The first presidential debate of the 2020 presidential election closed after 96 chaotic, bruising minutes that saw advantages wasted, interruptions abound, a failure by both sides to make a definitive case, and what at times seemed like a three-way fight largely focused on Democratic talking points.
President Donald Trump came out of the gate hard, attempting to knock Vice President Biden on his heels with the kind of comments that have defined his interview style since the 1980s. For the first 20-plus minutes, it worked.
“Right now I am the Democratic Party right now,” Biden asserted. “Not according to [Kamala] Harris,” his opponent replied.
“I beat Bernie Sanders,” the vice president shot back shortly after. “Not by much.”
“There is no manifesto,” the Democrat defended. “You just lost the left.”
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11.25.2024