Throughout the 90 minute Trump-Biden debate that took place in Case Western Reserve University, it was quite apparent that President Trump was constantly interrupting Biden and the moderator Chris Wallace. It came to a point where Biden snapped, "Will you shut up, man?" and called him a clown. The entire debate was purely chaotic and disorganized as both parties were also accused of making false claims. The shouting and mockery also left Americans with confusion on the one question that would determine the next 4 years of America: Who should I vote for?
Cutting off the mics may not seem as easy as it sounds. In a tweet, Ryan Wood claims:
Turning off the mic isn’t a viable option. 1) It encourages a candidate to speak louder to be picked up over othe… https://t.co/TghjMOeCXQ— Ryan Wood (@Ryan Wood) 1601430415.0
While these are all valid points, it still isn't enough to eliminate all other confounding variables.
Moreover, because Trump was dominating the conversation, it begs the question as to whether or not this first debate had helped undecided voters, especially BIPOC, who might have felt ambivalent towards both Biden and Trump. I was really taken aback at how Biden let Trump interrupt him a numerous of times when he could have easily made concise rebuttals while still advocating for partisan de-escalation. For instance, Biden's inability to point out Trump's rejection of the Green New Deal, advocacy for white supremacy, and defunding of the police would have brought a greater message of American togetherness. But then again, when Chris Wallace asked if Biden supporting the defunding of the police, Biden simply said that he supported the police and believed that there actually needs to be more funding for the police for scenerios like 9/11 where more cops are needed. Many had also said that Biden's patience throughout this debate was a tactic to show people that he is more in control.
It also seems as though for the most part, Trump was attacking Biden with weak claims and rude topics. Trump even attacked Biden's son Beau Biden who had died. To me, this was completely uncalled for and inhumane. This debate was not supposed to be such an aggressive catfight. Moreover, Trump barely had anything to say about COVID or climate change. In my opinion, Biden won this debate mostly because of how childish Trump acted throughout the debate.
