Last night was the first of three planned presidential debates in the 2020 election and it was… something else.
Going into the debate, we knew it was gonna be bad, but somehow it was even worse than we imagined.
Most of the problems had to do with Donald Trump, who spend the bulk of the 90 minutes interrupting, shouting, deflecting, and flat-out lying about everything from election fraud to campaign “spying” to some nonsense about mail-in ballots being found in creeks.
Among the evening’s worst moments were…
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- Donald Trump interrupting Joe Biden while he was talking about his dead son, Beau, to call Biden’s other son, Hunter, a drug addict.
- Donald Trump calling racial sensitivity training “racist.”
- Donald Trump telling Joe Biden he wasn’t “smart.”
- Donald Trump repeatedly needing to be asked to please follow the debate rules.
- Donald Trump issuing a call to arms to white supremacists, specifically the Proud Boys, telling them to remain on “stand by.”
Most people agree that it was an embarrassing night for Trump, the United States of America, and democracy, in general. Among the words being used to describe it are “chaotic,” “disorderly,” “messy,” and “the worst debate in history.”
Or, as CNN’s Dana Bash succinctly put it, a “sh*t show.”
While discussing the debate with Jake Tapper afterwards, Tapper said, “the American people lost tonight, because that was horrific.” To which Bash replied, “You just took the words out of my mouth.”
She continued, “You used some high-minded language. I’m just gonna say it like it is. That was a sh*t show.”
CNN's Dana Bash on the first presidential debate of the 2020 election: "That was a shit show." #debates #Debate2020 pic.twitter.com/BwXuMkSWLH
— Evan Semones (@evansemones) September 30, 2020
Bash quickly followed up the remark by apologizing for being crude, but “we’re on cable, we can say that.”
Most of Twitter seems to agree…
.@DanaBashCNN just called the debate a shitshow on live television. #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/wof9GBB6VR
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) September 30, 2020
“That was a shitshow,” says CNN’s Dana Bash, accurately describing what we all just saw.
— Jason Lynch (@jasonlynch) September 30, 2020
CNN’s Dana Bash just called this debate a “shit show.” She wasn’t cursing. She was just stating a fact.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) September 30, 2020
I love @DanaBashCNN. She summarized a 90-minute debate in two words: “a shit-show.” #Debate2020
— Paul Begala (@PaulBegala) September 30, 2020
Man @CNN I didn’t know we were allowed to say “shit show” but all respect to @DanaBashCNN for describing it precisely. What a nightmare #Debates2020
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) September 30, 2020
“That was a shitshow.” – @DanaBashCNN
Me…#Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/GIKZULR2zT
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) September 30, 2020
Dana Bash just said “shitshow” on tv and she couldn’t be more right.
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) September 30, 2020
Dana Bash just summed up the #debates nicely pic.twitter.com/LsvyjCysJA
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 30, 2020
The next presidential debate is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 15.
BaltoSteve
One of them, I will not say who, reminded me of an Orange version of that little boy in that video… “Linda Linda Linda.. Listen Linda!” Except no where as cute or as endearing.
Smith David
Oh what a night . America will never be able to live down Trump. Get ready for another 4 years with Trump. Sadly, he will win again.
Liquid Silver
Early polls show it not moving the needle at all, so Biden is still banked for a win. And if it’s any consolation, I’ve had the epithet “Right Wing Troll” thrown at me here more often than I can count.
I just voted for Biden.
So even us “Right Wing Trolls” are doing it.
Kangol2
@LiquidSilver, thank you. If no one else tells you that, I will.
I’m not a huge fan of Biden, but I’d vote for him (and did!) over the loudmouthed, treasonous, White supremacist fascist Don the Con tax thief any day of the week!
Spidey137
I would call it a f**king travesty. Sh*t shows can be fun, but last night so f**king depressing from start to finish. Chris Wallace was an embarrassment, Biden came across as weak, and there are no words for the giant, orange-haired moron blathering about like an idiotic psychopath.
Liquid Silver
I’ll blame most of this on Wallace, but disagree on the “Biden is weak” point. It’s not Biden’s job to moderate the debate, it’s Wallace’s.
What we just saw was a two-hour Trump tantrum (trumptrum?) that was completely unrestrained by the moderator. Back on Debate Team, that would have been an automatic loss.
In the US today, it simply did what it was designed to do–make you feel jaded and weary about the political process. And as though Biden were weak because he did nothing about it.
Which is not his job here. It’s Wallace’s.
Liquid Silver
Trump was, if we follow the alignment scale, chaotic batcrap.
Biden fell right into the mire of insults and I can’t say I was all that pleased. It was, indeed, a mess.
That having been said, I’m in a swing state–Pennsylvania–and I got my ballot yesterday. It’s been mailed and I happily voted for Biden. There’s just no contest between the two. Chaotic batcrap is not acceptable.
Jay002
I thought of several things after watching the debate last night first was Nancy Pelosi statement after Trump’s state of the union that she believed he was sedated well they should have sedated him again and In Mary Trump’s book she said how Trump’s mother couldn’t control him as a kid so they sent him off to military boarding school now I see why they sent him away. Last I thought Melania this is your man aren’t youn embarrassed that he acts like a 12 year old spoiled girl.
Kangol2
“Melanie” barely touched him after the debate. Biden hugged and kissed Dr. Jill, like a couple who truly love each other, while Don the Con strangely stood beside “Melanie,” then grabbed her hand and swung it violently. Some is clearly wrong with that man. Also, on the split screen, he looked like an escaped giant Oompah Loompah half the time. Those weird expressions, that odd torquing of his body that he does (does he have that illness that causes bodily torquing?), and his bright orange color, with the pink skin-line around it, made Don the Con appear even that much more bonkers.
jayceecook
I admit I didn’t watch the debate for many, many reasons. Dana Bash’s succinct summary being number one.
My opinion of her has risen greatly. We need more people in the media being as honest as she was. Let’s face it, did anybody expect anything better?
I didn’t know she could say that but I’m so glad she can. May it live on in meme-ory for eternity.
Creamsicle
I decided to listen to the debate on the radio and had to stop after the first hour because I had something else to do. I was very glad for the excuse not to listen to the last 30 minutes. The whole thing was an embarrassment.
There was zero substantive discussion of policy. The entire thing devolved into a shouting match within the first 2 minutes. Trump was worse about interrupting, but Biden took the bait as well, and his performance generally did not impress. Once again the DNC chose the only candidate who could lose in a match against Trump.
Wallace should have just thrown a red flag and stopped the debate, because it was completely useless. Trump has turned debate about governance into Reality trash TV. We’re officially in an Idiocracy. This is what we deserve for glorifying vapid, stupid people for decades and disengaging and disqualifying everyone from politics except for well-connected septuagenarians.
We don’t need another two debates at this point. Anyone who is sincerely undecided at this point is likely not choosing between the two major party candidates, they’re deciding between voting for Trump, Biden, or voting their conscience and casting a 3rd party ballot. More debates will just be more international embarrassments. The BBC coverage was basically absolute disbelief at how far America has fallen.
Kangol2
Creamsicle, as far as US presidents go, the last three (Obama, W Bush and Clinton) were all well under 70 years old when elected. There are numerous governors, mayors, municipal leaders, city councilors and alderpeople, and now US House members under 60-70 too. The one outlier is the US Senate, though it too does have a number of Senators under 70. But there are some real dinosaurs in that legislative body.
Prax07
Watched it from start to finish. Trump was an infuriating whiney pouty lying little bitch like he always is. Even my Mom said she wanted to slap his mouth when I checked in that she was watching it. He’s been an embarrassment, he stays an embarrassment.
Jay002
Please don’t be a arrogant 3rd party voter that is how Trump got into the White house. Do 3rd party voters every accomplish anything but piss people off. Bottom line is this narcissistic personality disorder President needs to go.
Cam
Media could have solved some of these issues a long time ago.
If, when people like Kellyanne Conway come on shows and start monologuing to avoid the topic, media had started cutting off their micrphones. People would not have gotten so used to people talking over each other.
Wallace should have just cut Trump’s mic off when his time was over. Problem solved. But media loves the drama.
vinnieboiblue
Kinda ironic. Trump called African countries sh*t holes, and he made the debate a sh*t show!
Terrycloth
George Washington:
I can not tell a lie.
Donald Trump :
I can’t tell the truth.
Trump supporters :
We can’t tell the difference.
Doug
I actually logged into Fox News this morning, and even they’re dissing Trump for all the interruptions he caused.
WSnyder
If I were advising the Biden Team, I’d say Biden should cancel the remaining 2 Debates. Of course Trump will crow that Biden’s scared and that he [Trump] ‘won’ the first and scared him [Biden] away. The fact is, Trump needs the debates more than Biden, especially since last night probably moved many undecides away from Trump, after that ‘sh*t show’ who would have moved towards him? Biden certainly didn’t lose anyone’s support, Trump likely did.
Biden’s Team could offer that the Debates be done remotely. They could make a two-fold argument. Trump ignored the First Debate’s rules so a more controlled structure is needed and there is a pandemic underway after all. Each candidate would videocast onto a big split screen in front of the moderators. Biden could insist that the ‘rules’ allow the moderators [or even automatically] to mute the other candidate while one is answering a question and only turn the mic back when it’s their turn to rebut or when it’s their turn for a question. This would not normally be necessary for normal people in a normal debate. But when someone is as unhinged as Trump, you need to clamp down HARD and this format would return control to the moderators.
IMHO, what we saw last night was the real Trump. He’s freaking out that he’s losing, he’s seen the writing on the wall about his future and it’s not just about losing the Presidency, it’s about what’s going to happen to him AFTER. The lawsuits, the tax problems, the debt, the piles of money he’s going to spend on lawyers, the potential of losing his Empire. He’s desperate to win to use the Office as a Shield and buy him time to use it’s resources to shore up his holdings. This is why he needs to be ousted, so that we put the Country first and put him in prison.
wade.l
The debate was what democracy really in the USA is…..A sh*t show.