SUPREME COURT – Should Trump have nominated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement during an election? What are the implications of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination?

Trump opened the segment with a simple justification: “Elections have consequences.” He argues that as the democratically elected President, it is his right, privilege, and responsibility to appoint Justice Ginsburg’s replacement. He stressed nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s credentials and said she had bipartisan support. Additionally, Trump discussed how Barrett’s appointment to the Court could advance his goal of eliminating the Affordable Care Act altogether.

Biden criticized Trump’s decision, saying the American people should get a say in who the nominee is through the election of the next president. He pointed out the election is already underway–tabulation of early ballots has begun. He agreed the ACA was at stake, but framed this as a negative, citing the number 20,000,000 as the amount of Americans likely to lose health insurance. He also mentioned the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned as a potential negative consequence.

Towards the end of the segment, the discussion turned to healthcare. Trump accused Biden of wanting to take away private insurance and replace it with socialized medicine, to which Biden responded that his public option would be only for those who wanted it, and his policies would not destroy private insurance.

COVID-19 -Why should each candidate be trusted to handle the novel Coronavirus?

Biden accused Trump of being “irresponsible” and having no concern for the welfare of Americans, saying he should have acted to curb the spread of the virus in February and still has no clear plan. Biden promised to supply protective gear and increase small business stimulus, which he says will make it possible to open the economy safely. In response to Trump’s accusation that Biden wrongly opposed reopening the economy, he said he was opposed simply because of the absence of a plan for doing so safely. Biden finished by pointing out that Trump has repeatedly lied about the virus and the anticipated vaccine and contradicted his own scientists, and closed by citing a grim statistic allegedly from Trump’s own CDC director that 200,000 more Americans are likely to die before the end of the pandemic.

Trump said that Biden had opposed closing the U.S. to international travel at the beginning of the pandemic, but that he himself did so readily. He claimed he supplied protective gear and ventilators where they were needed, and that vaccine is only weeks away (most experts, including some within the Trump administration, dispute this). He blamed China for the pandemic, Democrats for politicizing it, and the media for covering his response to it unfavorably. He argued that a closed economy does more harm to Americans than the pandemic can. Finally, he said he holds large rallies because he is able to draw the crowds, and that “we’ve seen no negative effect” from the rallies.

ECONOMY – Is the economy’s recovery “V-shaped” (benefiting everyone) or “K-shaped” (benefiting only the wealthy while most Americans struggle)? What does each candidate believe should be done about the economy?

Trump boasted that despite having closed the economy because of what he referred to as “the China plague”, he was now reopening it with “record” business. He accused Democratic governors of keeping their states closed for political reasons and stressed the negative effects of doing so. He dismissed the notion that he had paid only $750 total in federal income taxes in 2016, saying he paid “millions” and that he would provide proof. He then blamed Biden for the existence of the tax code loopholes that would have allowed him to pay so little. Lastly, he attacked Biden’s proposed policies by saying a tax hike on corporations would cause them to leave for other countries. He claimed the Obama-Biden administration had “given up” on manufacturing, and attempted to divert the discussion to Hunter Biden’s business affairs.

Biden argued the economy’s recovery was K-shaped, meaning the wealthy have profited from the pandemic while the working and middle classes have continued to suffer. He claimed Trump would be the first president to leave office with America having fewer jobs than it did when he was inaugurated. Biden argued it would be impossible to fix the economy until the novel Coronavirus is properly addressed. He blamed Trump for not investing resources into safe reopening of schools. Finally, he promised to eliminate Trump-era tax cuts and invest in ordinary Americans. He said his corporate taxes would create an emphasis on buying American, thereby encouraging economic growth.

RACE AND VIOLENCE – Why should the American people trust each candidate to handle issues of racial tension and civil unrest?

Biden began by admitting that he may not always have handled race well, but that he never abandoned the issue and doesn’t plan to. He called out Trump for what he refers to as “dog whistle” rhetoric around recent unrest in response to police brutality. He readily agreed that systemic justice exists in America in courts, education, and the workplace, and mentioned COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on people of color. Biden was explicit in not implying that all police officers are violent, but maintained that those who are should be held accountable. Among Biden’s proposed reforms are bringing together a coalition of law enforcement and civil rights groups to formulate a response to the issue, increasing police access to psychologists, and encouraging community policing based on mutual trust. He spoke favorably about racial sensitivity training, saying people need to be educated. Finally, he criticized Trump for inflaming the issues instead of addressing them, and by emphasizing the need for unity.

Trump began by bringing up Biden’s much-criticized 1994 crime bill, which he said unfairly targeted black Americans. He bragged that he has law enforcement’s support for the presidency and claimed that Biden dislikes law enforcement. He stressed the need for “law and order” in cities such as Portland and New York, which have been rocked by protests. He justified his opposition to racial sensitivity training by calling it a “radical revolution” that’s “teaching people to hate our country”. He blamed most of the recent violence on Democratic cities and left-wing extremists. Asked to condemn the white supremacist group the Proud Boys by name, Trump instead told them to “stand back and stand by”. 

RECORDS – What has each candidate done to prove he would be a good president?

Trump claimed that during his presidency, he accomplished more than any other president in spite of his impeachment, which he described as a “hoax”. He claimed he had successfully fostered unity before the advent of the pandemic. He took credit for rebuilding the military, revamping the Veteran’s Association, and fixing the economy. He finished by touting what seemed to be his proudest achievement: his appointment of 3 Supreme Court Justices (assuming Barrett is confirmed) and hundreds of lower court judges.

Biden contrasted himself with Trump, whom he said is divisive. He cited his record as Vice President during the Obama Administration as evidence that he would be able to stand up to undemocratic world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also claimed the Obama Administration’s economic policies resulted in prosperity. He criticized Trump as caring more about the wealthy than about the working class, and said the country was more violent under a Trump Administration than it was under the Obama Administration. Finally, Biden brought up allegations that Trump disrespected the military and referenced his late son Beau Biden’s military service.

CLIMATE CHANGE – Why should each candidate be trusted to address America’s contribution to climate change?

Biden denied Trump’s claim that his climate goals would hurt the economy, saying they’ll instead stimulate new sectors and promote overall job growth. He outlined a plan to change the federal fleet to all-electric vehicles, weatherize buildings to reduce their environmental impact, rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. In response to Trump’s criticism of provisions of the Green New Deal as though they were a part of Biden’s plan, Biden clarified that his initiative is different from the Green New Deal. He criticized Trump’s climate regulations as too lax. He countered Trump’s argument that environmental initiatives are too expensive with the point that climate change is more expensive in the long term because of the increased need for disaster relief. 

Trump claimed America’s carbon emissions are low at the moment, and said he left the Paris Accord because it was bad for business. He argued the cause of the West Coast wildfires is not climate change, but inadequate forest management. He justified his lax emissions regulations by saying that less fuel efficient cars are cheaper, meaning more can be sold. He pointed a finger at China and India as worse polluters than the United States, and summed up by saying that Biden’s plan to address climate change will cost taxpayers too much money. 

FAIRNESS – How do you urge your supporters to respond to concerns of unfairness in the coming election?

Trump claimed the election was stacked against him, once again referencing unsolicited mail-in ballots as a source of fraud. He affirmed that he is counting on the Supreme Court–including prospective Justice Barrett–to settle the final election results. When asked to pledge to refrain from declaring victory early, Trump refused to do so. He urged his supporters to be vigilant at the polls.

Biden began by asking everyone in the audience to visit iwillvote.com to make a plan for voting this year. He emphasized the importance of logistics, including the presence of enough poll watchers to enforce distancing polling places opening on time. He pointed out there is little evidence of mail-in ballot fraud. He claimed Trump is attempting to dissuade Americans from voting by eroding their faith in the democratic process. Biden confirmed he will accept either result to the election, saying elections should not be up to the courts. Finally, Biden asked that his supporters remain patient and calm during what promises to be an unusual election.

Image from New York Magazine