Chaos in Cleveland

The next two debates will be better. They almost have to be.

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President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden participate in the first 2020 presidential campaign debate in Cleveland, Ohio, September 29, 2020.

Olivier Douliery/Pool via Reuters

The 90 minutes of “debate” between President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden cannot be told as a cohesive story, or reduced to a few bottom lines. It was too fast and too disorganized. Almost anyone watching would have just picked up impressions along the way. I’ve grouped mine into piles for the moderator and for each candidate.

Chris Wallace was overwhelmed by Trump out of the gate. He could not establish control, and his attempts to do so increasingly became editorial comments on the proceedings. But if some viewers were mad that he interrupted Trump unequally, that’s because Trump himself was trying to command and overwhelm both his opponent and the moderator. Still, I can’t remember laughing harder than after the moment Chris Wallace tried to re-establish order and calm . . . and then immediately introduced the topic of “Race.” It was one of the greatest comic pratfalls in history.

Michael Brendan Dougherty

About the Author

Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.

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