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Voters across the United States tuned in to watch President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden train in the first presidential debate.
Although the topics ranged from racism in the United States to handling the Covid-19 pandemic, the debate can be remembered for its moody exchanges and constant interruptions.
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As the campaigns head into the final five weeks before the Nov. 3 election, the debates are a key opportunity for both Trump and Biden to defend their defense of the presidency to the American people.
We asked members of the BBC’s voting panel how the candidates performed in the debate and whether their responses influenced their vote.
Brian Chellgren is a conservative lawyer and moderate who doesn’t know who to vote for.
Who do you think won the debate?
I think there were three people involved. I would not call any of the three a winner. It was expected to be chaotic and chaotic. Trump controlled the message by interrupting, speaking and controlling more. Biden held up better than I thought. Got a little warm neck a couple of times. I didn’t see any conspicuous bugs. I thought Biden had a few good periods where he addressed his message directly to the camera and to the public. I think both parties will say they won. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
What moment caught your attention?
Two moments caught my attention. One was that Trump would not denounce right-wing extremist groups. Politicians on both sides should denounce the violence. There is nothing wrong with peaceful protests in the city, but there are people taking advantage of it on both sides of the political spectrum.
Did the debate make you change your mind about any of the candidates?
The debate gave me a lot of what I expected. Trump did what we thought he would do. I thought it had a good segment. I wish there was someone who had more of Trump’s policies and more of Biden’s conduct, but they don’t.
Keirsten Greggs is a talent recruiter and progressive voter who is not determined on how to vote.
Who do you think won the debate?
I definitely think Biden won the debate, but I don’t think that’s difficult in the sense that he wasn’t expecting much from Donald Trump. At the end of the day, the loser was really us, the American people. Many people expected this to be how it happened.
What moment caught your attention?
I think the debate took a turn and Joe Biden settled in and really took control of the narrative when he talked about his family. Talking about his son, he connected with the Americans and maintained that same tone and good sense in the next segment that will be of great use to him. He definitely gained a few followers in that regard. I think Biden sidestepped the race issue, but I think he did a good job connecting the race-related issue to everything, like Covid-19. I connected with him more when he talked about his family.
Did the debate make you change your mind about any of the candidates?
It definitely didn’t change my opinion of Donald Trump. I’m between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Joe Biden because he didn’t answer my questions about race. He wasn’t harsh enough on police brutality. He mentioned George Floyd but spent a lot of time talking about what happened in Charlottesville. [in 2017], and there are many things that happened since then that he did not delve into. He stayed very, very close to the middle. Democrats take the support of black voters for granted. There is an idea that black women are going to save America, but not me, not this black woman.
Joshua Roizman is a recent college graduate and moderate Democrat who votes for Joe Biden.
Who do you think won the debate?
Biden prevailed. He came out with a strong message and I can’t tell you how much it mattered that he looked at the camera. Trump disrespected [the moderator] Chris Wallace. We already knew he was disrespectful, but now everyone saw him disrespect Chris Wallace at the same time.
What moment caught your attention?
The highlight of the night was Trump’s comment on the Proud Boys. The fact that the president does not condemn white supremacy and the Proud Boys is disgusting. I can’t believe we’re talking about this in 2020.
Did the debate make you change your mind about any of the candidates?
We were hoping Joe Biden would come out and make a mistake. Trump framed Biden as someone who couldn’t finish sentences. He did very well and he came out and spoke with confidence, and the American people saw him. It went well tonight and now Trump’s team is going to fight and needs to find new attacks.
Ariel Hedlund is a right-leaning disabled independent voter for Donald Trump.
Who do you think won the debate?
I thought nobody won the debate. I really understand that Trump is not a very experienced politician. He was at his best when he talked about his policies, what he had done and what he was going to do. But there were other times that Biden said something and tried to discredit him.
What moment caught your attention?
On the issue of white supremacy, I think it was a really important moment and I wish he had repeated what he actually said. [about Charlottesville] that there were good people trying to defend their side of the problem. When he spoke of the militias, they are ex-military who defend their neighborhoods against antifa and against violence; It’s not just whites that get hurt, it’s everyone and minorities in particular and I wish Trump had said that. But he gets caught up in his defensive attitude and that is his weakness.
Did the debate make you change your mind about any of the candidates?
I think Trump’s strongest point was when he spoke about what he accomplished and what he will accomplish. On the other hand, Biden did very well when he spoke directly to the American people, but he never gave us details or facts. I have to say that Vice President Biden did much better than I expected and I see why people respect him as a politician, and I felt pretty bad when I found out about his family situation.
Are you an American voter? Join Brian, Ariel, Keirsten and Joshua on our voting panel for the US Elections.
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