In a much substantive and disciplined presidential debate, unlike the first one which had turned into a brawl, the presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden wrapped up the third and final face off. Topics of the debate varied from coronavirus, immigration reform to healthcare, climate change and racism.
The presidential election is going to take place on 3rd November. 50 million people have already cast their ballots.
The event took place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. It was moderated by Kristn Welker of NBC.
Here are the highlights from the debate:
ON FIGHTING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
TRUMP: It’s a worldwide pandemic. The mortality rate is down. There was a spike but it has gone down. The vaccine will be announced in weeks and the military is going to distribute it. More and more people are getting better. I have been congratulated by many countries for what we have been able to achieve. It will go away. It is going away.
BIDEN: 220000 Americans are dead. Anyone responsible for these many deaths should not remain the President of America. We have 1000 deaths in a day and 70000 cases. We are in a circumstance where the president doesn’t have any plan. We will set up national standards.
BIDEN: We are about to go into a dark winter and there is a no prospect of vaccine coming up.
TRUMP: He ran the H1-V1 vaccine which was a disaster. His own administration said that it was catastrophic. It was far less lethal, but millions died.
BIDEN: He shut down after 4 countries. Trump said we have to thank him for his response but he did virtually nothing. He then gets out of the hospital and say, oh, don’t worry. Nobody besides him thought it wasn’t going to end soon.
TRUMP: We are learning to live with it. We can’t lock ourselves up. I learned a lot. I have recovered. We can’t close down.
BIDEN: You say we are learning to live with it. People are learning to die with it. And you are not even taking the responsibility.
TRUMP: I take full responsibility. But it is not my fault. It is China’s fault.
STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH CORONAVIRUS
BIDEN: I am going to shut down the virus and not the country. More social distancing. When you open, give the people facilities to open, increase the funding.
TRUMP: All he talks about is shut downs. We are not going to shut down. I want to open the schools. We are going to open the country. It is a massive country with a massive population. The cure cannot be worse than the problem.
BIDEN: We need to be in a position to test rapidly. We need to be able to trace.
TRUMP: New York has turned into a ghost town. Businesses are dying. We have to open up to protect these businesses. We have the best testing so far.
ON Dr. FAUCI
TRUMP: I get along with Dr. Fauci. I am listening to everyone. But he said there was no need for a mask and now he wants it. He is allowed to make mistakes. He is a good person.
INFLUENCE OF FOREIGN ADVERSARIES ON THE U.S ELECTION (IRAN, RUSSIA)
BIDEN: I have made it clear. Any country interfering with American sovereignty will pay a price. I don’t know why Trump hasn’t said anything about it. I don’t know why he is not willing to talk to Putin about it.
TRUMP: I knew all about that. I was told by Ratcliff that Russia wants me to lose. You got $3.5 million from Russia. You were getting a lot of money from Russia and probably still getting it. Someday you will have to explain why you got the money. The American people need an explanation. There’s been no one tougher on Russia other than Donald trump. I sold tank busters to Ukraine. They were so bad.
BIDEN: I have not taken a penny from any foreign source. I have not taken money from any country what so ever. The president takes money from China, does business with China. I have released all my tax returns and you haven’t returned a single one.
TRUMP: I prepaid tens and millions of dollars. I don’t make money from Russia Ukraine or China. You do. You have got $3.5 million. I will release the audit soon. I was put through a phony witch hunt. Nobody has gone through what I had to. They found nothing.
DEALING WITH CHINA
BIDEN: I would make china pay by the international rules. Not like what he has done. He embraces thugs of North Korea, China, and Russia.
TRUMP: China is paying. They are paying billions and billions. They devalued their currency and paid. I gave the money to our famers.
BIDEN: This is all malarkey. Families are hurting badly.
TRUMP: I am not a typical politician. That’s why I got elected.
RELATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA
TRUMP: When I met Obama he said our biggest problem is North Korea and cautioned me of a nuclear war. I have a very good relationship with Kim. We are not at war today.
BIDEN: We made it clear that China has to rein in North Korea. North Korea is a problem and we are going to make sure it is addressed. Trump’s good buddy is a thug.
HEALTHCARE
TRUMP: Obama care is no good. No matter how you ran Obamacare, it wasn’t going to run. I would like to do much better. I think we are going to win the house. We have done an incredible job on healthcare and we are going to do better.
BIDEN: We will roll out Bidencare. We are going to reduce premium and regulate drug prices. I am going to eliminate private insurance. We are going to make sure we protect pre-existing condition. 10 million people have lost their insurance. Affordable healthcare is a right and not an option.
TRUMP: He didn’t do it when he was in power. You are going to have socialized medicine.
BIDEN: People need affordable healthcare. Period. Period. Period.
Trump blames Nancy Pelosi for failing to strike a deal for the pandemic economy
TRUMP: Because Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to approve it. We are willing to do a lot of thing.
ON INCREASING MINIMUM WAGES
BIDEN: I think we do because one of the things we’re going to have to do we’re going to have to bail them out, too.
TRUMP: How are you helping your small businesses when you’re forcing wages? What’s going to happen and what’s been proven to happen is when you do that these small businesses fire many of their employees.
BIDEN: There is no evidence that if you raise the minimum wages the business will go out of business.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
TRUMP: Children are brought here by coyotes and lot of bad people. They are used to get enter the country. We have a 400 miles of border ball. While they built cages.
BIDEN: Coyotes didn’t bring them here. Their parents brought them. Kids were separated from their parents and now they have nowhere to go. Within 100 days we will put 11 million undocumented people to the path of citizenship. We owe them.
TRUMP: He had 8 years as vice president to do so but he did nothing except building cages.
BIDEN: Cages were meant to catch and release, not staying there.
TRUMP: He has no understanding of the issue. Catch and release is flawed.
RACE IN AMERICA
BIDEN: My daughter is a social worker and has written a lot about it. The fact is that there is an institution racism in America. We have been moving the needle further to inclusion. Trump roots for exclusion.
TRUMP: He has been in the government for 47 years and has done nothing. Nobody has done more for the black community but Donald trump with exception of Abraham Lincoln. I gave them 10-year long term funding and I will give them more.
CLIMATE CHANGE
TRUMP: We have different programmes. But I want crystal clear water. Look at Russia, China, India…. how filthy it is. The air is filthy. They were taking away our businesses. I will not sacrifice millions of jobs because of Paris accord. We have already done an incredible job. We have the cleanest air, the cleanest water and the best carbon emissions.
BIDEN: Global warming is next essential threat to humanity and we have been told by the scientists that we don’t have much time. My plan will create millions of job. We will focus on alternative energy reforms. In fact, it would create 7 million more jobs than his.
TRUMP: If you look at his environment plan, they know nothing about climate. His plan is a disaster. They want to knock down buildings and rebuild.
BIDEN: Where does Trump come up with numbers? Fastest growing industry in America is solar and wind energy
TRUMP: We are energy independent for the first time. I know more about wind than you do. Wind is expensive, kills birds. Solar isn’t powerful yet to run our big industries.
CLOSING REMARKS
TRUMP: We have to make our country completely successful. Success is going to bring us together. I am cutting us taxes but he wants to hike them.
BIDEN: I will be the American president whether you have voted for me or not. I represent all of you. We are going to choose science over fiction. We can grow the economy, address systematic racism, create jobs and roll in clean energy. What is at stake is our dignity and I will get it for you.
Inspirations and Aspirations 