President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden faced off in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday in their first of three presidential debates ahead of the 2020 election.
Moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, the two candidates spent 90 minutes discussing eight topics: the appointment of the next Supreme Court justice, Obamacare, COVID-19, climate change, racism in America, law and order, foreign affairs, as well as the integrity of the election.
The first topic presented by the moderator, Wallace, was the candidates’ perspectives on Trump’s nomination for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, and the effect she would have on the court.
Given two minutes of uninterrupted speaking, Trump expressed that the Republican control of the Senate and the White House gave him the right to appoint Barrett to the Court before the election. He said Barett is a “phenomenal nominee […] respected by all, top academically, and good in every way” and that she would “be as good as anybody who has ever served on that Court.”
Biden detailed his opposition to Trump’s nomination, saying, “the American people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is. And that say occurs when they vote for senators and the president of the United States.” He elaborated, explaining that “We should wait and see what the outcome of this election is because that’s the only way the American people get to express their view.”
After a quarrel due to Trump’s frequent interruptions, Biden said, “[Amy Coney Barrett] thinks the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional” and that if appointed, “women’s rights will fundamentally change.”