The night began with each candidate having a cordial 2 minutes, but, 30 seconds into Trump’s next 2 minutes, Biden wrongly interrupted. Trump responded in kind, as well he should. Hence, the tit-for-tat bedlam began and Trump lost the rest of his 2 minutes worth of time. That’s fact. Read the script.
Like a stupid barnyard bully, Biden referred to Trump as “not smart enough” and name-called him “a clown”. He spewed lies, insults, and accusations at Trump, his family, and base. Despite Wallace trying to let the personal attacks stand, Trump rightly defended himself and his supporters. Rules should allow rebuttal-time against slander.
In one particularly immature moment, Biden lost all decorum, yelling “shut up”! Wallace didn’t call him on it. Rules should. Imagine if Trump did that?!
As in any other legitimate debate, there needs to be a requirement to answer every question. Otherwise, what’s the point? Biden refused to answer questions concerning Electoral College, Green New Deal, filibuster, guns, defunding law enforcement (ICE and police) and his family making $-billions by influence-peddling to Russia/China/ Ukraine.
Rule-training for moderators would help. For example, Wallace was wrong to keep track of who interrupted the most. Telling the president that he interrupted the most was pathetic, unprofessional, and biased.
An appropriate moderator and enforced civil rules would have made this first presidential debate much more palatable to everyone involved.