Leading up to the election: From presidential town halls to what the final debate will bring
Leading up to the election: From presidential town halls to what the final debate will bring
Emma Valdiserri / Asst. News Editor
As if 2020 couldn’t yield any more chaos, the third and final presidential debate is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. PT. The second debate was canceled due to President Trump’s contraction of COVID-19, the virus that has now killed over 220,000 Americans and infected over 7 million. The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had proposed a virtual debate that would simulate the in-person experience; and while Biden encouraged this proposition, Trump outright refused to participate, claiming it would be a waste of time. In place of the second debate, former Vice President Joe Biden and President Trump held separate, dueling town hall forums to discuss policy. Now, the candidates are in route to take the stage for the third round.
Senior undergraduate, Eileen Rhatigan, commented on the nature of the second debate’s cancellation.
“I feel like the second debate could have been done via Zoom (or) remotely,” Rhatigan said. “I think President Trump is refraining from participating to delay addressing certain policies and social issues.”
Last week on Thursday, Oct. 16, Trump and Biden participated in separate town hall forums in place of the second debate. Here, they were prompted to answer voters’ questions and discuss policy-oriented topics in regards to their plans and goals if elected to the presidency. Biden drew 15.1 million viewers and Trump drew 13.5 million.
President Trump’s town hall forum took place in Miami, Florida, with NBC Today’s Savannah Guthrie as the moderator. Trump’s forum started with 18 minutes of Guthrie questioning him about his COVID-19 testing and immense financial debt –– which he answered ambiguously. Trump neither confirmed nor denied as to whether he had taken a COVID-19 test on the day of the first debate. He also tiptoed around the question about his $400 million debt, claiming it to be the size of a ‘peanut’ in comparison to his net worth. Additionally, Trump refused to condemn QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy group associated with spreading false information about COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, Biden’s forum took place in Philadelphia with moderator, George Stephanopolous from ABC News. His discussion went straight to voters’ questions where he debriefed selected policies and denounced the policies Trump has promised to roll through. Biden was asked about packing the court, where he again failed to give a direct answer about what he and his administration, if elected, would do. He was also pressed about his plan to attract Black voters under 30 years old to vote, after he made a highly controversial comment in an interview earlier this year: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
The third and final debate will take place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. It will be moderated by NBC News’s White House correspondent and co-anchor of Weekend Today, Kristen Welker. The debate will follow the same format as the first: it will run for 90 minutes and consist of six 15-minute segments, allowing each nominee two minutes to speak on their own behalf and then lead into open discussion.
Once again, USD Votes in collaboration with the university’s political science department will host an academic discussion board on Discord, where students and faculty can share ideas and ask any questions pertaining to the debate.
“I think the third, and final debate will mirror the first,” Rhatigan said. “If anything, I think Trump will become more irate, and continue his personal attacks on Biden rather than bringing focus to the moderator’s actual questions.”
In hopes of a more civil, final debate, it’s likely the nature of the SCOTUS hearings involving Amy Coney Barrett will be brought to attention, as well as President Trump’s controversial behavior in regard to the virus, after having contracted it himself. After his release from Walter Reed hospital, Trump tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Many claimed this to be insensitive, as if the people who died from the virus had the choice of letting it dominate their lives and health. On the other hand, Trump’s administration and supporters have shown appreciation for Trump in an attempt to alleviate the panic surrounding the virus.
“I think Trump means to deflect his views as much as possible, and will attempt to paint Biden as a ‘crook.’ On Biden’s part, I think he will continue to speak to the American people, and their needs,” Rhatigan said.
Over 73 million Americans watched the first debate, nearly 11 million shy of the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and President Trump in 2016. Considering the social climate of the first debate, only time will tell how many Americans will watch the final discussion, where Trump and Biden have the chance to make their ultimate appeals to the American people.