant efforts by Mr. Trump drew a rebuke from the moderator.
Trump keeps bringing up Hunter Biden, and Chris Wallace tells the President that there should be discussion of "more substantial subjects"
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) September 30, 2020
8. Trump supporters waste no time attacking the moderator. The debate hadn’t even ended and already Chris Wallace was under attack from some Trump backers, who said the Fox News Sunday host had sided with Joe Biden. “Chris Wallace did everything possible to help Biden,” said Candace Owens. “Chris Wallace and Joe Biden lost,” tweeted Curt Schilling. You should expect to hear a lot more of that in coming days, especially on talk radio.
I didn’t think anything could be worse than Candy Crowley moderation. That’s when Chris Wallace told America to hold his beer. #Debates2020
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 30, 2020
9. Democrats call the debate a ‘disgrace.’ While Republicans cried foul about Chris Wallace, Democrats on Capitol Hill said the debate was a hot mess because of President Trump’s interruptions. “This debate was a disgrace,” said Rep. Jesus Garcia (D-IL). “That wasn’t a debate, it was a disaster,” said Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO). “I have a headache,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
Trump once again demonstrated tonight how bankrupt he is. As a president, as a leader, and as a human. His behavior is reprehensible. A new low.
— Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) September 30, 2020
10. Did anyone win? The President’s choice to come out of the starting gate and interrupt Biden as much as possible didn’t lead to a good debate. Biden didn’t exactly distinguish himself by joining in the schoolyard taunts. There was a poll out on Tuesday before the debate from the state of Georgia, which showed 97 percent of those surveyed said they would not change their mind about their vote over the next five weeks. This debate probably didn’t change many votes.
My substantive reaction—which is worth basically nothing—is roughly the same as what I’m seeing Rick Santorum say on CNN right now: Biden wasn’t particularly good, but Trump was way too hotheaded to do himself any good.
— Matt Glassman (@MattGlassman312) September 30, 2020
11. What did the voters think? GOP pollster Frank Luntz was doing his usual work during the debate, holding a focus group of voters who watched the Trump-Biden tussle. The results might not be what the President’s team was looking for.
Words undecided voters in @FrankLuntz's focus group had for Trump: "arrogant," "crackhead" and "un-American"
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) September 30, 2020
Biden: "better than expected," "more professional," "restraint and compassion," "Predictable" "coherent" "leader"
The Vice Presidential debate is October 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The second Presidential debate is October 15 in Miami, Florida.