Marked by angry interruptions and bitter accusations, the first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden erupted in contentious exchanges Tuesday night over the coronavirus pandemic, city violence, job losses and how the Supreme Court will shape the future of the nation’s health care. In what was the most chaotic presidential debate in recent years, somehow fitting for what has been an extraordinarily ugly campaign, the two men frequently talked over each other with Trump interrupting, nearly shouting, so often that Biden eventually snapped at him, “Will you shut up, man?” “The fact is that everything he’s said so far is simply a lie,” Biden said. “I’m not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he’s a liar.” Over and over, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News. The president tried to deflect tough lines of questioning — whether on his taxes or the pandemic — to deliver broadsides against Biden. TRUMP: “Don’t ever use the word ‘smart’ with me. Don’t ever use that word.” — “There’s nothing smart about you Joe.” BIDEN: “Let’s have this debate & we’ll see who’s smart.” pic.twitter.com/2vUmXTMV67 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 30, 2020 The president drew a lecture from Wallace, who pleaded with both men to stop interrupting. Biden tried to push back against Trump, sometimes looking right at the camera to directly address viewers rather than the president and snapping, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.” President Trump to Chris Wallace: “First of all, I guess I’m debating you, not him. But that’s okay. I’m not surprised.” pic.twitter.com/MgZZtkWJlT — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 30, 2020 But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups. Trump on Biden: “He wants to shut down this country and I want to keep it open…” “Wait a minute, Joe. Let me shut you down for a second.”pic.twitter.com/5rKlWpsZXB — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 30, 2020 “What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name,” Trump said, before Wallace mentioned the far right, violent group known as the Proud Boys. Trump then pointedly did not condemn the group, instead saying, “Proud Boys, stand back, stand by,but I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not right-wing problem. This is a left wing problem.” Wallace: “Are you willing tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down…” Trump: “Sure.” Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.” pic.twitter.com/Co0Dp621FS — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 30, 2020 The vitriol exploded into the open when Biden attacked Trump’s handling of the pandemic, saying that the president “waited and waited” to act when the virus reached America’s shores and “still doesn’t have a plan.” Biden told Trump to “get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap” and go in his golf cart to the Oval Office to come up with a bipartisan plan to save people. Trump snarled a response, […]

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