“Let him speak!” Trump’s Clashes with the Moderator and Key Takeaways from the First Presidential Debate
Donald Trump and Joe Biden faced off in the first of three planned Presidential Debates ahead of the 2020 election last Tuesday. The debate was a dizzying array of interruptions and unfinished thoughts, leaving many Americans frustrated - and many international onlookers puzzled. Source.
The recent presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and the Democrat nominee Joe Biden provided an opportunity for both candidates to clearly identify their stance on a number of policy areas affecting the lives of those in the US, as well as the international community. The debate was planned to be as transparent as possible, and Americans were eager to listen to the positions of each candidate, but the evening was rather chaotic. Trump’s constant interruptions not only frustrated his opponent, but also undermined debate moderator Chris Wallace.
A controversial moment from the debate was Trump’s refusal to condemn white supremacist violence. When addressing the Proud Boys, Trump told the far-right group to “stand back and stand by”. Many interpreted this as a sign of encouragement from the president, including a member of the Proud Boys who posted a photo of the group’s logo with the words “stand back and stand by” alongside it. Biden condemned Trump for exacerbating racial violence, which Trump quickly responded to by highlighting Biden’s support of a policy that led to greater rates of incarceration among the African American population in the 1990s.
On the issue of climate change and the environment, Trump defended leaving the ‘Paris Peace Accord’ (an international commitment to reducing climate change causing greenhouse gases). Trump also emphasized his doubt that climate change is a major contributor for the increased forest fires in the American West, and he instead blamed poor forest management. In contrast, Biden highlighted the need to return to international commitments to control climate change and insisted clean energy initiatives could stimulate the US economy.
In terms of the US handling of COVID-19, Biden argued that Trump “has no plan” and he reasserted the need to support businesses with economic relief. On the other hand, Trump continued to blame China for the pandemic and glorified his decision to restrict travel from China as the best way to control the pandemic. In light of the recent news that both Trump and his wife have now contacted COVID-19, many are skeptical of his claims.
Finally, when addressing the economy, both candidates embodied two approaches to monetary policy. Trump refuted the New York Times report that he only paid $750 in federal taxes and instead claimed to pay “millions” in taxes. He also defended a bill passed early in his administration that significantly reduced taxes for the wealthy and large corporations. In contrast, Biden promised to raise taxes again for the wealthy and insisted that COVID-19 and the economy were intertwined so until the pandemic was not controlled the economy could not improve.
The recent presidential debate drew clear lines between both candidates but was also considered a “terrible missed opportunity” by the moderator. It seemed that personality over politics was more important to the debate, and spectators found it difficult to decipher what was exactly being said through the constant interruptions and personal insults.