Trump, Biden Clash Over COVID-19, American Families, Race in Final Presidential Debate

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Oct 23, 2020 12:03 AM EDT

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden faced off in the final presidential debate, discussing COVID-19, American families, and race, among other issues.

The final presidential debate has taken a different tone with fewer interruptions and less shouting from both Trump and Biden.

According to NBC's debate tracker, Trump has fewer interruptions during the first half of the debate. This is even after Biden has attacked his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But by the end of the debate, more than 200 attacks were made, mostly by Trump, and 49 interruptions with 25 of those done by Biden.

Here are some key takeaways from some sections of the final presidential debate:

Fighting COVID-19

Taking the first question on COVID-19, Trump repeats his stance that the pandemic is "rounding the corner" and "going away," as per an ABC News report.

Like he did in the past, he touted his administration's move to close up the economy.

"We closed up the greatest economy in the world in order to fight this horrible disease that came from China," Trump said.

He also expressed wishful thinking about the vaccine expected to fight the pandemic. He claimed that the vaccine could arrive "within weeks" but added that it is not guaranteed.

Despite the uncertainty, he remains hopeful to have one by the end of the year, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, Biden pointed out that the U.S. is suffering from a 220,000 death toll so far. He argued that the president failed in his coronavirus response, The Hill reported.

"Anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America," Biden said.

American Families

When discussing American families, the Affordable Care Act and coronavirus stimulus came to the debate floor.

From the discussion, it became clear how Trump and Biden differ when it comes to healthcare.

Trump has repeatedly vowed that he wants to replace Obamacare with a plan that also protects those with preexisting conditions. He pointed to his administration's measures to reduce drug and insulin prices and increase hospital price transparency, among others.

He also noted that there are 180 million people that have "great private healthcare." Trump said those people would lose healthcare as Biden is "going to terminate all of those policies" if he wins. However, NBC News pointed out that Biden's plans will not end private insurance.

Trump also blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the limbo on the coronavirus relief bill.

"Nancy Pelosi does not want to approve it.We are ready, willing and able to do something," he said.

When the moderator asked Biden what he would do differently, he said Democrats have been pushing for the bill for months.

"This is like -- it's not new," he said, saying the Democrats have been working on the bill since the beginning of summer.

Race in America

Both Biden and Trump said they understand why people of color fear that their children may receive unfair treatment or police targeting.

"And again, (Biden's) been in government for 47 years. He never did a thing," Trump said. He continued by criticizing Biden's involvement in the 1994 crime bill, something that even Biden considers being "a mistake."

"I've been trying to change it since then, particularly the portion on cocaine," Biden said.

Trump also listed his perceived accomplishments with the Black community, saying he was the "least racist person" in the room.

NBC's Kristen Welker moderated the debate, the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate in the U.S.