The Last Presidential Debate

I finally got to watch a debate with only a 30 minute delay. So I thought I’d “write down” my thoughts as we went. It was painful for me. Much of it will be fact-checked by more reputable sources than my own opinion. At least we got some substance tonight. And without further ado, here’s the breakdown of what I experienced tonight.

• Trump claimed that we are doing great on PPE—goggles, masks, gowns, and ventilators. Yet we have been on multiple surgical gown shortages, we don’t have our usual surgical caps, and we don’t need as many ventilators as much as we thought. Also, I’m still reusing N95s with an exhalation valve that require another mask over it. Give us the PPE if it really exists.
• Trump states our response to H1N1 was a disaster. Most of medicine would say otherwise. There was also an actual task force for such purposes that Trump disbanded. Unlike Mike Pence, President Biden never led a task force on pandemic response because this was appropriately left up to the scientists and experts.
• “He’s made a lot of money someplace.” Yes, Biden is well off. But really, a self-proclaimed billionaire is attacking his opponent because he has made some money?
• “All he does is talk about shutdowns.” I have yet to hear this from Biden. He states that he will listen to the scientists when it comes to responding further to the pandemic. If it takes a temporary shutdown to limit the ongoing crippling of our economy, I think they may be better. He then proclaimed that all the Democratic-led cities are dying because they are shut down.
• “It just went away.” “I don’t know maybe its their immune systems.” He again downplays the virus and the deaths that are directly related. They don’t all “just get over it”—even children.
• I loved Joe Biden for saying “We oughta be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.” Why can we not try to open our country with additional safety measures in place instead of continuing to deny masks and plexiglass and social distancing?
• I loved Joe Biden for saying it’s the UNITED states being affected, not just the red states or the blue states—even though the biggest spikes are occurring in the reddest states—its ALL Americans.
• He goes on to say “we need to protect our seniors”. What policy is Trump enacting that does this?
• “We have so many cases because of our testing.” AGAIN he says this. AFTER MONTHS he still has not learned that just testing doesn’t make your numbers go up, PREVALENCE has always been and continues to be the biggest problem.
• He misquoted Dr. Fauci by a mile. I can’t imagine the steam coming out of Dr. Fauci’s ears listening to this BS tonight. He even quoted that Dr. Fauci said we didn’t masks, and then later said he did. Trump is a SCIENCE DENIER to the bitter end. Also, when did Dr. Fauci say it wasn’t going to be a problem? I have NEVER seen this from him, but Trump says it all the time and lied to the American people when he knew better.

• Trump accused Biden of taking money from Wall Street! WHAT? Trump is in the pockets of most publicly traded companies. He even went on to say how much he could raise himself on Wall Street. “I could raise more money. I could blow away all your records.” Trump is the epitome of Wall Street and did his best to project this on Biden instead.
• Trump actually rolled his eyes when Biden mentioned that the Russians have been using Rudy Giuliani to spread misinformation to the White House. This is based on INTELLIGENCE reports, not just heresay. He denies literally every expert in every field. Ultimate narcissist.
• Trump talked about Biden receiving $3.5 million from Russia. Biden released his tax returns, I didn’t see this. Trump also claimed he gets “no money from Russia”. He then went on this rant in an effort to avoid the actual question about election interference—that he never actually answered. Instead, he tried to bring up the Hunter Biden emails, AGAIN.
• He states that he “prepaid” his taxes so that’s why he paid $750. Guess what, when you prepay your “estimated” taxes, that shows up on your tax returns as money you have paid. From what we know so far, that’s not on his tax returns. I pay quarterly estimated taxes, I know exactly how this works. But Trump tried really hard to fool any of you that don’t pay estimated taxes. Also, of note, he changed his answer to the $750 question. Last time he was approached about this he said “I know how to game the system because I’m smart.” He then went on to mention a “deal” and when that “deal” is done, he will release his tax returns. So who is making up the BS that he will eventually release?
• AGAIN, he complained about how unfairly his treated, even deep in the IRS. He went on about the “witch hunt” and how poorly he has been treated by Democrats. I’m so sick of the whining.
• Trump had the audacity to talk about pay of family members in politics. In the most nepotistic White House ever—where his entire family and in-laws are being paid with TAX PAYER dollars, he thought ONE person having a government related job when Joe Biden was VP was a big deal?

• He again slighted the question about China. He states that China paid for the money given to farmers in the US. As Biden reminded him, that was taxpayer money given to the farmers for relief. He then took the opportunity to call Biden a typical politician, “you can do better” for not directly answering the China question—which Trump did not answer either.
• North Korean policy. Yay, we are friends with a dictator with major nuclear arms who continue to parade around their weapons. Sure, we don’t have a war with them, but I guess know we’d rather be on the Axis of Evil? We have not sanctioned them for violating terms of agreements regarding denuclearization, etc. What has he actually done with North Korea to help us? We had a good relationship with Hitler before he tried to invade the rest of Europe as well.  “They left  me a mess.” (They also handed you an economy on a golden platter.)

• 20 million people get their insurance through the ACA and Trump is advocating for overturning it. “I’ve already done something that no one thought was possible.” He got rid of the individual mandate. Obamacare is no good. “Premiums are down.” That’s a straight up lie. Much better healthcare, will always protect people with pre-existing conditions. He wants to come up with a brand new Healthcare, but he still has no specific plan for this. 180 million have private healthcare insurance and states that Biden is going to terminate ALL of these policies. (Socialized medicine would COVER all those same people.) Biden promoted a “public option”—provides competition for insurance companies that allows for decreasing premiums and drug prices by allowing Medicare to also negotiate. Not one person under Biden’s plan (or Obama’s) would lose their coverage. 10 million people have already lost their private insurance in the last few months due to the effects of COVID.
• Trump tried to bring up his 47 years in the Senate/as VP and “he didn’t do anything.” Again, when someone is a Senator, they need the entire Senate (and Congress and the President) to do anything. This is a democracy where the VP cannot make something happen on his own. Took this to “fracking” and tried to avoid the healthcare question again. He tried to say that a “public option” would destroy “Medicare and social security”. If he continues to withhold the social security tax, social security will be bankrupt in 3 years. Trump’s policies are far more damaging to social security and Medicare and then tried to accuse Biden of destroying social security.
• The stock market will “crash” if he is elected. As Biden said, people do not live off the stock market. Billionaires made $700 billion more dollars, but what about the ordinary people? Trump: “401Ks are through the roof.”
• 12 million are out of work, 8 million are now under poverty. Why hasn’t a relief bill happened? “Because Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to approve anything.” Again, he refuses to take responsibility. Biden was very passionate about how he has helped promote helping communities/ordinary people. Trump tried to frame the Heroes Act as something to spend money on immigrants and a “bail out for badly run Democratic cities”.
• The minimum wage: is it the right time to up the minimum wage to $15? Biden emphatically said yes. Trump wants to make the minimum wage a state option and doesn’t believe that increasing the minimum wage will hurt small business. I guess if you’re one state, you can just move to another state. Biden actually brought up the pay of first-responders.

• Trump’s pouty face makes me want to vomit.

• Trump’s administration reversed its child separation policy; however, more than 400 children have not found their families because they are brought over by “coyotes” and cartels. Over 400 miles of brand new walls. He continued to avoid the question about reuniting the children with their families. “We’re trying very hard.” Trump refused to acknowledge that these children were specifically separated from their parents at the border. “They did it, we changed the policy.” “Who built the cages?” Yes, more people were detained at the border under the Obama administration, but children were not separated from their families. “They are so well taken care of, the facilities are so clean.” However, we know unnecessary hysterectomies, children have died of DEHYDRATION. Again, Trump never expounded on any policy.
• Biden admitted that immigration reform under Obama took too long and therefore failed. Within 90 days, a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers will be presented to Congress by Biden. He claims that the 8 years that Biden was VP, that he did nothing. Again, he acts as if the VP could have done this by themselves—but then acknowledges that he can’t do it alone (when he accuses Pelosi of not working on relief bills). “It shows that he has no understanding of immigration. A murderer, a rapist, a very bad person would have to come into our country.” “Only those with the LOWEST IQ might come back.”

• On the issue of race. Biden expressed the difficult conversations that Black families have to have with their children and noted that there IS institutional racism in America. We have never, ever lived up to “all men are created equal.” We have to provide economic opportunity, healthcare, finances, and education to give people a “shot”. It’s about giving the people the ability to accumulate wealth as well as to avoid violence. Trump brought up the crime bill from 1994 that hurt the Black community. “No one has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln.” He voiced that he has done criminal justice reform and prison reform—tremendous investment is being made, “the biggest beneficiaries are Black and Hispanic communities”. Trump claimed that he gave HBCs long term funding. “The problem with the crime bill is that there are not enough people in jail.”—Trump in 2000. Obama commuted over 1000 sentences, Trump has commuted 20. Biden is offering money to states to encourage them to eliminate mandatory minimum laws. “We should fundamentally change the system. People shouldn’t go to jail, they should go to rehab.”—Biden
• AGAIN, Trump says that Biden did nothing. “I ran because of you.” Trump tried to say that Biden is being a called a “corrupt politician”.
• The character of the country is on the ballot.
• Trump still brought up the LAPTOP. And he continued to try to stop the issue of race and turn it to Russia again.
• “I’d like to have great relationships with all people. I am the least racist person in the room”. He degraded the BLM movement based on one “chant”. He refused to acknowledge that this is elevating racist violence in the US. Trump banned Muslims, called Mexicans rapists, Proud Boys “stand back and stand by”. Trump then ran with Biden’s use of his previous personal Abraham Lincoln reference instead of talking about race as a real issue.
• Biden admitted that it was a mistake to pass the 1994 Crime Bill and gave examples of how is he going to change this including drug courts, etc.

• “You’re all talk and no action.” I’ve lost count of how many times Trump has complained that Biden didn’t get anything done in his 8 years as VP. “Why didn’t you do it in the 8 years you were VP?” Biden admitted that Republican congress is why he didn’t get this done. This argument is old.
• We have the “trillion trees” program. He only wants the cleanest water and air. “I love the environment”. Trump could not answer a question without trying to downplay Joe’s intelligence. “We were treated very unfairly by the Paris Accord.” Biden noted that we have a MORAL obligation to address climate change. Biden promoted clean energy programs for job creation. Biden’s plan has been shown to create 7 million more jobs and $1 trillion more economic growth. Trump tried to bring up AOC and avoid the climate question. Again he took the opportunity to degrade his opponents by saying that the plan wasn’t made by anyone that was smart. Biden’s plan is endorsed by environmental groups AND labor groups. Trump claimed that we are energy independent, that wind is very intermittent/kills the birds/is very expensive. The fumes to install wind energy is worse than other carbon emissions.
• Biden straight up said that he RULES OUT banning fracking but make sure that we can capture the emissions from fracking. Trump appears to believe that one cannot change their mind/evolve their opinion based on further information.

• Why should families of color reelect Trump? “Because they are employed heavily and they are making all kinds of money.” We got Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Russia to cut back to safe our oil industry. Biden actually gave a personal story about living near refineries, etc and health effects.
• At this point I actually said, “OMG, shut the F*** up” when he went off on Biden’s statement about moving away from oil.

• Trump: “We have to make a country totally successful as it was prior to the plague coming China.” He then continued to promote all the wonderful things happening before the pandemic.  “Success is going to bring us together.” Trump then went off on what would happen if Biden was elected despite being asked to discuss what he would say to those that DID NOT VOTE for him. Biden: “science over fiction, hope over fear, we are going to move forward, we can grow this economy, we can deal with systemic racism, we can …clean energy, create millions of new jobs. He will make sure everyone is represented.”