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During the first presidential debate on Tuesday, Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden met on the same stage. Moderator Chris Wallace tried to keep the peace throughout the event, and had promised to attempt to be “invisible” during the proceedings.
Instead, the event was mostly a shouting match, with both candidates exchanging snipes and quips, and Wallace trying to reign in the proceedings.
Let’s look at some of the key takeaways from the debate, what they mean for the Trump campaign and what could be in store for the 2020 election.
For better or worse, Trump was acting like his same old self during the debate. He spoke over Biden and interjected between comments. He exchanged insults with the former vice president, who at times called Trump a “clown” and “the worst president” the country has ever had.
Trump, of course, returned fire, calling out Biden for being a “puppet,” and painting an image of Biden as a weak candidate.
Some Republican strategists worry that this isn’t the track the incumbent should be on. While there aren’t many voters still undecided who might be swayed by the debates, such voters do still exist. It would be prudent, some argue, if the president would try to get those votes going his way.
Frustratingly for Republicans who wanted to see a dominant Trump, the president offered no clear vision for his second term. Instead, he just dug in and berated Biden.
Many wished to see Trump lay out his plans for his reelection and his second term. He did mention how he’s “done more in 47 months” than Biden did in 47 years, which certainly stung. However, Trump didn’t keep up that focus throughout the debate.
Instead, he sidestepped a question that would have allowed him to condemn white supremacy. He failed to call on his base to avoid sectarian violence in the event he loses the election.
Key strategists felt this was the wrong stance. However, it was certainly the classic Trump stance. After all, Trump won in 2016 on the strength of his personality, primarily. Why would he stop now?
However, some polling suggests this strategy might not play as well in 2020 as it did in 2016. Polls are showing that women are not supporting Trump in remotely the numbers they did in 2016, which could spell trouble come election day.
It’s not over – Trump still has two debates to present a clear vision for his second term and to provide a case for why he should remain in the White House come January.
