Donald Trump and Joe Biden clash over COVID as Republican says 'we are rounding the corner' and vaccines are on their way - but rival says he 'cannot remain president' because of 220,000 deaths on 'his watch'
The second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden kicked off in Nashville Thursday with the topic of the coronavirus pandemic Biden argued the situation with COVID was going to get worse,' saying, 'We are about to go into a dark winter'Biden added, 'Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America' Trump turned to a personal attack, saying 'We can't lock up in a basement like Joe does' and urged for reopening schools and businesses President Trump cited his own experience with the virus and said the country was turning a corner. 'It will go away and as I say, we are rounding the turn' Both Trump and Biden took coronavirus tests Thursday and tested negative before meeting onstage
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden started off their final presidential debate on Thursday without interrupting each other but disagreeing on the coronavirus pandemic in a head-to-head match with a dramatically different tone from their first one.
The microphones of each candidate were muted for the first two minutes of their response and that moment of discipline, put in place by the Commission on Presidential Debates after Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden in their first meeting, carried through the first segment of the debate.
But the two men disagreed with one another on the coronavirus – the topic of the first segment – with Biden repeatedly criticizing Trump's handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans.
'Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America,' Biden said.
President Trump cited his own experience with the virus and said the country was turning a corner. 'It will go away and as I say, we are rounding the turn, we are rounding the corner, it's going away,' he said.
The night started with the topic of COVID-19 and both Trump and Biden took coronavirus tests Thursday and tested negative before meeting onstage
Biden says Trump 'should not remain president' after COVID deaths
The two men were careful to make their points in a presidential way, letting each other talk and requesting time to respond from moderator Kristen Welker.
The change in tone was remarkable from their first meeting in Cleveland, which resembled a boxing match.
Biden argued the situation with COVID was going to get worse.
'We are about to go into a dark winter. A dark winter. And he has no clear plan and there is no prospect that there's going to be a vaccine available for a majority the American people before the middle of next year,' he said.
The president, who has pushed for the country to reopen and return to normal, said the country has learned more about the disease and is ready to move forward.
'We will not have a dark winter at all,' the president said. 'We are opening up the country, we've learned and our understanding the disease, which we didn't at the beginning.'
The two men clashed on their visions for reopening the country.
'He did virtually nothing,' Biden said of Trump's response to the pandemic.
Biden took on Trump's repeated statements not to 'worry.'
'There's not another scientist in the world who thinks it's going to be over soon,' Biden said.
'We can't lock up in a basement like Joe does,' Trump responded, turning to a personal attack.
'But he has this thing about living in a basement,' Trump claimed, pointing to Biden's decision to drastically cut back appearances and travel, although both men have campaigned around the country in recent weeks.
'It's his ineptitude that caused the country to have to shut down in large part,' Biden said.
The president, who has pushed for the country to reopen and return to normal, said the country has learned more about the disease and is ready to move forward.
This debate is different from the last, as the candidates' microphones are muted and therefore can't interrupt each other
'Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America,' Biden said of Trump's handling of the pandemic
Biden shot back with a reference to Trump's golfing, and brought up a relief bill the House passed in March that hasn't been enacted.
'Instead of in a sand trap in his golf course he should have been negotiating,' Biden said.
'All he does is talk about shutdowns,'
