President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden face-off in the first presidential debate of the 2020 election

On Sept. 29, 2020, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden participated in the first presidential debate of the 2020 election. 

Biden and Trump discussed issues such as the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence, Trump and Biden’s political records, climate change and election integrity.

Trump and Biden first debated on the supreme court nominee and who should have the right to fill the seat. 

“We won the election and we have the right to do it,” Trump said.

However, Biden believes the seat should be filled after the results of the election in November.

“We should wait. We should wait and see what the outcome of this election is,” Biden said. 

The topic transitioned into COVID-19 and why each nominee should be trusted to lead during the pandemic. 

“The president has no plan. He hasn’t laid out anything,” Biden said. 

Trump argued that he has been successful during the pandemic and has slowed the spread of COVID-19.

“We got the gowns, we’ve got the masks, we made the ventilators. You wouldn’t have made ventilators and now we’re weeks away from a vaccine [and] we’re doing therapeutics already. Fewer people are dying when they get sick,” Trump said.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, said a vaccine will most likely not be available until the middle of 2021.

Trump and Biden were also asked about the state of the economy. 

“We had 10.4 million people, in a four-month period, that we put back into the workforce. That’s a record, the likes of which nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said. 

Biden argued that under Trump’s administration, there will be fewer jobs than when Trump became president, which according to Biden, will be the first time in history. 

Trump and Biden were also asked about their past records, and why each of them is fit to serve as the next President of the United States. Trump argued that there has never been an administration that has done more work than he has in the last three-and-a-half years. Biden rebutted by claiming Trump is a weaker leader than himself and that Trump had caused this year’s recession. 

Trump and Biden were also asked about climate change and their plans to improve the environment. Trump believes forest management needs to take place to reduce forest fires across the country. 

“I believe we have to do everything we can to have immaculate air, immaculate water and do whatever else we can that’s good,” Trump said. “You know, we’re planting one billion trees. The billion tree project and it’s very exciting.” 

Biden wants to create new limits on fracking on federal lands only, end fossil fuel usage and transition to zero emissions from greenhouse gases. 

Biden and Trump were asked about their thoughts on the controversy surrounding election integrity with mail-in ballots. According to Trump, mail-in ballots must be turned in by November 10, seven days after election day on November 3.

Each state has different rules regarding when to send in mail-in ballots.

“As far as the ballots are concerned, it’s a disaster,” Trump said. 

Biden does not believe there will be fraudulent votes in November. 

“Show up and vote. You will determine the outcome of this election,” Biden said. “[President Trump] will not stop you to determine the outcome of this election.”