Presidential Debate: Trump, Biden Clash Over Barrett Supreme Court Nomination and ObamaCare

By Madelaine D. Sep 30 2020, 07:16 AM EDT

The presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off their first presidential debate sparring over Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination and ObamaCare as insults fly.

The two sparred over everything from the Supreme Court nomination, health care, COVID-19, and Biden's son and then devolved into insults with Biden calling the president a "clown" and a "liar."

Trump came out swinging, but Biden held his own and didn't fall into previous debate pitfalls. At times, the presidential candidates often talked over each other in a brawl that got unwieldy.

Presidential Debate: Trump, Biden Intensely Clash Over Supreme Court Nomination, Obamacare — Donald Trump And Joe Biden Participate In First Presidential Debate CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 29: U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden look out to the audience at end of the first presidential debate at the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the first of three planned debates between the two candidates in the lead up to the election on November 3. Win McNamee

According to Fox News, Cleveland's debate kicked off with Trump standing by Barrett and his push to get her confirmed by the Senate before the election.

Justifying why he appointed a nominee in an election year, Trump said: "We won the election. Elections have consequences."

On the other hand, Biden declined to say whether he supports packing the court or ending the Senate filibuster but noted that the American people should decide who fills the vacant seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

"We should wait and see what the outcome of this election is because that's the only way the American people get to express their view," he said.

Trump accused Biden of getting rid of private health insurance, but Biden retorted, "not true." Biden also hit back at Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and for wanting to repeal ObamaCare's protections for preexisting conditions.

Millions of both parties' supporters witnessed the first presidential debate of the unprecedented election cycle that was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded the mail-in voting opportunities to prevent the spread of deadly coronavirus.

In many states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, voting is already underway. Nearly 1.3 million people have already cast their ballots either by mail or through in-person voting, as per the U.S. Elections Project.

The Trump campaign has tried to keep an intense travel schedule despite the pandemic. But their campaign pushed unsuccessfully for a much earlier fourth debate for the new voting schedules.

With his allies, Trump has, for months, depicted Biden as hiding from the media in his basement and has relished in an opportunity to face off with Biden, who would be unaided by a teleprompter, the Fox News reported.

The Biden campaign had benefited from a record-shattering $364.5 million fundraising last month. He consistently led in the public polls nationwide as well as in many swing states. Biden has constantly focused on how Trump handles the pandemic that has cost more than 200,000 lives in the U.S.

The next Biden-Trump debate is slated on Oct. 15, with the final debate set on Oct. 22. The next vice-presidential debate, on the other hand, will be on Oct. 7, with Vice President Mike Pence facing Biden's running mate, Senator Kamala Harris.