TeeRoy's 2 Cents:
- There were no winners in this debate. It was an embarrassment to the American people.
- Biden was most effective when he ignored Trump and spoke directly to the American people.
- Trump is a strong debater who is forceful with his agenda and attacks.
In the first presidential debate of 2020 on Tuesday night, Donald Trump attempted to steamroll over Democratic rival Joe Biden-- and even moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News -- as he tried to make his case for re-election and tear down Biden.
Biden, when he wasn't being talked over, pointed out that Trump has failed the country by not properly dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, leading to more than 200,000 deaths. Biden said, "The problem is he has no plan. He panicked."
Trump blamed China for the virus and said it would have been worse in the U.S. had Biden been president.
After being interrupted several times by Trump, who launched into attacks on Biden's son Hunter, Biden called Trump a "clown" and asked him to "shut up," as did Wallace, only using different language.
At one point, Biden said, "This is not about my family or his family. It's about your family," addressing the viewers. "He doesn't want to talk about what you need…The American people that's what we're talking about here."
Trump accused Biden of wanting to defund the police and said he was against "law and order." Biden responded by saying that most police officers are "good," but there are "bad apples" that need "to be sorted out."
When the talk turned to race relations, Trump was asked to denounce white supremacists, Trump failed to do so, instead claiming it was left-wing activists and Antifa causing all the problems. When Wallace pressed further, Trump still did not denounce white supremacists, but instead seemingly sent them a message, saying, "Stand back and stand by."
They also discussed Trump's taxes. Despite recent published reports that he paid no federal income tax or as a little at $750 a year, Trump said he's paid millions. Biden called on him to release his tax returns. Trump said he would "as soon as it's finished," apparently referring to his long-running audit.
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