Presidential Debates

During the final presidential debate on Thursday, Democratic nominee Joe Biden criticises President Donald Trump's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, alleging there was a "dark winter" ahead and Trump had "no clear plan."

"I don’t think we’re going to have a dark winter at all — we’re opening up our country," Trump responded. "We're learning to live with it. We have no choice. We can’t lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does."

"He says ‘we're learning to live with it.’ People are learning to die with it," Biden countered. "Anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America."

Even though the president, for the first time, said he took full responsibility for the impact of the virus, he quickly blamed China, saying "It’s not my fault that it came here — it’s China’s fault."

During Thursday's final presidential debate, moderated by Kristen Welker of NBC News, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump were asked questions regarding the current state of the US economy, the effect of Covid-19 on New York, foreign interference in US elections and health care. The candidates’ microphones were muted at times while the other was speaking.

Biden insisted that "people deserve to have affordable health care" which would be provided by Bidencare. Trump has said again he would replace Obamacare but didn't give any further information.-

Trump stated he knew all about foreign interference in US elections but alleged it was a ploy to undermine his candidacy. Biden promised that "they will pay a price if I’m elected" as they were interfering with American sovereignty, referring to China, Russia and Iran.

The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) on Monday have announced the rules and format for the final televised presidential debate. Each candidate will have their microphones cut off while the other is answering questions.

The CPD stated that "in order to enforce this agreed upon rule, the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules."

It was also announced that the 90-minute debate is divided into 15-minute segments into the six topics. Each candidate would be granted two minutes to deliver uninterrupted remarks before proceeding to an open debate for nine minutes of each segment.

The bipartisan Commission of Presidential Debates has announced that the second debate between United States President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden will be held online.

Trump has now stated that he is not planning on participating in the virtual format. He specifically stated that he is "not going to waste" his time on a virtual debate.

The only scheduled vice-presidential debate of the campaign between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris was objectively calmer and more civilized than the previous presidential debate.

In total Pence interrupted Harris ten times, while Harris interrupted Pence five times. Pence spoke for 38 minutes, three minutes longer than Harris.

During the discussion, neither candidate answered a question if they had discussed stepping in for Trump or Biden if one of them would die in office.

In addition, Harris did not answer the question if she and Biden are planning on expanding the number of supreme court seats while Pence refused to state that he would accept the results of the election.

During the debate viewers also discussed a fly sitting on Pence's head for two minutes and his left eye that had a distinctly pinky-red tone.

President Donald Trump has claimed "he paid millions of dollars in taxes" during the first presidential debate Tuesday, just days after a report by the New York Times showed the president paid no federal income taxes in 10 out of the last 15 years.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden suggested Trump "does take advantage of the tax code" and that the president "pays less tax than a schoolteacher."

"I don't want to pay tax," Trump responded, claiming that all business leaders did the same "unless they are stupid."

During the first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump whether he would condemn white supremacists and ask them to stay down during ongoing demonstrations.

"Sure, I’m willing to, but I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing. I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace," Trump said.

"Who would you like me to condemn?" Trump asked when urged by Biden to condemn the groups and is prompted the far-right group "Proud Boys."

"Proud Boys — stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem," so the president.

According to the BBC, Proud Boys responded to the president's remarks in their Telegram group, writing: "Standing down and standing by sir."

The first presidential debate was 90 minutes of interjections and altercations and moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly had to ask President Donald Trump not to interrupt former Vice President Joe Biden.

President Trump spoke a total of around 38 minutes compared to Biden with 43 minutes. The Covid-19 pandemic took up around 20 minutes of the debate, race and violence 17 minutes, election integrity 11 minutes and climate change 10 minutes. Trump interrupted Biden 73 times.

Key Points:

• President Trump questioned the legitimacy of the November election again and alleged he had seen "tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated." Biden countered that Trump's own FBI director didn't find evidence of widespread voter fraud. "This is all about trying to dissuade people from voting, because he is trying to scare people into thinking that it's not going to be legitimate. Show up and vote. You will determine the outcome of the election," so Biden.
• Biden called Trump "Putin's puppy" who "refuses to say anything to Putin about the bounty on the heads of American soldiers" and "the worst president that America has ever had."
• Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden, and Wallace had to unsuccessfully remind the President about the rules, saying: "Mr President. Your campaign agreed that both sides would get two-minute answers. Uninterrupted. Well, your side agreed to it. Why don't you observe what your campaign agreed to as a ground rule."
• Biden said that Trump has made the country "sicker, poorer, more divided and more violent," adding that during his time as vice president, he fixed the recession his administration inherited. "We left him a booming economy and he caused the recession," Biden said.
• Trump refused to denounce White supremacists, claiming that "almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not from the right-wing. I'm willing to do anything. I want to see peace."

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet in the first presidential debate on September 29 at 9:30PM (Eastern Time) as the 2020 election enters into its final weeks.

The debate will take place in Cleveland, will last for an hour and a half, and will be moderated by Chris Wallace, anchor of "Fox News Sunday."

The presidential debates will start on September 29.

The first debate between Donald J. Trump and Joe Biden will be moderate by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on September 29. C-SPAN's Steve Scully is set to moderate the second debate on October 15 and NBC's Kristen Welker will host the final debate on October 22.

The vice-presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will be moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau chief Susan Page on October 7.