A few days ago was the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. And it was… interesting to say the least. Traditionally, presidential debates are filled with six segments with fifteen minutes each. However Trump made that increasingly difficult for the moderator, Chris Wallace, to maintain. He continued to interrupt both Wallace and Biden despite having agreed to two minutes of uninterrupted speaking for each candidate. Trump even said that he felt like he was debating the moderator due to the moderator having to continue reminding him to stop interrupting. Post-debate, Wallace said Trump "bears the primary responsibility of what happened." It was both unprofessional and disrespectful.
I felt like I was watching a reality show
Usually I zone out during previous presidential debates because it is meant to focus on political platforms and future plans for the country that I didn't completely understand at the time. However, with the constant interruptions and yelling I couldn't stop watching. Joe Biden called Trump a clown. Trump insulted Biden's intelligence. It just felt like it was more of a catfight than a debate. Trump constantly went after Biden's character and heckled his way through the debate. Trump has no previous political experience and somehow made his way into office. He's made a mockery of our government by bringing big businesses even more into the political.
Barely any policies were discussed
Again, I will blame Trump's constant childish interruptions. Besides all of the talking over each other, the thing I noticed most was that Joe Biden was attempting to speak to America while Trump was bashing Biden's character and family. Trump spoke purely out of emotions and whatever popped in his mind and it was clear that the man has no idea what he's talking about. Trump even accused the Green New Deal of wanting to "take out the cows." Makes no sense right? So why is this man president? Whenever the moderator brought up a topic, the question was rarely answered. Biden did his best to speak about policy, but his opponent didn't make that easy. Trump continued to make false claims (according to fact checkers) about most of the issues discussed such as the economy, mail-in ballot fraud, and even Biden's sons.
Trump went after Biden's family
This was one of the lowest things he could have done in a political debate. I am not sure if it was just how I was raised, but in any argument you don't speak about the other side's family. They are both literally up for a professional job, but Trump had to bring up personal issues that weren't even fact checked. He refused to let it go despite Biden trying to dismiss his claims throughout the debate. Trump himself and his family have done their share of shady deeds that have actually been proven true. Biden mentions that he could also talk about Trump's family but did not speak about them further because they were in a political debate.
Trump made fun of Biden for always wearing his mask
Trump pulled out a mask and claimed to wear it when he needs to. He then points the focus to his opponent saying that Biden wears his mask all the time… like we should be doing. It's clear that Trump does not think COVID-19 is a threat and has been negligent in handling the country's response. His refusal to wear a mask at the beginning of this pandemic is why people think it's okay to walk around without one which further endangers others. So by making fun of Biden for always wearing his mask shows that despite all the COVID-19 deaths in our country, he still does not take it seriously.
Trump did NOT denounce white supremacy
He literally told them to "stand by." On national television our current president refused to denounce white supremacy, despite having claimed to be the president that has done the most for the black community (with the exception of Lincoln). Wrong. This man has done nothing but promote hate in our country and has allowed white supremacists to walk freely in the streets without any punishment. He has divided our country further into what it is today. He says he is willing to do anything and wants to see peace but refuses to condemn the same violent white-supremacist groups that are making us stray away from peace. He immediately reflects the question and focuses on the left-wing and ANTIFA, neglecting to recognize that white supremacy is part of the issue in this country. If this debate confirmed anything, it confirmed any vote for Trump is a racist vote.
Trump is ruining democracy and running this country like a business. In the words of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, "Unfortunately for us that means incompetently, fraudulently, and rife with bigotry + corruption." Even if Biden isn't the ideal choice, it's about people's rights and lives now. With Trump in office, hate and violence in our country will only rise. Trump can continue to make these loud and false claims to try and silence his enemies, but we won't let him. Please register and vote this upcoming election, it matters.
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