Six Takeaways From Thursday’s Dueling Trump and Biden Town Halls - The New York Times

After the cacophony of the first presidential debate, it turns out simultaneous events aren’t much of an improvement.

If the American people had to endure 90 minutes of cross-talk and interruptions last month at the first presidential debate, the alternative — clashing, simultaneous town hall events on Thursday with President Trump and former Vice President Joseph R.

Biden Jr.

Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after the first debate and, citing safety, the presidential debate commission declared that the second debate, scheduled for Oct 15, would have to be virtual.

Biden scheduled a town hall on ABC.

Trump then scheduled his own on NBC — at the exact same time.

“I figured, what the hell, we’ve got a free hour of television,” the president said at a rally in North Carolina earlier on Thursday.

Biden off the stage worked to his advantage.

Trump went through days of headlines and headaches as a result of his refusal to condemn white supremacy during the first presidential debate, he was ready on Thursday to offer a hedge-free denunciation.

Trump said.

Biden had orchestrated actions to have SEAL Team 6, one of the country’s elite military units, killed to cover up the supposedly faked death of Osama bin Laden.

Trump said with a shrug, “I’ll put it out there.”.

Biden and Mr.

Trump, and that was clear in their town halls.

Biden for wearing a mask and has resisted the idea of making masks mandatory.

Biden said that he himself would take a vaccine by the end of the year, and would urge other Americans to do so, “if the body of scientists say that this is what is ready to be done and it’s been tested.”.

He also said he might support making vaccines mandatory — but acknowledged that such a measure would be difficult to enforce.

Biden also said he expected Mr.

Trump to take a coronavirus test before their next debate on Oct.

22, in accordance with the rules set down by the presidential debate commission.

He said he would not have come to the town hall if he had tested positive.

Trump’s own advisers, Chris Christie, said Thursday he had been “wrong” not to wear a mask at the White House.

Trump, despite having recently contracted the coronavirus and requiring hospitalization for it, still cannot bring himself to arrive at a full-throated embrace of mask-wearing.

Biden has made it clear in the past that he did not support the idea.

Trump had kind words for conspiracy theorists; he wouldn’t say whether he had tested negative for the coronavirus on the day of the first debate (“Possibly I did. Possibly I didn’t”); and he continued to undermine the legitimacy of the 2020 vote.

He said he was negotiating a stimulus plan with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, even though they are not on speaking terms.

Trump said.

He has devoted a lifetime to elected office: 36 years in the Senate, two terms as vice president under Barack Obama, and three bids for the White House

Biden said he would probably go back to teaching, “focusing on the same issues relating to what constitutes decency and honor in this country.” He added, “It’s just a thing that got me involved in public life to begin with.”

Trump is re-elected

Biden said