Harris: Trump ‘denigrated’ presidency during debate
Sen. Kamala Harris faces off with Vice President Mike Pence, a key Trump ally, one week from today.
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris weighed in on the first presidential debate of the 2020 election season, saying that President Donald Trump “denigrated” the office of the presidency in his performance.
“I think that the American people deserve to have an ability to compare and contrast the candidates, and I think tonight provided a very clear contrast,” Harris said on CBS after the debate.
“On the one hand, you had Joe Biden, who looked into the camera, who spoke to the American people continuously, who understood who was important on that stage, which is American families,” Harris told Norah O’Donnell. “And then you had Donald Trump, who really I think really denigrated the office of the president of the United States much as he has done over the course of the last four years.”
While Trump was boisterous, belligerent and often interrupted and talked over both the moderator and his challenger, former Vice President Biden has earned criticism for responding with insults. At one point, Biden pointedly opined that Trump was “the worst president that America has ever had.”
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Moderator Chris Wallace tried to regain control of the debate time and time again, to no avail. At one point, Trump complained that he was the only one being chastised for talking over questions and talking over Biden’s answers. Wallace fired back, “Frankly, you have been doing more interrupting.”
The presidential debate was the first of three scheduled before the election on Nov. 3. The second debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 and a final one on Oct. 22.
Harris will have an opportunity to face-off with Vice President Mike Pence next Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Read More: Trump turns first debate into utter chaos, repeatedly interrupts Biden
Last night’s debate has garnered almost universal condemnation. CNN analyst Dana Bash described the chaotic performance as a “sh*tshow.” Jake Tapper called it “embarrassing.” Even Fox News described the event as “rough and rowdy.”
A number of media outlets and personalities are calling for the rest of the presidential debates to be canceled.
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“This is a disgrace, a low point in American debate history. There is no reason, not one, that Joe Biden should participate in another debate,” Joe Scarborough contended on Twitter.
The Atlantic staff writer David Graham wrote “Tuesday brought the first presidential debate of the 2020 election, and if there is any sense left in this nation, it will be the last too.”
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