Embarrassed and Frustrated
I knew it would be bad, but this was worse than I had expected. What an embarrassment to the country. I expected Trump to be rude, incoherent, and avoid questions. That was exactly what happened. He refused to let Biden speak. He even argued with the moderator. He was barely able to clearly answer a single question. But I must say, I expected better from Biden. I couldn’t believe my ears when he called Trump a clown. Do I agree that Trump is a clown? Yes. Was it acceptable for the presidential candidate to stoop to that level, even though he was provoked over and over again? Absolutely not. People are voting for Biden because he’s a stabler, more reasonable, less destructive option than Trump, not because he can join Trump in acting like a child. Their behavior did not at all reflect the seriousness of the decision this country will make in November.
The first few minutes were alright; I think they both actually made some points. I especially appreciated the way Biden discussed the Affordable Care Act, because it highlighted how the results of the election would affect the average American. Then it started going downhill. Fast. They couldn’t discuss the topic at hand without going on a crazy tangent about a completely different issue. I heard very few solid plans for how each candidate would run the country. The debate was a surface-level discussion of important issues, but much of the time was occupied by interruption and personal attacks.
Trump’s attack on Biden’s son stood out to me because it was unbelievably disgusting. It was incredibly disrespectful of Trump to come after Biden’s family in the way that he did, but I do think that Biden handled it well. I think this moment reflected poorly on Trump; it made it very clear who is on the moral high ground here. As @Facinghistorystudent said, Trump made himself look worse in the process of trying to look better.
One of the most, if not the most, upsetting parts of the debate was the moment when Trump refused to condemn white supremacists. He had the perfect opportunity to attempt to disprove claims that he is racist, and chose not to. @Facinghistorystudent said, “Trump was given a platform to denounce white supremacy and instead he did the exact opposite.” I think they bring up a good point. By running in circles to not denounce white supremacy, Trump actively condoned it. I get the feeling that he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows his supporters. I’m not saying that every Trump supporter is a white supremacist, but...the Proud Boys have put his words on their merchandise.
Finally, I agree with @23bid0073’s title and interpretation, “The American People Lost.” The debate most likely didn’t swing many people to either side. Anyone who has stood by Trump after everything he’s said and done probably wouldn’t care about what he said during the debate. Neither candidate really won. It was a mess. All it did was confirm to us that the candidates are hardly fit for office, as they can barely hold a conversation without an incredible amount of immaturity. I agree that Biden is the better option, but if I could vote, I would vote for him out of obligation to prevent another 4 years of Trump, not out of enthusiasm.