US Presidential Debate: This was the first of three scheduled debates.
Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden did not shake hands or wear masks when they entered their first White House debate on Tuesday, adhering to protocols on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
The two contestants entered the stage at the same time and smiled when Fox News moderator Chris Wallace explained that they would not be shaking hands.
“How’s it going, man? Biden said, reaching out to Trump.
The 90-minute debate, with a limited in-person audience and socially estranged due to the pandemic, took place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
It was the first of three scheduled debates.
Organizers said there were around 80 people in the audience, including family members of the candidates, their guests, campaign staff, hosts, health and safety officials and journalists. .
Trump’s guests included First Lady Melania Trump, sons Eric and Donald Jr., daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, and allies such as US Representative Jim Jordan and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Biden’s wife Jill was sitting in Biden’s section.
With over a million Americans already voting early and time running out to change their mind or influence the small group of undecided voters, the stakes were high as the two White House candidates took the stage five weeks before the November 3 elections.
Biden, 77, has always been ahead of Trump, 74, in national opinion polls, though polls in the battlefield states that will decide the election show a tighter competition.
The debate, starting at 9 p.m. EDT (1 a.m. GMT Wednesday) was to be divided into six segments: the Trump and Biden Archives, the Supreme Court, the pandemic, the economy, electoral integrity and “race and violence. ” in the USA. cities.
(Reporting by John Whitesides, Jarrett Renshaw, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Jim Bourg
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
