((SHOW AP WIDE SHOT OF TRUMP AND BIDEN WALKING ON STAGE))
((NARRATOR))
A genial start to the debate, which quickly became a heated exchange over topics,
((SHOW REUTERS SHOT OF COVID TESTING SITE, FLAGS IN WASHINGTON FOR COVID VICTIMS))
including COVID-19, which has claimed one million lives globally and more than 200,000 in the United States.
(((Joe Biden, Democratic Presidential Candidate))
“The president has no plan. He hasn’t laid out anything. He knew all the way back in February how serious this crisis was.”
((SHOW WIDE SHOT OF STAGE))
((NARRATOR))
Trump said he has led an effective response.
((President Donald Trump, Republican Candidate))
“We got the gowns, we got the masks, we made the ventilators. You wouldn’t have made ventilators. And now we’re weeks away from a vaccine.”
(SHOW AP SHOTS OF BIDEN AND TRUMP DEBATING, WITH AUDIO DOWN, AFP WIDE SHOT OF HALL))
((NARRATOR))
Biden blasted Trump’s efforts to end the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, which provides health care insurance to some 20 million people. Trump said the law is unconstitutional and limits consumer choice. Biden says voters can keep their private health plans under his proposed expansion of Obamacare.
(((Joe Biden, Democratic Presidential Candidate))
“They can, they do, they will under my proposal.” ((FADE REST UNDER NARRATION))
((NARRATOR))
The exchange quickly degenerated as each man talked over the other ...
((President Donald Trump, Republican Candidate))
"Obamacare is no good. We made it better."
((NARRATOR))
Trump accusing Biden of pursuing socialized medicine.
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Another point of contention: Trump’s choice to fill a seat on the US Supreme Court left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon. Trump nominated conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett, launching a confirmation process when voting has already begun in many states. Biden says whoever wins in November should fill Ginsburg’s seat.
(((Joe Biden, Democratic Presidential Candidate))
“The American people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is.”
((SHOW AFP SHOT OF BIDEN.TRUMP WITH AUDIO DOWN))
((NARRATOR))
Trump responded that it’s his duty to name a replacement regardless of the timing.
((President Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate))
“We won the election and therefore we have the right to choose her.”
((SHOW WIDE SHOT OF HALL))
A Trump campaign official says he’s pleased with the debate.
((Tim Murtaugh, Communications Director, Trump 2020))
“What viewers saw was President Trump who was in command of every moment of the debate and I think they saw a weak Joe Biden most of the time, spent a lot of time looking around for assistance from the moderator.”
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((NARRATOR))
Analysts slammed the free-for-all.
((Jeremy Mayer, George Mason University)) ((mandatory cg: skype))
“And then when Biden spoke, so many times he would get 10, 20, 30 seconds into a coherent point and then he’d be interrupted over and over and over again by the President. So to ask who won the debate is almost meaningless because the President actually made sure there was no presidential debate.”
((SHOW AFP SHOT OF MODERATOR AND WIDE SHOT OF STAGE, AUDIENCE MEMBERS))
With round one finished, two more debates are scheduled for October. Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles.
