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President Donald Trump went on the attack last night, as the first presidential debate of the US election campaign turned into chaos and acrimony.
In the first face-to-face debate between Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden, the two candidates clashed on issues such as the coronavirus, the economy and white supremacy.
But the debate will be remembered for Trump’s repeated interruptions and frequent personal confrontations between the two men.
“I am not here to scream your lies. Everyone knows he’s a liar, ”Biden said of the president in the opening minutes, as he struggled to make himself heard during an often harsh and moody debate.
“Do you want to shut up man?” he said at another time, later denouncing Trump as a “clown.”
Trump, for his part, accused Biden of misrepresenting his college record during a debate segment on Covid-19. “Never use the word smart with me,” he told his rival. “There is nothing smart about you, Joe.”
When asked if he would condemn white supremacy, Trump responded: “Sure. I’m willing to do that, “but he quickly added,” Almost everything I see is from the left wing. Not the right wing. “
He continued: “Proud Boys, back off and wait,” an apparent reference to a far-right neo-fascist group.
But I’ll tell you one thing. I’ll tell you what. Someone has to do something with Antifa and the left. This is not a right wing problem. This is left-wing, ”referring to recent violence in cities like Portland, Oregon and Kenosha, Wisconsin.
When asked about the issue of electoral security, Trump repeated his attacks on vote-by-mail and predicted that the November elections will be rigged.
“This is not going to end well,” he said in one of the final remarks of the night, during a discussion on electoral security.
“If I see tens of thousands of ballots being tampered with, I can’t accept that … It means you have a fraudulent election.”
When asked by moderator Chris Wallace if he would urge his supporters to remain calm and not participate in civil unrest if there is a delay in hearing the final result of the presidential election, Trump said he was urging his supporters to “get to the polls and watch very carefully. ”
Biden said he would accept the result of the election, adding: “I will be a president for Democrats and Republicans.”
Wallace, a respected Fox News interviewer with a reputation for independence, struggled to maintain order during the 90-minute debate.
“I hate raising my voice, but why should it be any different from you two?” He said at one point. He repeatedly urged Trump to stop interrupting.
“Mr. President, I am the moderator of this debate and I would like you to let me ask my question,” he said.
Controversy
Among the issues discussed during the debate were the coronavirus and the ongoing Supreme Court controversy.
Trump defended his right to name a successor to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg so close to an election, noting that he had been elected to a four-year term.
But Biden said the process for appointing a new Supreme Court justice should wait until after the election. “The American people have the right to have a say in who the Supreme Court candidate is … they are not going to have that opportunity now.”
Biden said that Trump’s election, Amy Coney Barrett, had previously written that the Affordable Care Act was not constitutional, and also noted that the Trump administration was trying to abolish the health care policy known as Obamacare.
But Trump denied that he was trying to undermine the provision of health care for the people, during one of the few substantive political discussions of the night.
After Biden raised Trump’s ties to Russia, the president attacked his son Hunter’s business connections in the region and in China. Biden said the allegations “were not true.”
Losers
Later in the debate, he spoke about his late son Beau’s military record in Iraq, and berated the president for his alleged comments that military veterans were “losers.”
“My son was in Iraq. He was not a loser. He was a patriot. And the people left behind were heroes. ”
It was one of the few moments in the debate where Biden turned to face his opponent and address him directly.
But Trump quickly turned back to Biden’s son Hunter, leading Biden to say that while he had previously struggled with drug problems, he had overcome them.
“My son, like many people we know at home, had a drug problem. He’s gotten over it. He has fixed it. He has worked on that. And I’m proud of him, ”he told the camera.
During a segment on the environment, Trump said he believed in climate change “up to a point” and said his goal was to have “crystal clear water and air.” I want clean, beautiful air. “
Biden, for his part, vowed to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement if elected president.
Tuesday night’s debate in Cleveland, Ohio, took place five weeks before Election Day, and polls show Biden leading the polls at the national level and in key states. Members of the families of both candidates were present in the debating room, as well as a handful of ticketed guests.
The second debate is scheduled for October 15 in Miami, and the final debate a week later in Nashville, Tennessee.
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