Presenting a spectacle just 35 days ahead of the biggest elections across the globe this year, President Donald Trump and his democratic challenger are engaging in their significant round of debate on Wednesday.
There was no handshake as the two men took the stage and while this was due to Covid-19 restrictions, the absence of the traditional greeting symbolized the bitterness engulfing the country in the final countdown to November 3.
Before they’d even met on the stage in Cleveland for the first of three 90-minute live television showdowns, Biden made public his tax returns to capitalize on revelations that the billionaire Trump avoided paying almost any federal income taxes for years.
Here are the live updates:
– Donald Trump and Joe Biden take stage in first presidential debate
– ‘How you doing, man?’: Joe Biden greeted President Trump at the start of their first debate, where they adhered to social distancing protocols by not shaking hands
– Trump, Biden spar over Barrett’s nomination
Donald Trump said that he had the right to choose a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while former Vice President Joe Biden alleged the president’s nominee would end health coverage for millions of people as they opened their first debate.
“We won the election,” Trump said in answer to the first question, about his nominee Amy Coney Barrett. “Elections have consequences. We have the Senate, we have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee.”
– Trump on nominating Amy Coney Barret: “We won the election. Elections have consequences,” said Trump. “We have the Senate. We have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee, respected by all.”
– Trump on Obamacare: No matter how well you run it, Obamacare is a disaster
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– At first presidential debate, Joe Biden says ‘everybody knows Trump is a liar’
Democratic challenger Joe Biden on Tuesday branded President Donald Trump a liar and told him to “shut up” as the pair clashed in a bad-tempered start to their first televised debate.
“The fact is that everything he is saying so far is simply a lie. I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar,” Biden said.
– On healthcare
Biden, told by Trump that he has adopted former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders’ “socialized medicine” proposals: “Everybody here knows he’s a liar. … You picked the wrong guy on the wrong night at the wrong time.”
“… Folks, do you have any idea what this clown’s doing? I tell you what, he is not for anybody needing healthcare.”
After Trump explained his health proposal, Biden said, “He has no plan for healthcare. … The fact is this man has no idea what he’s talking about.”
At another point, while being interrupted by Trump, Biden said, “Will you shut up, man. This is so unpresidential. … Keep yapping, man.”
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– At presidential debate, Biden says Trump has no healthcare plan as over 7 million in US have contracted Covid-19
– Joe Biden calls Donald Trump a ‘clown’ as candidates spar in first debate
“Folks, do you have any idea what this clown is trying to do?” Biden said to Americans as Trump talked over him. “Will you shut up, man,” he grumbled moments later.
– Trump fires back at Biden at presidential debate on tackling Covid-19
Cornering Biden, Trump said, ‘You could never have done the job we’ve done. You don’t have it in your blood’
– Responding to New York Times report on his tax returns in the debate, Trump claims he paid $750 tax the year he was elected. His counterpart Biden then asked the President to show his tax returns.
On Trump’s rallies
– President Donald Trump says he’s had “no negative effect” from massive campaign rallies with thousands of attendees not adhering to social distancing recommendations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
– On Racism
Vice president and Democratic nominee Joe Biden attacked the US President and said that whatever Trump has done has been disastrous for the African-American community.
– Trump says ‘radical left’ has Biden ‘wrapped around their finger’
– Trump interrupts, Biden talks to ‘folks at home’
In the Presidential debate which was marred by interruptions from Trump, Biden is taking a more personal approach. At several times during the debate, Biden addressed his comments to “you folks at home” watching on television as he looked straight into the camera.
– On taxes
Trump said he has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in federal income taxes.
President Donald Trump won’t say when he will finally make his personal taxes public as he has long promised.
During the first presidential debate Tuesday, Trump was asked specifically about a report in The New York Times that revealed he paid only $750 in personal income taxes each of those years.
All presidents except Trump have publicly released their taxes since the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Trump has said since 2016 that he would eventually release them. But when asked by moderator Chris Wallace when, he said only: “You’ll get to see it.”
Democratic nominee Joe Biden quickly used that as a point of attack, saying Trump “does take advantage of the tax code” and “pays less tax than a schoolteacher.”
Trump shrugged off the attack, saying that all business leaders do the same “unless they are stupid.”
– President Donald Trump and Joe Biden trade barbs on families
Trump resurrected past claims about the former vice president’s son Hunter working overseas.
Trump said Hunter Biden reaped millions in ill-gotten profit from China and other overseas interests, accusations that have been repeatedly debunked. Biden shot back, “None of that is true.” He then added of Trump, “His family, we could talk all night.”
– On Covid-19 deaths in African Americans
President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden are making their pitches to win over Black voters in the coming election, with Biden mockingly questioning: “This man, this man is a savior of African Americans? This man has done virtually nothing.”
Biden says that 1 in 1,000 African Americans has died because of the coronavirus, and if Trump doesn’t do something quickly, it will be 1 in 500.
– Joe Biden says Donald Trump is Russian President ‘Putin’s puppy’
Democratic challenger Joe Biden on Tuesday accused Donald Trump of failing to confront Russia, accusing the US leader of being the “puppy” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’ve gone head to head with Putin, and made it clear to him — we’re not going to take any of this stuff. He’s Putin’s puppy,” Biden said of Trump.
– Joe Biden evokes son Beau to criticize Donald Trump’s remarks
Democrat Joe Biden has evoked his son Beau Biden to criticize President Donald Trump for reportedly calling members of the American military who lost their lives “losers” and “suckers.”
Raising his voice at Tuesday night’s debate, Biden described his son as a hero. Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015.
Trump responded by pivoting to a familiar attack, on Biden’s other son, Hunter.
