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Final Presidential Debate

Darcy Kaufman

Twelve days before the election, NBC anchor Kristen Welker moderated the second and final presidential debate on Thursday night.

Due to the constant interruptions and arguing that occurred during the previous debate, this time, the sponsor decided to mute former Vice President Joe Biden and President Trump’s microphones while the other person talked.

The first topic and possibly one of the most important topics that could sway voters, was discussing the candidate’s plans for containing COVID-19 in the United States. Biden discussed how if he becomes president he will do whatever he can to get states to mandate masks. He also discussed his plan for rapid and constant testing and national standards for how to open schools and businesses. In order for schools and businesses to open safely, Biden wants to give them the financial resources they need to do so. Overall, Biden gave a mostly straightforward answer.

Trump on the other hand, deflected the question by stating over and over again how Covid is a “world-wide pandemic” which started in China and is “not his fault.” Trump then went on to discuss “operation warp-speed” which entails the military distributing a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. He discussed how “we can’t lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does” and proceeded to say that “100 million vials of a coronavirus vaccine are ready and with the General.” This immediately contradicts his previous statement that a vaccine will be ready by the end of year. Both of the claims made by Trump seem very impractical as the vaccines that have been developed have not gone through safety trials yet.

Throughout the debate Biden continued to give direct answers and it is evident that he has some sort of plan for the next phase of coronavirus is elected, whereas Trump continued to avoid and deflect questions. The candidates were however able to refrain, for the most part, from interrupting each other and Welker while at times struggled to gain control, had much more control than the previous moderator, Chris Wallace.