President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in the first of three presidential debates Tuesday, as America gears up for a heavily contested election.

The debate was not met with significant fanfare, and has even been described by multiple media outlets as “the worst presidential debate ever” due to an abundance of interruption and personal squabbles between the candidates.

Chris Wallace of Fox News moderated the debate, breaking it down into multiple topic segments.

Supreme Court

With the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the stage is set for a political battle over the highest court.

Trump has already committed to nominating and confirming conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett, while Biden and other Democrats call for a hold on confirmation given the election (as Biden pointed out, voting has already started in some states).

A similar situation played out in 2016, when Senate Republicans blocked an appointment by President Obama for the same reasons.

Healthcare

Despite the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, passing a decade ago, it took center stage in Tuesday’s debate, in part due to Judge Barrett’s opposition to it.

The Republican battle to repeal the ACA has largely been halted, with no plan on the table to replace it. Trump pledged to protect popular portions of the bill in a second term, most notably provisions on preexisting conditions.

Biden in turn has promised to expand the ACA, adding a “public option” for government provided health coverage for those qualifying for Medicaid. The former Vice President distanced himself from Senator Bernie Sanders’ signature Medicare For All proposal.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The question of the hour remains the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (by the time of publishing, the President has contracted the virus and is being treated at Walter Reed medical center).

The federal response to the pandemic has been a failure by most objective measures, outnumbering all other countries in cases and deaths (approximately 210,000 Americans have died as of publication).

Biden positioned himself in contrast to the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic, emphasizing the need to “listen to the scientists” and promote public safety.

The President criticized the Obama-Biden administration’s response to the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic of 2009, and claimed that a Biden administration would have led to the deaths of 2 million Americans due to mishandling the Coronavirus pandemic.

Taxes

The New York Times’ release of tax data showing that Trump had paid no more than $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, among other findings, was a major story in the week leading up to the debate, and was brought up by Wallace.

The President has denied the claim, though admits he has used the tax code to avoid paying taxes in the past.

Biden used the opportunity to promote his signature economic plans, namely reversing the Trump administration’s tax reform, and “Build Back Better,” a plan to revitalize American manufacturing and infrastructure.

Race and Unrest

On the topic of racism and the current national unrest in America, the candidates offered significantly different visions.

President Trump denounced racial sensitivity training as teaching people to “hate America,” and affirmed a previous statement he had made stating that he “has done more for the African American community than any President since Abraham Lincoln. At the same time he harshly criticized Biden’s record on race and criminal justice, which he charged with throwing millions of black youth behind bars.

Biden called for police reform and increased sensitivity training, while distancing himself from the “defund the police” movement. The former Vice President condemned what he sees as a “separate justice system” for black Americans, and condemned the rise in racist attitudes and attacks in recent years.

In one of the most replayed moments of the debate, Wallace asked Trump to denounce “white supremacists and right wing militias,” which the President refused to do, instead denouncing ”Antifa,” an anti-fascist decentralized political movement which has been accused of stoking violence. His refusal drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, and has since been recanted by the White House.

Election

Concerns have been raised in recent months over the use of mail-in ballots and the President’s comments on the potential transition of power.

The President cited alleged fraud in mail-in ballots, and again refused to accept the results of the election should he lose, accusing the election of being rigged against him. When prompted by Wallace, Trump refused to urge for calm and not to declare victory of the election was not decided by November 3.

Vice President Biden defended the practice of mail-in voting, citing its use by the US Armed Forces since the Civil War. When prompted, Biden committed to not declaring victory until all the votes were counted, and said he would accept the results of the election regardless of outcome.

Daniel Pasciuto, class of 2021, is the News Editor of the Dedham Mirror. He is also the Senior Class President and a two-year DHS Debate Champion. Daniel enjoys driving, seeing friends, and going into the city.