On Sept. 29, presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump participated in a debate to inform the public of their plans on issues such as race, climate change, coronavirus, and the economy. The debate drew attention because of the hostile nature of the interactions between the candidates. Two East High students share their opinions on the debate as our student body watches the election unfold as well.
Rana Kreinath, soph.
“This was the first time I’ve watched a presidential debate so I’m not entirely sure how they’re supposed to go, but I can definitely tell it wasn’t supposed to be like that. It was really chaotic and honestly kind of hard to understand what each of them were saying due to all the constant interruptions and talking over each other. The moderator didn’t really do the best job keeping all of it under control and it felt like the questions weren’t being thoroughly answered, it was more attacking the other person. I didn't watch all of it but the morning after I read a bit more of what was said, and some things seemed to be thoroughly problematic, especially Trump not answering/ avoiding the question on condemning white supremacy. Some parts or things said were just so stupid or out of the blue that I burst out laughing multiple times during it. It felt more like a reality TV show than it was an informative debate.”
Wael Yessin, jr.
“The presidential debate was honestly a disappointment to many of the people who decided to give it a watch. For many this debate seemed as a crucial point to elevate one candidate and give the people of America a clear winner, however, this was not the case. Trump and Biden kept interrupting each other and it was a huge embarrassment especially for Trump. The main points that were discussed were about the Supreme Court nomination, the coronavirus and the economy. The economy was also an especially important factor in the debate to me. Trump always relied on the economy as a talking point but when it was pointed out that the economy isn’t where Trump promised it would be he resorted to attacking Biden on the crime bill of 1994, one example of how arbitrary the arguments felt.”