Vicious first debate between Trump and Biden offered little on policy, lots of conflict

The first question was about the Supreme Court, where Trump has nominated conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“We won the election,” Trump began. “Elections have consequences.”

Biden responded that “the American people have a right to have a say,” and that “we should wait” until after the presidential election to select another justice.

But Trump jumped in before the former vice president had finished his answer. The two candidates started sparring, first over Barrett’s record but quickly moving on to other territory.

Wallace jumped in after a few exchanges, and himself began to bicker with Trump.

“Please let the vice president talk,” Wallace admonished Trump at one point.

Trump and Biden continued to interrupt each other. “Would you shut up, man?” Biden snapped at Trump.

As Wallace moved onto the coronavirus, Biden said with a laugh: “That was really a productive segment.” 

As Wallace asked the second question of the night, Trump jumped in to push back on the “Fox News Sunday” anchor.

Wallace began asking about health care, and Trump interrupted Wallace to dispute his line of questioning about having not introduced a comprehensive plan to replace the Affordable Care Act implemented by former President Barack Obama. Wallace continued to try to get through his question, asking Trump to let him finish.

After a few moments of cross-talk, Trump said, “I guess I’m debating you, not him,” referring to Biden.

Wallace repeatedly asked Trump and Biden to maintain order throughout the debate — though he acknowledged that he had to admonish Trump more.

“Your campaign agreed that both sides would get two-minute answers,” Wallace told Trump late in the debate.

Biden swiped at Trump over the president’s early handling of the coronavirus, alleging that the administration started to inform the public of the disease’s severity only when it hit the stock market.

“Do you believe for a moment what he’s telling you in light of all the lies he’s told you about the whole issue relating to Covid?” Biden asked. “He still hasn’t even acknowledged that he knew this was happening — knew how dangerous it would be back in February — and he didn’t even tell you.”

“He panicked, or just looked at the stock market, one of the two,” Biden added. “Because guess what? A lot of people died and a lot more are going to die unless he gets a lot smarter or a lot quicker.”

Both candidates took turns trumpeting their qualifications to navigate the U.S. economy through the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump highlighted his business-friendly tax cuts and stock market gains while Biden noted significant job creation while he was vice president in the Obama administration.

Trump said: “When the stock market goes up, that means jobs. It also means 401(k)s.”

Trump at Biden: “If you got in … if you ever became president with your ideas — you want to terminate my taxes [tax cuts], I’ll tell you what. You’ll lose half of the companies that have poured in here. … They’ll leave.”

Said Biden: “We were able to have an economic recovery that created the jobs you’re talking about. We handed him a booming economy. He blew it.”

He continued: “Even before Covid, manufacturing went in the hole. Manufacturing went in the hole.”

“I’m the guy that brought back the automobile industry. I was asked to bring back Chrysler and General Motors. We brought them back right here in the state of Ohio and Michigan. He blew it.”

Biden and Trump sparred over their children, with Trump launching a misleading attack on Biden’s son Hunter over his consulting business.

“China ate your lunch, Joe. No wonder, your son goes in and he takes out billions of dollars. takes out billions of dollars to manage. He makes millions of dollars,” Trump said.

“That’s simply not true,” said Biden.

Trump continued with another unfounded claim: “Why is it, just out of curiosity, the mayor of Moscow’s wife gave your son $3.5 million?”

“None of that is true,” Biden said again.

“He didn’t get $3.5 million?” Trump demanded. According to Politifact, there is no evidence that Hunter Biden had anything to do with the deal in question.

This kind of sparring continued for several minutes, until Biden pivoted.

“Here’s the deal. You want to talk about families and ethics? I don’t want to do that. His family, we can talk about all night,” Biden said, referring to Trump’s adult children.

“My family lost a fortune coming down and helping with government,” Trump shot back. “Every single one of them.”

“This is not about my family. It’s not about your family. It’s about the American people,” said Biden.
Wallace then changed the subject.

But Trump returned to Hunter late in the debate.

“Hunter got thrown out of the military,” Trump said of Biden’s son. “He got thrown out.”