Good evening, everyone. Good evening. Thank you so much for being here. It is such an honor for me to moderate this debate tonight, the final debate. I want to welcome the first family and the first lady. We’re so glad and thankful that you are feeling better. I want to welcome the Biden family, Dr. Jill Biden. Thank you all for being here tonight. We are so excited. We’re looking forward to a really robust discussion. And the only thing I would reiterate are the CPD guidelines that when the candidates are talking, please hold any applause or any other reactions. Except of course, when they walk out, make sure you cheer and loud and applause so that everyone can hear you. Thank you for having me. This is really the honor of a lifetime. I am going to sit down and just get organized and get settled and the show will start very soon. Thank you for being here. (silence). Good evening from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m Kristen Welker of NBC News. And I welcome you to the final 2020 presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and former vice president Joe Biden. Tonight’s debate is sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. It is conducted under health and safety protocols designed by the Commission’s health security advisor. The audience here in the hall has promised to remain silent. No cheers, boos, or other interruptions, except right now, as we welcome to the stage, former vice president Joe Biden and President Donald J. Trump.
And I do want to say a very good evening to both of you. This debate will cover six major topics. At the beginning of each section, each candidate will have two minutes, uninterrupted, to answer my first question. The Debate Commission will then turn on their microphone only when it is their turn to answer. And the Commission will turn it off exactly when the two minutes have expired. After that, both microphones will remain on. But on behalf of the voters, I’m going to ask you to please speak one at a time.
The goal is for you to hear each other and for the American people to hear every word of what you both have to say. And so with that, if you’re ready, let’s start. And we will begin with the fight against the coronavirus. President Trump, the first question is for you. The country is heading into a dangerous new phase. More than 40,000 Americans are in the hospital tonight with COVID, including record numbers here in Tennessee. And since the two of you last shared a stage, 16,000 Americans have died from COVID. So please be specific. How would you lead the country during this next stage of the coronavirus crisis? Two minutes, uninterrupted.
… during this next stage of the coronavirus crisis. Two minutes uninterrupted.
Okay. Former Vice President Biden to you. How would you lead the country out of this crisis? You have two minutes uninterrupted.
President Trump, I’d like to follow up with you and your comments. You talked about taking a therapeutic, I assume you’re referencing Regeneron. You also said a vaccine will be coming within weeks. Is that a guarantee?
Can you tell us which companies?
Let me follow up with you and because this is new information. You have set a vaccine is coming soon within weeks now. Your own officials say, “It could take well into 2021 at the earliest for enough Americans to get vaccinated.” And even then they say, “The country will be wearing masks and distancing into 2022.” Is your timeline realistic?
Vice President Biden, your reaction. And just 40% of Americans say they would definitely agree to take a coronavirus vaccine if it was approved by the government. What steps would you take to give Americans confidence in a vaccine if it were approved?
President Trump, your reaction. He says, you have no plan.
Vice President Biden, your response.
President Trump, your reaction?
And, of course, the CDC has said young people can get sick with COVID-19 and can pass it. Vice President Biden, I want to talk broadly about strategy though.
30 seconds, please. Then I have a question.
Let me talk about your Tuesday-
Vice President Biden.
President Trump.
All right, I want to talk about both of your different strategies to handling this.
Do you want to respond to that quickly, Vice President Biden?
Okay. Let’s talk about your different strategies toward dealing with this. Mr. Vice President you suggested you would support new shutdowns if scientists recommended it. What do you say to Americans who are fearful that the cost of shutdowns, the impact on the economy, the higher rates of hunger, depression, domestic, and substance abuse outweighs the risk of exposure to the virus?
But you haven’t ruled out more shut downs?
Let’s talk about schools, President Trump-
Please. And then I have a follow-up.
Let me follow up with you, President Trump. You’ve demanded schools open in person and insist they can do it safely. But just yesterday, Boston became the latest city to move its public school system entirely online after a coronavirus spike. What is your message to parents who worry that sending their children to school will endanger not only their kids but also their teachers and family?
Vice President Biden, your response.
President Trump, let me follow up with you quickly.
Vice President Biden.
President Trump, what about-
Let me follow up with you before we move on to our next section. President Trump, this week, you called Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s best known infectious disease expert “a disaster.” You described him and other medical experts as “idiots.” If you’re not listening to them, who are you listening to?
Vice President Biden, your response quickly, and then we’re going to move on to the next section.
I’m going to give you 30 seconds to respond and then we’re going to move on.
All right, gentlemen, we’re going to move on.
All right. We’re going to move on to our next section, which is national security. And I do want to start with the security of our elections and some breaking news from overnight. Just last night, top intelligence officials confirmed again that both Russia and Iran are working to influence this election. Both countries have obtained US voter registration information, these officials say, and Iran sent intimidating messages to Florida voters. This question goes to you, Mr. Vice President. What would you do to put an end to this threat? You have two minutes, uninterrupted.
President Trump, same question to you. [crosstalk 00:31:48] Let me ask the question. You’re going to have two minutes to respond. For two elections in a row now, there has been substantial interference from foreign adversaries. What would you do in your next term to put an end to this? Two minutes, uninterrupted.
Vice-President Biden, you may respond-
and then I do want to follow up on the election security.
President Trump, your response.
Did your accountant tell you
All right, gentlemen. I want to ask you both some questions about all of this, but…
I’m going to let you both respond very quickly. You just said you spoke to your accountant about potentially releasing your taxes, did he tell you when you can release them? Do you have a deadline for when you’re going to release them to the American people?
Okay. I want to ask you both about questions regarding your potential foreign entanglements and questions that have been raised to give you both a chance to talk about this more broadly. Respond very quickly, and then I’ll get to my question.
President Trump, and then I want to get to two questions to both of you on this.
All right.
Let me…
All right, gentlemen. Let me just ask some questions about all of this broadly. Vice-President Biden, there have been questions about the work your son has done in China and for a Ukrainian energy company when you were vice-president, in retrospect, was anything about those relationships inappropriate or unethical?
President Trump-
let me ask my question to you
Very quickly.
All right. I’m going to let the vice-president respond to that quickly, and then I need to get to a question to you. Very quickly, Mr. Vice-President.
Okay. President Trump, this is for you. Since you took office, you’ve never divested from your business. You’ve personally promoted your properties abroad. A report this week, which was referenced, does indicate that your company has a bank account in China. So how can voters know that you don’t have any foreign conflicts of interest?
Okay
Okay. President Trump, thank you. We do need to move on.
I do want to ask you, Vice-President Biden, about China. Let’s talk about China more broadly. There have, of course, President Trump has said that they should pay for not being fully transparent in regards to the coronavirus. If you were president, would you make China pay? And please be specific, what would that look like?
All right. Let’s talk about North Korea.
Let
All right, let’s talk about North Korea-
Okay. Very quickly, and then we’re going to move on to North Korea.
President Trump, on China policy-
… though, what specifically-
What are you going to do, what specifically are you going to do to make China pay? You’ve said you’re going to make them pay.
New sanctions?
Okay
Okay. Vice President Biden, your response, please.
10 seconds, Mr. President. 10 seconds.
Let’s talk about North Korea now.
We’re going to talk about North Korea now. President Trump, you’ve met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times. You’ve talked about your beautiful letters with him. You’ve touted the fact that there hasn’t been a war or a long range missile test, and yet North Korea recently rolled out its biggest ever intercontinental ballistic missile and continues to develop its nuclear arsenal. Do you see that as a betrayal of the relationship you forged.
Just 30 seconds here because we need to get onto the next topic.
President Trump, that’s 30 seconds. Vice President Biden to you. North Korea conducted four nuclear tests under the Obama administration. Why do you think you would be able to reign in this persistent threatening?
Let me follow up with you, Vice President Biden. You’ve said you wouldn’t meet with Kim Jong-un without preconditions. Are there any conditions under which you would meet with him?
All right. Let’s move on to American families.
Very quickly, 10 seconds, President Trump.
Okay, I’ve got to give him a chance to respond to that before we move on.
President Trump, we have to move on, because we have a lot of questions to get to. Your response.
All right, let’s move on.
Let’s move on and talk about American families.
President Trump. Okay
Okay
Okay, let’s move on to American families and the economy. One of the issues that’s most important to them is healthcare, as you both know. Today, there was a key vote on a new Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, and healthcare is at the center of her confirmation fight. Over 20 million Americans get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. It’s headed to the Supreme Court and your administration, Mr. President, is advocating for the court to overturn it. If the Supreme Court does overturn that law, there’s 20 million Americans could lose their health insurance almost overnight. So what would you do if those people have their health insurance taken away? You have two minutes uninterrupted.
Okay. Vice President Biden, yes, this is for you. Your healthcare plan calls for building on Obamacare. So my question is, what is your plan if the law is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court? You have two minutes uninterrupted.
I have a follow-up for you Vice President Biden. It relates to something that President Trump said. He’s accusing you of wanting socialized medicine. What do you say to people who have concerns that your healthcare plan, which includes a government insurance option, takes-
Concerns that your healthcare plan, which includes a government insurance option, takes the country one step closer to a healthcare system run entirely by the government. What’s your response to that?
President Trump-
your response.
We do have a number-
We have a number of topics we’re going to get to.
We’re going to get to a number of topics-
Vice President, your response please.
Very quickly, then I want to talk about what’s happening on Capitol Hill.
Okay. Let’s hear-
Let’s let Vice President Biden respond-
10 seconds, Mr. President, and then I have to go to another question.
All right. Let’s move on. I’m going to move on.
Mr. President, I have to move on to the next question or else we’re not going to have time to talk about it.
Okay. Let’s move on to the next question.
Very quickly.
Let’s talk about what’s happening on Capitol Hill.
We’re going to move on.
All right.
Okay. We’re going to move on to the next question.
Let me move on to my next question, gentlemen.
As of tonight, more than 12 million people are out of work. And as of tonight, 8 million more Americans have fallen into poverty, and more families are going hungry every day. Those hit hardest are women and people of color. They see Washington fighting over a relief bill. Mr. President, why haven’t you been able to get them the help they need? 30 seconds here.
But you’re the president.
All right, Mr. Vice President-
Let me follow up with you, Vice President Biden because-
Let me ask Vice President Biden a question. You are the leader of the Democratic party. Why have you not pushed the Democrats to get a deal for the American people?
All right. I want to-
I want to talk about the minimum wage, gentlemen. Mr. Vice President, we are talking a lot about struggling small businesses and business owners these days. Do you think this is the right time to ask them to raise the minimum wage? You of course support a $15 federal minimum wage.
We are going to move on to immigration, but I want to get-
You said very recently-
You said-
You said very recently-
… you would consider raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
You said recently you would consider raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
In a second administration?
Okay, President Trump, thank you. Quick response Vice President Biden.
We’re going to talk about immigration.
We’re going to talk about immigration now, gentlemen. And we’re going to talk about families within this context. Mr. President, your administration separated children from their parents at the border, at least 4,000 kids. You’ve since reversed your zero tolerance policy, but the United States can’t locate the parents of more than 500 children. So how will these families ever be reunited?
But how will you reunite these kids with their families, Mr. President?
Do you have a plan to reunite the kids with their families?
Vice President Biden, let me bring you into this conversation. Quick response, and then another question to you.
Let me ask you a followup question.
Your response to that?
Who built the cages, Joe?
Let me ask you about in 10 seconds and then I need to ask
But some of them haven’t been reunited with their families.
Let me ask about your immigration policy, Mr. Vice President. The Obama Administration did fail to deliver immigration reform, which had been a key promise during the administration. It also presided over record deportations, as well as, family detentions at the border before changing course. So why should voters trust you with an immigration overhaul now?
President Trump, your reaction.
Vice President Biden, your response.
President Trump, your response. 30 seconds. And then we’ll move on.
Okay, President Trump. Let’s give Vice President Biden a chance to respond, and then we’re going to move on to the next section.
Vice President Biden, your response.
All right. Let’s move on to the next section.
Let’s move on to the next section.
All right. Let’s talk about our next section, which is race in America. And I want to talk about the way Black and Brown Americans experience race in this country. Part of that experience is something called the talk. It happens regardless of class and income, parents who feel they have no choice, but to prepare their children for the chance that they could be targeted, including by the police, for no reason other than the color of their skin. Mr. Vice President, in the next two minutes, I want you to speak directly to these families. Do you understand why these parents fear for their children?
President Trump, same question to you, and let me remind you of the question. I would like you to speak directly to these families, do you understand why these parents fear for their children?
Okay, and we’re going to talk about both of your records, but your response to that Vice President.
All right, Vice President Biden, your response to that. And then I do have some questions for both of you.
Let me ask some follow up-
Please respond and then we’re going to have follow up questions.
President Trump, I want to stay on the issue of race. We’re talking about the issue-
President Trump, we’re talking about race right now. And I do want to stay on the issue of race. President Trump you-
Please, very quickly.
Gentlemen, I want to stay on the issue of race.
We’re going to continue on the issue of race.
Mr. President you’ve described the Black Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate. You’ve shared a video of a man chanting white power to millions of your supporters. You’ve said that black professional athletes exercising their First Amendment rights should be fired. What do you say to Americans who say that kind of language from a president is contributing to a climate of hate and racial strife?
What do you say to Americans who are concerned by that rhetoric
Okay. Vice President Biden, let me ask you very quickly and then I have a follow-up question for you.
President Trump, I’m going to give you 10 seconds to respond and then I have a follow-up question.
You said-
All right, let me ask Vice President Biden a question.
Let me ask Vice President Biden about… Vice President Biden, let me give you a chance to respond within this context, crime bills that you supported in the ’80s and ’90s contributed to the incarceration of tens of thousands of young Black men who had small amounts of drugs in their possession, they are sons, they are brothers, they are fathers, they are uncles, whose families are still to this day, some of them suffering the consequences. So, speak to those families, why should they vote for you?
Your response.
Your response and then we’re going to move on to climate change.
All right, Vice President Biden, and then we’re going to move on to the next section.
Okay.
We’re going to move on to our next section which is climate change.
Gentlemen, we’re running out of time so we got to get onto climate change, please. You both have very different visions on climate change. President Trump, you say that environmental regulations have hurt jobs in the energy sector, Vice President Biden, you have said you see addressing climate change as an opportunity to create new jobs. For each of you, how would you both combat climate change and support job growth at the same time? Starting with you, President Trump, you have two minutes uninterrupted.
Vice President Biden-
Vice President Biden, two minutes to you uninterrupted.
President Trump, your response.
Okay
Okay, let me have the vice-president respond.
We’re running out of time and we have a lot more questions to get back to
So let’s hear from the vice president. I have a number of more question..
Queens
President Trump-
Please respond and then I have his follow up.
Let me-
Let me allow the Vice President Biden to respond.
Would you rule out about banning fracking?
I have one more question in this pile then-
Let me ask this final question in this section and then I want to move on to our final section. President Trump, people of color are much more likely to live near oil refineries and chemical plants. In Texas, there are families who worry the plants near them are making them sick. Your administration has rolled back regulations on these kinds of facilities. Why should these families give you another four years in office?
Vice President Biden, your response and then we’re going to have a final question for both of you.
Okay. I have one final question called.
It falls-
Why would you do that?
Why are we giving it to oil industry?
Okay
We have one final question, Mr. President.
Okay, Vice President Biden, let me give you 10 seconds.
Okay
Vice President Biden, let me give you 10 seconds to respond-
and then I have to get to the final question. Vice President Biden.
All right. One final question to both of you-
No, we’re finished with this-
We have to move onto our final question.
All right. This is about leadership, gentlemen. And this first question does go to you, President Trump. Imagine this is your inauguration day. What will you say in your address, to Americans who did not vote for you? You’ll each have one minute, starting with you, Mr. Trump.
All right. Vice President Biden, same question to you: what will you say during your inaugural address to Americans who did not vote for you?
All right, I want to thank you both for a very robust hour and a half, a fantastic debate. Really appreciate it. President Trump, Former Vice President Joe Biden. Thank you to Belmont University for hosting us tonight, and most importantly, thank you to those watching tonight. Election day is November 3rd. Don’t forget to vote. Thank you everyone and have a great night.