Donald Trump wrongly implied that he holds all his rallies outdoors, and said “we have had no problem whatsoever” with coronavirus following the rallies.
Trump has gathered supporters indoors – this reporter attended a Latinos for Trump event in Phoenix at which unmasked supporters were packed into an indoor event space. Moreover, although Covid-19 is less likely to spread outdoors, wearing face masks and maintaining physical distance are key to preventing spread even in open-air spaces – and at Trump’s airport hangar rallies, those safety measures have not been practiced by most of his supporters.
Following a packed rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the county experienced a surge of cases. At a news conference, the director of the Tulsa Health Department said the spike was likely linked to the rally.
Biden accused Trump of failing to help small American businesses that are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Democrat argued the country is seeing a K-shaped economic recovery from the pandemic, meaning the wealthiest Americans are benefitting while average Americans are struggling.
Trump defended his response to the pandemic, at one point defensively saying, “I’m the one that brought back football.”
The president was specifically referencing the Big 10 college football conference. Big 10 leaders have said the president had nothing to do with their decision to hold a shortened season this year, after initially saying the season would be canceled.
Trump questioned the effectiveness of masks as a means of mitigating the spread of coronavirus.
Biden noted health experts have said 100,000 lives could be saved over the next few months, if Americans consistently wear masks and practice social distancing.
The president responded by claiming many health experts have said “the opposite” about masks.
“No serious person has said the opposite,” Biden said.
At the risk of stating the obvious, leading health experts, including members of the White House coronavirus task force, have consistently urged Americans to wear face masks to limit their risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus.
It didn’t take long (about 18 minutes), but here’s the moment Biden called Trump a “clown” after the president made dubious claims about his healthcare plan and removal of the individual mandate (that we’ve fact-checked below).
NowThis (@nowthisnews)
Joe Biden is already done with Trump’s BS: ‘Everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie. Everyone knows he’s a liar … do you have any idea what this clown is doing?’ #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/EGB8MBO6LG
Donald Trump – as he regularly does – has misrepresented and overstated the effect of his travel restrictions.
A couple of key points:
It was a travel restriction, not a “ban” as Trump has called it. Tens of thousands of Americans and other exempt travelers journeyed from China to the US after the administration issued travel restrictions.
Epidemiologists have questioned the effectiveness of Trump’s travel restrictions, which were issued after the virus was spreading and circulating within the US.
Biden argued Trump could not be trusted on coronavirus, noting the president previously suggested Americans could protect themselves from coronavirus by ingesting disinfectants.
Trump claimed that infamous comment was made “sarcastically.”
The president then promised a vaccine would be available “soon,” although the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said a vaccine will not be widely available to the American public until mid to late 2021.
Trump once again tried to equate the coronavirus pandemic to the 2009 swine flu pandemic, accusing the Obama administration of mishandling the response to that pandemic.
Biden replied by noting the death toll from swing flu was about 14,000, while more than 200,000 Americans have already died of coronavirus.
So far the debate has been pretty rough around the edges, with Trump, Biden and Wallace often taking turns to talk over each other. Many observers haven’t been impressed at the constant interruptions:
Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill)
Trump is behaving like a child. Biden, however, cannot let him continue controlling this debate. He needs to make HIS case, despite Trump’s antics.
September 30, 2020
Rosie Gray (@RosieGray)
so far the debate’s main vibe is “argument breaks out over shuffleboard at the assisted living community”
September 30, 2020
Ryan McCarthy (@mccarthyryanj)
It seems Chris Wallace is going to allow Trump to interrupt and speak over Biden at will. This is not a debate.
September 30, 2020
Krystal Ball (@krystalball)
Trump’s strategy is obviously just to constantly interject and try to throw Biden off his game and it’s just obnoxious as hell.
The debate has shifted to coronavirus after a largely unproductive segment on the supreme court that was defined by crosstalk and insults.
Biden criticized Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, noting the country is still recording roughly 40,000 new cases a day.
Referencing Trump’s comments to Bob Woodward that he downplayed the seriousness of the virus to avoid creating a panic, Biden told America, “You don’t panic, he panicked.”
Donald Trump did not “take away the individual mandate” as the president said. The penalty for the mandate – for not having insurance – is now gone, but the mandate exists. Republicans are trying to fully dismantle the Affordable Care Act via a lawsuit, arguing that the mandate is unconstitutional.
When Chris Wallace pressed Trump on his healthcare plan, the president told the moderator, “I guess I’m debating you, not him. But that’s okay, I’m not surprised.”
Biden responded by audibly laughing.
The debate so far has been defined by crosstalk, with the president repeatedly speaking over Wallace as he attempts to ask questions.
Donald Trump wrongly refuted Joe Biden’s assertion that 100m Americans with pre-existing conditions.
The 100m figure refers to the number of Americans, outside of Medicare and Medicaid, with preexisting conditions. The Affordable Care Act, which Trump and Republican lawmakers have fought and sought to repeal, keeps insurance companies from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions.
Biden took issue with Amy Coney Barrett’s past writings about the Affordable Care Act, but he avoided launching any personal attacks against the supreme court nominee.
“I’m not opposed to the justice. She seems like a very fine person,” Biden said.
Trump justified advancing the nomination of Barrett before the election by saying, “I’m not elected for three years. I’m elected for four years.”
When Trump claimed Biden wanted to push the country toward “socialist medicine,” the Democrat emphasized that he is not a socialist.
Biden replied to Trump’s broader attacks against Democrats by saying, “I am the Democratic party right now.”
The first question of the night goes to Trump, and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News asked about the supreme court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.
Wallace noted Republicans have been criticized for trying to get Barrett confirmed before the election.
Trump justified advancing the nomination by saying “elections have consequences,” referring to his White House victory in 2016, and by pledging Barrett would be “as good as anybody that has served on that court.”
“We won the election, and therefore we have the right to choose her,” Trump said.
Biden responded by saying the results of the upcoming election should determine who nominates the justice to fill the seat of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“We should wait and see what the outcome of this election is,” Biden said.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden have now taken the debate stage in Cleveland, Ohio. The first presidential debate is officially underway.
Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News opened the debate by noting he chose the topics for tonight’s debate and has not shared the questions with either candidate.
Several of Trump’s family members are not wearing a mask in the debate hall, in apparent violation of Cleveland Clinic rules, a pool reporter noted.
Tyler Pager (@tylerpager)
An observation from inside the debate hall: Everyone in Biden’s side of the hall is wearing a mask. More than half on Trump’s side, including his four children, are not wearing masks. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s a requirement that all guests wear masks.
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