President Donald Trump, right, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden take part in the first presidential debate on Tuesday, September 29. At center is moderator Chris Wallace.
Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images
Updated 12:28 AM ET, Wed September 30, 2020
President Donald Trump, right, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden take part in the first presidential debate on Tuesday, September 29. At center is moderator Chris Wallace.
Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images
President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, faced off in their first presidential debate Tuesday night.
The 90-minute debate took place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and it focused on six topics, each taking about 15 minutes: “The Trump and Biden Records,” “The Supreme Court,” “Covid-19,” “The Economy,” “Race and Violence in our Cities” and “The Integrity of the Election.”
The moderator was Chris Wallace of Fox News, and the Commission on Presidential Debates said he alone selected the questions. Wallace had his hands full Tuesday night, as the debate often devolved into shouting, rancor and cross talk that at times made it impossible to follow what either candidate was talking about.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump and Biden did not shake hands. There was also a much smaller in-person audience than usual, and everyone attending had to take a Covid-19 test and follow other safety protocols.
The next two presidential debates are scheduled for October 15 and October 22. A vice presidential debate will be held next Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Trump speaks during the debate. He was on the attack for most of the night, frequently interrupting Biden.
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Moderator Chris Wallace had a difficult time keeping the two candidates from talking over each other. At one point, Wallace spoke directly to Trump and asked him to stop interrupting: “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?”
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Biden tries to make a point during the debate. His frustrations with Trump were evident throughout the debate.
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The University of Notre Dame was originally slated to hold this debate, but the school withdrew in July to due to coronavirus concerns.
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The two candidates address each other during the early part of the debate.
Morry Gash/AP
Biden gestures during the debate.
Julio Cortez/AP
People watch the debate from the Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland.
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Wallace gestures toward the candidates.
Morry Gash/AP
Trump answers a question.
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Television screens show the debate at the Walters Sports Bar in Washington, DC.
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Biden accentuates a point during the debate.
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Trump holds a face mask as he speaks during the debate. “I don’t wear a mask like (Biden), every time you see him, he’s got a mask,” Trump said. “He could be speaking 200 feet away from it, and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve seen.”
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Trump’s shadow is seen on text from the Declaration of Independence.
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Biden reacts during the debate.
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Trump and Biden offered starkly different versions of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Trump answers a question during the debate.
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Biden is hugged by his wife, Jill, at the end of the debate while Trump is joined by his wife, Melania.
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Audience members sit with chairs in between them to maintain social distancing.
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Jill Biden wears a face mask while attending the debate.
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Trump’s son Eric and daughter Ivanka attend the debate.
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Baby Trump balloons lie on the ground at a protest in Cleveland before the debate.
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A Trump supporter wearing a “Make America Great Again” mask waits for the debate to start.
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Final preparations take place inside the debate venue.
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A member of the production team walks toward the stage ahead of the debate.
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