After Trump, Biden spar, debates commission says format changes needed

Debates commission says behavior of Trump and Biden “made clear” that changes to election debate needed.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

The non-partisan organization that runs the presidential debates said Wednesday that the chaotic first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic contender Joe Biden made it clear that changes were needed for the remaining debates “to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”

In a statement issued on its website, the Commission on Presidential Debates that sponsors the televised sparring every four years said changes would be made to try and restore decorum after Trump and Biden repeatedly interrupted and insulted each other in the first debate that was held Tuesday evening.

“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the statement said. “The CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly.”

“Trump’s aggressiveness — and Biden’s decision at times to respond with his own insults — left the viewing public worse for wear at the end of the night,” the Washington Post noted. “Political analysts, historians and lawmakers… described the debate as the worst in modern history.”

The debate got off to a rocky start within the first few minutes with Biden calling Trump “the worst president America has ever had” and Trump retorting that there is “nothing smart” about Biden.

Trump set the tone even before the debate got started, tweeting that he “will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also.” The president claimed Biden’s previous debate performances “have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???”

Trump claimed victory after the debate, tweeting “Nobody wants Sleepy Joe as a leader, including the Radical Left (which he lost last night!).”

Biden tweeted back that “Donald Trump showed the country last night just how unfit he is to be president.”

“Ignore the polls, ignore his tweets, ignore his obnoxious debate performance,” Biden said.

Three more debates are scheduled. On October 7, Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris will debate each other at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Trump and Biden will meet again on October 14 in Miami and on October 22 at Belmont University in Nashville.

The election takes place on November 3.