Donald Trump is the President of the United States, and his challenger is Joe Biden of the Democratic Party, who used to be vice-President during the tenure of Barack Obama. Both Trump and Biden are contenders for the White House, and while the former wants a second term, the latter seeks to deny him that. The battle lines are drawn, and Donald Trump and Joe Biden had their first debate in Cleveland, Ohio. It turned out to be a clash no one expected.

The BBC describes the 90-minute debate as "one of the most chaotic and bitter White House debates in years." There were frequent interruptions and the use of unparliamentary words.

It was most unlike debates of this nature where a superpower like America has to choose a leader who will lead it for the next four years. They brought up relevant issues like the pandemic, healthcare, and the economy. When challenged over white supremacist support, the President refused to take sides and condemn a specific far-right group.

The BBC adds that opinion polls suggest Joe Biden has a lead over Donald Trump, but Election Day is still far off, and situations can change. There could be closer contests in some important states. Moreover, polls indicate a section of Americans has not yet decided on who to vote for. In the opinion of those knowledgeable, this was the first of three debates and its outcome would not make much of a difference.

Donald Trump versus Joe Biden debate

The first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, was light on serious policy discussion. That is what the BBC says. A TV channel count mentioned the President, who is seeking a second term, interrupted some 73 times. The two contenders for the White House sparred over healthcare and resorted to verbal exchanges.

There were similar scenes on the subject of the Supreme Court. The BBC adds that when asked by the moderator on whether he would condemn white supremacists, Trump initially said he would. However, when asked a pointed question about the far-right Proud Boys group's denouncement, he sidestepped the issue. Incidentally, Donald Trump lost out to Joe Biden in the convention speech ratings.

Donald Trump and the Proud Boys

The Proud Boys is an anti-immigrant, fascist, all-male group. The reply of Donald Trump on the subject of this group was - "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left." Antifa is an abbreviation for "anti-fascist." It is a group of far-left activists, and it engages in clashes with the far right. Joe Biden said the President is trying to divide the voters in terms of race. The former vice-president also mentioned that his adversary had "panicked" over the coronavirus pandemic that has taken a hefty toll of lives. Incidentally, everyone in the room had to wear masks, but only US First Lady Melania Trump donned a face covering during the debate.

The audience was small and maintained social distancing, but the traditional opening handshake was absent because of the pandemic.

Schedule of Donald Trump and Joe Biden debates

According to ABC 7 Chicago, there will be three presidential debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The first was in Cleveland, Ohio. They will face a town hall-style discussion on Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, and final debate Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. The duration of each would be of 90 minutes. The moderator will select topics for the first and third presidential debates. The topics will be announced at least one week before each debate. However, the second presidential debate will be different. In this debate, Trump and Biden will have to answer questions from uncommitted Miami-area voters.

An expert will select them. The 2020 vice-presidential candidates are Vice President Mike Pence and Joe Biden's running mate Sen. Kamala Harris. They will be on stage Oct. 7, in Salt Lake City, Utah. This debate will also be of the same duration.
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