Presidential debate descends into chaos as Trump rails against Biden and moderator: 'Will you shut up man?'

The first presidential debate got out of hand immediately, with Donald Trump refusing to condemn white supremacy and taking personal shots at former Vice President Joe Biden’s family as the Democratic nominee called his foe a “clown” and told the president to “shut up” while moderator Chris Wallace struggled to keep order for nearly two chaotic hours.

Mr Trump was aggressive and red-faced, yelling over his opponent and the moderator most of the night. Mr Biden tried to explain some of his policies when he was not yelling back at the president. But if Mr Trump laid out any kind of second-term vision, it was not decipherable because he was talking over the other two men on stage. Rather than a debate about policies and helping Americans during a pandemic with a still-staggered economy, the country learned little about the two men vying for the highest office in the land.

Mr Biden appeared to score early points over healthcare, casting the president as inept and lacking any plan to replace the 2011 Affordable Care Act, contending he has no plan to replace it despite a lawsuit Democrats contend could soon take it off the books.

“Folks, do you have any idea what this clown is doing?” Mr Biden said at one point as they argued over healthcare.

"Everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie," he said after Mr Trump accused the former vice president and other Democrats of trying to take the entire country “socialist.” 

Mr Biden laughed repeatedly at Mr Trump’s allegations, at one point blurting out: “Will you shut up, man?”

“He does’t have a plan,” Mr Biden said. “This man does not know what he’s talking about.”

In a stunning moment, the sitting president of the United States, decades after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, declined to condemn white supremacist groups, including the Proud Boys.

The best he could muster on national television was: “Stand back and stand by.” Moments before, he said he was willing to condemn white racist groups, but hesitated as both Mr Biden and Mr Wallace said, “Then do it.”

In one of the evening’s rare presidential moments, the former vice president took Mr Trump’s talk of being the “law and order president” on head first. He said his administration would be in favour of “law and order where people get treated fairly.”

But Mr Trump, without citing specific statistics, claimed “during the Obama-Biden administration there was tremendous division. … Frankly, it was more violent.”

His opponent muttered, “Oh boy. This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.” He then contended violent crime dropped 15 per cent during that administration’s eight years in office.

The former vice president accused the president, via his attacks on mail-in voting, of trying to “suppress” Americans’ votes. Mr Biden promised to accept the outcome of the election whether he wins or loses. 

The president spoke a few moments later, but did not – again – make the same pledge. Instead, he again said mass mail-in ballots would bring “fraud,” saying “they found some in creeks.” He also used his answer time on the election integrity question to again claim the Obama administration attempted a “coup” to oust him from power.

For his part, Mr Trump claimed his opponent had achieved little during his 47 years in Washington.

When Mr Biden said hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from coronavirus, the president insulted the University of Delaware, where the former VP got his undergraduate degree.

Mr Biden did not let up, later snapping: "You’re the worst president America has ever had, c’mon."

The president contended, addressing Mr Biden directly, “China ate your lunch” before questioning how his son, Hunter Biden, allegedly received $3.5m dollars after a trip to China with his father when he was vice president.

The duo held their debate as some national polls give the former VP a 10-point lead. RealClearPolitics’ average of several polls give him a 6.1 per cent lead nationwide. In key swing states, RealClear also gives Mr Biden leads.

Mr Biden leads by over 5 points in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada and New Hampshire. The race remains a dead heat in Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.