Five Stunning Moments From The First Presidential Debate (Which Biden Won)

first presidential debate

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden

Screenshot from Sept. 29, 2020 C-Span Presidential Debate video

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off for the first time Tuesday night in the inaugural presidential debate of the 2020 general election.

It was a catastrophe. Trump was belligerent, mendacious, and overbearing, refusing to let Biden answer questions most of the time without interruption. Biden managed to get in several good moments, but he was often bowled over by the president's bluster and was unable to make a complete argument. [Editor's note: Biden nevertheless won CNN's "instant poll" following the debate audience by overwhelming margins.]


But Trump didn't really seem to get the better of Biden. By being so aggressive, he came off desperate, dishonest, and out of control. It was not a good look for a sitting president. And it completely undermined the supposed point of the debate: informing voters about the issues. Instead, it showcased the candidates' respective personalities, at least to some degree. While unpleasant, it may have been informative in its own way.

Here are five stunning moments from the event:

Trump Fights With Chris Wallace

This happened continuously throughout the night. And Wallace even pointed out that Trump was responsible for far more interruptions.

Biden Loses His Cool With Trump

"You Are The Worst President That America Has Ever Had"

It may have been an exaggeration — we've literally had slaveholding presidents — but the remark had strong rhetorical force.

Trump Attacks Biden's Son Hunter When He Mentioned Late Son Beau

"Urging My supporters To Go Into Polls"

Trump refused to direct his supporters to reject violence after the election. In fact, he gave them a directive that could very well lead to voter intimidation.

Advertising

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

Judge In Trump Georgia Case Says Willis Can Continue Prosecution
Fani Willis , right, in Fulton County courtroom

March 15 (Reuters) - The Georgia judge overseeing Donald Trump's trial on charges of trying to overturn his election defeat in the U.S. state said that lead prosecutor Fani Willis can remain on the case, so long as she removes a deputy she had a personal relationship with.

Keep reading...Show less
Russian Witness Against Biden Received $600K From 'Trump Associates'

Alexander Smirnov, center, leaving courthouse in Las Vegas on February 20, 2024

Photo by Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal

I’ll bet you didn’t know that it is possible in this great big world of ours to live a comfortable life being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for doing basically nothing. Well, not nothing, exactly, but the money you get is unattached to normal stuff we are all familiar with like a job, complete with job-related duties and office hours and a W-2 and maybe even a job title. The money can thus be described by what it is not, which is aboveboard and visible. Instead, this kind of money often ends up in the kinds of accounts said to be “controlled” by you or others, which is to say, accounts which may not, and often do not, have your name on them.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}