“That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said once it was over. “That was the worst debate I have ever seen. It wasn’t even a debate. It was a disgrace, and it’s primarily because of President Trump.”
Liberal media bias? Not if you watched.
Trump repeatedly — by which I mean almost constantly — interrupted Biden and the moderator, Fox News’ Chris Wallace. It got to the point that it seemed strange when Trump didn’t interrupt.
Fox News’ Chris Wallace lost control almost immediately
“You wonder who won, who lost — we’re going to have a lot of analysis over the next few minutes,” Bret Baier said on Fox News. “But you wonder if America maybe lost on the substance of the heart of the issues and whether they really got to them over some of that back and forth.”
No one who saw the debate wondered. Everyone who saw it knows: They didn’t get to the issues. It was a schoolyard slap fight with a bully having his way with the playground. There is no question that Americans lost, and lost big.
Dana Bash, also on CNN, put it more succinctly.
“It was an (expletive) show,” she said. (She’s on cable, Bash noted. She can say that.)
At the center of it was Wallace, a strong interviewer who didn’t let Trump stand on lies and misleading statements in an earlier interview.
On Tuesday night, Trump mowed him over.
“Why don’t you observe what your campaign agreed to as a ground-rule, OK, sir?” Wallace asked Trump late in the debate, as the president again interrupted.
“He never keeps his word,” Biden said.
“That was a rhetorical question,” Wallace said.
It was also a ridiculous one to even have to ask. Clearly Trump’s strategy was to talk and talk and talk, daring Wallace or Biden to stop him, goading Biden to get a rise out of him. And in that regard, it worked.
Yes, Trump shouted out white supremacists
“Will you shut up, man?” Biden finally said at one point, delivering what is almost certain to be the most-quoted line of the night.
It shouldn’t be. On the actual news front, Wallace asked Trump if he would tell white supremacist and militia groups to stand down — something Trump has been criticized for not doing. He didn’t do that on Tuesday, either.
Instead, he said this: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this isn’t a right wing-problem. This is a left-wing problem.”
During anything approaching a normal debate, this would be stop-the-presses news, just jaw-dropping stuff. Tuesday night, it was another log on the chaotic fire. Amazingly, Wallace didn’t bother to ask a follow-up question.
This is what the debate was like. This is where we are. And no one — not even a respected journalist like Wallace with a track record for fairness — seems to be able to do anything about it.
Why the debate was a complete failure
Presidential debates don’t have to be great television. They don’t have to be interesting television. They should be informative television, and this was not. It was a pointless exercise in which we learned next to nothing about the candidates that we didn’t already know. Which draws into question whether there should be a second and third debate.
It’s simple: not unless the moderator has the ability to cut the candidates’ microphones.
Because that’s the only way to stop the fusillade of interruptions from Trump.
Wallace made a point of saying it wasn’t his job to fact check during the debate. Maybe not, but it is his job to keep some semblance of control. That said unless he walked up on stage and ripped the microphone from the lectern, what could he do, other than stop the proceedings completely?
A repeat of Tuesday night’s debacle wouldn’t just be bad TV. It would be irresponsible TV.
“You know, if you want to switch seats, we can do that,” Wallace told Trump during yet another interruption.
Why not? The result would have been the same.
At one point, one of my daughters walked in and started watching. She will vote for the first time this year. What was she supposed to think? For all she knows, this is normal.
For all I know, this is what normal has become. That would be the greatest shame of it all.
Had Chris Wallace been non-partisan perhaps the debate would have been more under control. It was clear he was helping Joe Biden, bailing him out and always interrupting our President each time he was striking a nerve that might have been able to change the minds of undecided voters. But we all knew we were going to see classic Chris Wallace, and we did.
Agree totally. Still living off his daddy’s reputation.
Wallace will NEVER measure up to his father… NEVER. He was obviously total bias at the debate. Everyone knows that!! Who picked this guy to be the moderator anyway? Wallace is a Democrat and showed his real colors and lack of being a true Professional. Also….
Take him off of FOX News. He is a total disgrace.
Wallace will NEVER measure up to his father… NEVER. He was obviously total bias at the debate. Everyone knows that!! Who picked this guy to be the moderator anyway? Wallace is a Democrat and showed his real colors and lack of being a true Professional. Also….
Take him off of FOX News. He is a total disgrace.
you are exaxtly right!
i AGREE WITH YOU.I SEEN IT TOO
NONSENSE! Wallace placated the “brat-in-chief” several times, “I think you’ll like this one Mr Pres”,and “this one will be more to your liking,Mr Pres”, NOT ONCE, did Biden recieve that kid glove treatment. You’re like those “affluenza” parents, “my boy would never do that”. GROW UP,
I agree with Dan completely. I am an independent. This was a embarrassment to our country. To blame the President is just ridiculous. Biden interrupted first, mumbling constantly, to loose control and shout
“shut up” sounds like a toddler who needs to go sit in the time out chair.
If he were President how would he deal with stress?
Biden has lived off the tax payers while enriching his entire family like a blood sucker. I have my own company and wouldn’t hire him to clean my toilets.
Wallace never had control and totally favored sleepy.
The double team did not work. Trump had to debate them both. Wallace ran interference for Joe who lied throughout the debacle. He refused to answer questions, called Trump a clown, stupid, and told him to shut up…man. On a rating of 0-10, I rated Wallace a 2, and Biden a 5, Trump rated a 7. Not his best performance, but better than Wallace and Biden, both Democrats who could be referred to as Scum-o-crats. Biden kept using the phrase, here is the deal. His so called plans were vague. He refused to name any candidates for supreme court justice. He recently killed off 2/3’s of us by saying that over two hundred million of us have died and its all Trumps fault. Yet he and Obama helped fun the Wuhan Lab which released this deadly virus. Surprised Trump did not challenge him on that issue.
I am a Trump supporter, but last night was a disaster for him. He should keep his month shut and let Biden speak. He just would not stop speaking over Biden or Wallace.
Trump didn’t do himself any favors last night
I agree. I hope President Trump needs to improve his image and learn that sometimes less talk is better since it give the other side a chance to expose lie and vague answer
Chris Wallace did not lose control of the debate. That man, Trump, is an unbalanced, maniacal BULLY! Trump acted like he was going to start swinging like the THUG that he is. He NEVER let Biden get in his two minutes. He even over talked Wallace. That man is a DISGRACE and anybody who votes for him needs their head examined.
Who ever chose Chris Wallace to moderate the debate should be TERMINATED. WALLACE DOES NOT HAVE THE PERSONALITY OR STRENGTH TO HANDLE THIS TYPE OF DEBATE.
exactly. He does not possess the quality of a moderator, and he’s obviously bias against the President
Just what does honesty mean? How do you keep someone from being Rude? Where does an Egotist fit into running for President. President Trump is the epitomy of an Egotist, a dishonest person and a very rude person who is a bully. It is embarassing for our children and young people to see a President acting in this manner. Yes, we are told that his ‘Campaign’ agreed to the rules before the debate, but as we all know NO ONE TELLS DONALD TRUMP WHAT TO DO OR SAY. He is above all that.
His mannerisms and lack of communication skills have caused our country to be viewed poorly to most leaders in other countries. At home, only those who love it when he belittles another person, or makes fun of another human being, continue to think he is great. I have lived under many Presidents during my lifetime, beginning with FDR, and the last four years have been nothing but a disappointment.
I’m assuming you have never watched the numerous videos of sleazy joe sniffing, pawing and pushing his face into the hair of 12 year old girls..in front of their parents. Look it up..take a look, and then go out and vote.
Wallace ‘s “question” regarding the RIOTS was a loaded question, saying NOTHING about the LEFT WING MARXIST BASED (ANTIFA & BLM) who are RESPONSIBLE FOR INSTIGATING THESE UNHINDERED DESTRUCTIONS DERBY”S OCCURRING SIMILTANEOUSLY IN MAJOR CITIES Wallace was attempting to force T rump into declaring White Supremacists as causing these upheavals. HE KNOWS AND WHOMEVER DEVISED THOSE QUESTIONS ALSO KNOW THAT THESE OUTRAGES ARE PERPETRATED BY MARXIST
REVOLUTUIONARIES.
It was a failure because of Chris Wallace. He started at the get go supporting the sleepy Joe. Joe Biden should have stayed in his basement. Trump won with his debate with Chris Wallace !!!
There’s a lot of questions that joe biden needs to answer but instead he dodges them. Joe can not be trusted and his son all need to be arrested.
You are right except you are blaming Trump for the chaos. It was Wallace for showing his hatred for Trump and siding with Biden. If Biden snickers at Trump what would he do if he faced world leaders. You talk about Trump lying why not Biden’s lies?
Was that “thing”, the nonstop verbal bully, supposed to be the ‘leader’ of our nation??
It was a total fiasco Wallace included The American people know no more than they did. Biden gave plans that are a joke and Trump had to keep defending himself and Wallace what can I say He should have stopped it all and shut it down. One thing I got from the debate was on the green plan Biden has was how are you going to pay for it? He says it will pay for it itself There is no way! upgrade and rehab old buildings where is the money coming from? Build more energy efficient homes? We started building energy efficient homes years ago SO what is he going to do take all the windows out put us in an insulated box? How much more is it going to cost per home to do what he wants It is already a struggle for people to buy a home. So, how many less people will be able to buy a home?. devastating the housing and real-estate market market less jobs? There are jobs to be had now in this industry if those fat over weight rioters wanted to work how are we going to recharge all of those electric cars? He says charging stations thousand of them How do they work (electricity) are we going to attach a windmill to them lets see how well California is doing with the clean renewable energy they implemented several years ago How many rolling black outs have they had this year along. unplug all of your appliances and electronics Go to bed early turn off your hot water and air condition? He is going to build more road etc I thought concrete and asphalt created heat? Save Brazils rain forest by making every country pay to help protect the forest Does he not realize most counties are trying to hang on with their economy because of the virus Lets think about our own fires How many were set??? How amny were created because of poor forest management It isn.t like we don’t know about management It started in NC in the 30. Leaving fallen trees, leaves and limbs to pile high in dry conditions is a disaster waiting to happen. How many times has the earth cycled between hot and cold Research it millions of years , He makes no sense, Trump should have held his temper and answered each bazar thing Biden said in a calm manner. I have no words for Wallace other than he could have done a lot better
This was the best answer yet. The only thing is, it is very hard to remain calm when someone is smugly hurling lies at you. He is not a lawyer,they are good at that. Look what he has been dealing with since he took office, add to the fact he is not a seasoned politician. He has been a bussiness man , a whole different world. Make no mistake he knows what has been going on in the world and in politics. He really is fighting an established mess that he inherited.
Chris Wallace was beyond bias and bad. Anyone with common sense could tell he favored Biden; his questions, not calling him out on his non-direct answers and ho yes his numerous lies. In TOTAl Chris Wallace should be ashamed of his performance. It’s about time FOX NEWS and FOX say goodby to Chris Wallace.
I think Wallace was a terrible choice as moderator. First off he is a true liberal who never corrected Biden from calling the President a “clown”, or shut up man etc. Respect the office if not the president himself. Biden also was very blatant in siding with Biden constantly.
As a moderator he was a “disgrace”!!
The “office” was given more respect by Biden, than the “tub of guts” that sullies it. Since his campaign TRUMP has called people “childish names” as the “president”, the pig respects nothing but fear (hence his adoration of Putin, Kim, Ertogan)
It was a bad situation. Our Presidents doesn’t have any commercials on TV in fact I haven’t seen one anywhere but Facebook. Everything is catered to the democrats very unfair. The News Media is nor has it been fair to him and President Trump has to come out swinging. Never in my life have I seen a more disrespected President. What the news media is doing to a setting President is so wrong you don’t even treat one out of office like you do President Trump!!!. So Please Don’t expect any respect for the news media!!!
It is a tragedy that, given the plethora of brilliant minds in America, that these two candidates are the best that can be offered for the citiznes’ choice.
Chris Wallace is the worst debate moderator: He did not ask the right questions, most of his questions stir up the argument between 2 candidates, his questions did not focus on each candidate’s policy if that candidate become the next president. Wallace voice is unclear, and not strong when ask the questions, he’s stutter and tremble himself.
Wallace is not qualified to be a moderator for Presidential debate, therefore the debate is completely failed, Americans did not learn about both candidates’ policies for the next 4 yrs, and he is obviously bias against President Trump in his questions, and in his manner toward the current President of USA, he called Biden mr . VP but called current President Sir , Biden is an EX VP and should not be called VP since the VP title without the word “ex” is used for current VP only.
Wallace and Biden did not show any least respect to the current President of USA. Only happens in USA ! what a shame of the Moderator !
Wallace was the worst choice as a moderator! He constantly sided with Biden, had no control over Biden’s name calling; clown, telling him to shut up, need I go on? The debate was a disgrace on three sides. The moderator, Biden who did not answer any questions and the President who didn’t stay on course or control his temper.
Wallace comes across as an elitist know it all, has no clue how to moderate a debate.
I thought that Chris Wallace would have been more unbiased! As an Independent, I will say that Biden held his ground. Maybe because Wallace gave him so much room! I just wish Trump would have let Biden finish his statements because Biden would have put his foot in his mouth. Because Trump kept interrupting him, it made the President look like a Bully! I hope that in the next debate the President will let go his frustration with the New Media. Chris Wallace showed his contempt for the President.
It was a sad think to watch .Pres.Trump made a fool of himself & America .He in my opinion is the most corrupt person to hold this office .He is overwhelmed . my chant is Lock Him Up tax evasion .pledged to remove himself from his buss. so he spends gov.money at his resorts to fund them .
I was disappointed with Trump’s performance but I feel he almost had to try to take control to bring out issues the mainstream media will not. I still think Biden and the left are the larger threat to our country and the Constitution. Whatever you think about Trump any objective analysis of how he has been treated for his entire term has been entirely one sided and antagonistic. There was never an acceptance of his legitimacy and never was anything close to a loyal opposition. And I really would like to have a disclosure of why Hunter Biden got deals from Ukraine, Russia and China. People are so easily distracted by the shiny ball of tax returns they are willing to overlook a true criminal activity.
As an American, I am totally embarrassed by the performance of trump trying to over take V P Biden and moderator Chris Wallace.. I have family overseas and they saw the telecast and it has a WOW factor rating. It was the worst debate and I think that V P and Mr. Wallace did as good of a presentation as they could. When ever someone talks over, berates and lies does not serve for good communication for any one to make a decision of voting for the candidate of choice. I was completely exhausted from trump’s behavior. Before they even were address with any questions , one could see trump with a look of anger on this face and it developed into his fighting and trying to overrule with HIS comments.We became the laughing stock of the WORLD.
trump does not deserve another term in my opinion. I am voting for VP Joe Biden!
As a moderator, last night is exactly why you don’t go into a presidential debate with got you question,that stand with your own personal bias.Chris Wallace your bias truly showed,next time don’t pick the questions that is sure to be bias to one side like you did.
Dump Wallace! Stop thinking he could be neutral. Why in the world does Fox News keep lefties like Wallace & Williams as commentators???????
The big losers were Chris Wallace, certainly not a respected journalist in my neighborhood, and the American people who had no idea what a debate was, and thought this was an example. To display the childish behaviors of both candidates to the entire world was a large mistake, in my opinion. Chris Wallace lost any shred of respect in his “moderator invisibility”, with no push back on on Biden’s claims of “completely discredited”, and feeding the illusion that “Proud Boys” were some kind of terrorist organization, while Antifa was not. Though I could support cancelling future meetings of the two, it would certainly benefit Biden the most. He wouldn’t have to get “wired up” or sit in his basement studying lines, while Trump filled his days with actual governance.
Well, I, for one, enjoyed it. The people who are whining about the candidates not getting to “the issues,” are
wayyyyyyyyyyy off base. Anyone with half a brain already knows where the candidates stand. If they don’t know by now, these people shouldn’t vote. If the whiners paid any attention whatever over the last several months, they know that Biden and his henchmen are leaning into the socialist/Communist wind and have an agenda that would destroy our country. They are tolerant, even urging on, of the BLM mobsters, monsters, anarchists, rioters and looters, and have little to nothing to say against them. I don’t recall Wallace pressing Biden about asking BLM to stand down. Trump may be abrasive, and distasteful to those with a delicate sense of propriety, but he is clearly needed in order to maintain stability in this country and keep us on a steady course.
I am sick and tired of pretentious “courtesy” and think it is time for good politicians to speak clearly and straight forwardly. There is nothing good to be said about the modern Democrat party, and Trump handled it just right. I hope he hits even harder in the next debate.
Chris Wallace is simply a LOST CAUSE . . . So is Joe Biden and the Left Wing Democrats. One Observant and ENLIGHTENED Patriot. Team Trump and his allies 2020.
Wallace fair???? What world are you in? Have you ever tried to watch his week-end joke on FOX? This guy has always been left. Biden is a stand for Harris(or what ever her name is, the VP hopeful from CA. My good look at his record, and hers. He can’t stand o his record, he don’t have one, as for her, she just needs a black shirt a brick or something to throw and a mask. The only thing worse then that mud bath is your explaining it./////
You can also add JAKE TAPPER’s name to the SHORT LIST of LOST CAUSES. One ENLIGHTENED Patriot. Team Trump and his allies 2020. But, he IS right – POTUS Trump was at fault EXPOSING the LIES of the LEFT. If you want to stay hidden, don’t get near POTUS Trump. YOU WILL get EXPOSED for the LIAR that you ARE if you are a Left Wing Liberal. Team Trump and his allies 2020.
Everyone knew going into the debate that Chris Wallace was and is a Democrat piece of crap. He performed about as expected.
I agree with this comment. It is a shame, a turmoil. I just wanted that nightmare to end. And what else would they argue-fight on the following debates, except that I understand in one of them there will be participants participation.
Wallace was definitely helping Biden. It was too obvious. Watching him in the past, he is always against any Republican, he definitely is a Democrat.
In the following shouting matches – debate is a word that is too sophisticated for Trump – the moderator must have a button so that she or he can turn off the microphones for both presenters when they do not have the word. It is a shame that a bully is left so much freedom that he can impose himself on the American and international audiences.
I agree with you. They should turn off the mike of the person interrupting anyone talking over the person during their 2 minutes. They shold be able to shut the mike to either person that keeps interrupting. If they don’t the debates aren’t worth watching. And yes Trump was a loud mouth an Im not a Trump or Biden fan
Wallace lost why Trump had to debate between WALLACE AND BIDEN.wHY SO?
I thing that you are very left leaning on your judgmental analytic views. The President of the USA was not the only one interrupting his opponent (they both did it to each other when Biden was not reading his notes on the podium). President Trump had to debate against both Chris Wallace, who didn’t allowed him to respond well to very critical questions, jumping into the next question, so now you had a reason to say that President Trump did not answer the questions about White Supremacy and KKK; and, on top of that, the President of the USA had to endure insults form his opponents on the spot. On the other hand, Joe Biden smile every time he lied to the voters, and every time the President spoke the truth exposing his lies and his corruption. We could also see how he continue cheating on a simple debate as it was.
It was not Trump-Biden debate. Trump was debating Wallace and Biden. Fox News should fire Wallace for siding/helping Biden.
Sad to say but your point is on the mark
.
WAllace did not lose control, he is a professional, HE IS BIASED IN FAVOR OF COMMUNIST HARRIS & BIDEN. THR MEDIA IS COMMUNIST, TRAITOROUS, DECEITFUL, SACKLESS, COWARDLY, PEDOPHILES OR PEDOPHILE SUPPORTERS. FIRE THE LOT. PN EVERY STATION, EVERY CHANNEL. FIRE THEM ALL. ANYONE CAN READ A TELEPROMPTER, EVEN ME OR ANY KID OF THR STREET. ASSES PAY MILLIONS TO JERKS WHO DON’T DESERVE IT. I’ll do it for half the price. Anyone can be anchor. 😠No special skills required, just be able read, speak and dress nice.