The Second Presidential Debate: A Recap
T-11 days until the votes are cast, and the race is ramping up.
by CAROLINE DELISLE ★ OCTOBER 23, 2020
In a debate conducted with markedly more cordiality, the final presidential debate ended a tumultuous season of combattance in relatively good fashion. This can be owed in part to the new debate rule that allowed for a candidate’s mic to be muted during the other’s initial two-minute speech at the start of each topic.
We wish it hadn’t come to that, but we all remember the fiasco that was the very first meeting of the two candidates on the debate stage.
Moderator Kristen Welker from NBC News led discussions in six topics: Fighting covid, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership.
We’ve derived the key points of what President Trump and former Vice President Biden had to say on each matter.
Covid-19
The candidates were first asked how each planned on handling the upcoming wave of the pandemic as the weather gets colder and contagion increases once again.
Trump accoladed himself on having shut down the economy to fight the pandemic. He said the US mortality rate is down, and spikes in states such as Florida, Texas, and Arizona have been quelled. Trump again alluded to the announcement of a new vaccine that he claimed will be happening “in a matter of weeks,” reminded viewers of his successful distribution of PPE and ventilators, and then closed by saying that the pandemic “is going away.”
Biden cited the 220,000 American deaths as reason enough for the necessity of a new administration. He warned that 200,000 more deaths are predicted if drastic action is not taken quickly. Biden said his plan stresses rapid testing and the financial resources to enable businesses to reopen safely.
Trump was asked about a vaccine, to which he responded companies like Johnson & Johnson could be coming out with one in the next few weeks, and that his timeline “is going to be more accurate” than those who predict a vaccine won't be ready and distributed until mid-to-late 2021. Trump also stressed that the country cannot shut down because of the virus and that we are going to have to learn to live with it.
Biden countered this saying “people are learning to die with it.” He said scientists say the pandemic is not going away anytime soon, and while Trump may think he has control, the reality is that many more people will die. Biden reiterated the importance of providing businesses with the means to reopen safely including funds for plexiglass dividers, rapid testing and contact tracing, and social distance procedures.
National Security
A question was posed regarding the recent discoveries of Russian and Iranian interference with voter information. Welker asked Biden how he would work to end this threat.
Biden threatened vaguely that countries who interfere with the US elections will “pay a price.”
Trump cited his history of being harsh with both rivals like Russia as well as allies like NATO, in order to get results that benefit Americans, saying “there is nobody tougher on Russia than Donald Trump.” He then brought up the recent emails that surfaced tying Joe Biden’s son Hunter with illegal monetary stipends from Ukraine. If confirmed, this would be deemed an abuse of power by Biden in securing his son with a job at Ukraine’s energy company Burisma using his standings as then-vice president.
Biden denied ever having “taken a penny from any foreign source ever in [his] life.” Biden then flipped the accusation back towards Trump and asked about his Chinese bank accounts and unreleased taxes, saying, “release your tax return or stop talking about corruption.” Biden also said that, upon investigation, Hunter’s standings within Burisma were found to be valid.
Trump addressed the allegations about his Chinese bank account, assuring the public that he had closed the account back in 2015, and had only had it for business purposes.
The men were then asked how they would reprimand China for not having been upfront about the coronavirus during the initial outbreak.
Biden said he would join forces with US allies to make China play by international rules.
Trump said that China is currently paying and would continue to do so. He said China was forced to devalue its currency and pay the US; a payment which went directly to farmers.
This is the point in the debate when my father was quoted as saying, “I’m gonna throw the freak up.”
Discussion was next steered towards North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal.
About North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Trump said he is a “different kind of guy but he probably thinks the same thing about me.” He then pointed out that there has been no war between the US and North Korea.
Biden accused Trump of legitimizing the country and called for controlling them before they got the chance to hurt us.
Trump reminded the public that it was a feat that he was able to arrange a meeting with Kim Jong-un at all, and that this was a step in the right direction for the two countries’ relationship.
American Families
The first question in regards to American families was about healthcare.
Trump patted himself on the back for getting rid of the individual mandate which he claims plagued Obamacare. He also said he tried to operate Obamacare as best he could, but that it failed because it was ultimately “no good.” He accused Biden of wanting “socialized medicine,” and claimed he would implement a better healthcare plan which included protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Biden insisted that his plan did not call for “socialized medicine,” but rather the option of public healthcare for those who cannot afford private insurance. He said this would up competition within the market by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with insurance companies, ultimately making it cheaper for the consumer. Biden also reaffirmed that no citizen with private insurance would be forced to give up their insurance, he would simply be introducing a public option should citizens prefer. He said having a private option that people can choose does not make his healthcare plan socialism.
Welker next asked Trump why a coronavirus relief package has not yet been passed.
Trump said he has tried but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has refused to approve anything.
A question was next directed towards Biden, asking him how he expected businesses to meet his proposed minimum wage requirement of $15/hour.
Biden’s solution is for the government to bail out these businesses to make it possible for them to reach this requirement during these strenuous economic times.
Trump proposed that raising the minimum wage should be a state-by-state decision. He said each state would be able to handle such a shift differently and therefore the decision should be left up to them.
Race
Both candidates were asked whether they understood a Black parent’s fear that their child is at serious risk of being harmed by police.
Biden said that while he himself as a white American has never had to deal with such a threat, he does recognize it in the lives of Black citizens as a product of institutional racism. He said we do not live up to the claim “all men are created equal” and that in order to better the nation, we need to provide better schooling, healthcare, and financial aid to businesses for all Americans, but especially Americans of color. Biden said the main focus should be on “accumulating the ability to have wealth.”
Trump disputed this saying Biden has served in government for 47 years and the only product he has to show for his work in race relations is the 1994 Crime Bill, which is embedded with prejudices towards underprivileged communities and POC. Trump also used his famous line that, aside from Abraham Lincoln, no one has done what he has done for race relations in the US. He said he has worked on prison reform and has worked to fund historically Black colleges.
Biden accused Trump of having pushed for the death penalty of the Central Park Five.
The moderator next asked Biden about his Crime Bill which incarcerated a large number of citizens solely on drug charges.
Biden was quick to admit that it had been a mistake. He said that no one should be sent to jail on drug charges; rather, rehabilitation centers for those accused should be instated, where the accused can receive treatment instead of going to prison.
Trump asked Biden why he did not make these changes during his two terms as vice president, and said, “it is all talk and no action with these politicians.”
Biden referenced the 38,000 prisoners released from jail who had been incarcerated for drug activity under the Obama administration.
Climate Change
The preliminary question in this category was about how each candidate would support environmental responsibility and job growth simultaneously.
Trump claimed that the US has its best carbon emissions in the last 35 years under his presidency.
You can see in this graph provided by the World Bank that this is not quite accurate, although the nation does seem to be doing well relative to the last two decades.
Credit: The World Bank
Biden offered a more concrete plan, which he claimed Wall Street said will create 18.6 million new jobs via the installment of charging stations along highways for electric cars, and remodeling four billion buildings and two million homes to make them more energy efficient.
Trump said that it is crucial the US remains energy independent. He said wind energy is expensive and “kills all the birds,” and the fumes emitted into the air during their production is not worth the clean energy they would produce. He also said that solar energy is not yet strong enough to support things like factories.
Closing Remarks
In her final topic, Welker asked each candidate what he would say to those who did not vote for him in his inaugural address upon his election.
Trump said he believes that, “success is going to bring us together.” He said he plans on rebuilding from the pandemic and cutting taxes.
Biden took a more sympathetic approach, saying, “I represent all of you, whether you voted for me or against me.” He said he would govern with “science over fiction” and “hope over fear.” He aims to grow the economy, deal with systematic racism, develop clean energy, and overall lead with “decency, honor, respect, [and] treating people with dignity.”
For more on Trump’s campaign, click here. For more on Biden’s campaign, click here.
Do your research, cast your vote, and be heard on November 3rd.
Cover photo credit: NBC News (Chelsea Stahl)