Debate moderator Chris Wallace interrupted President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden during a contentious exchange in the first presidential debate of the 2020 general election.
“Gentlemen, I hate to raise my voice, but … why shouldn’t I be different than the two of you?” Wallace told the two candidates after they continued to interrupt each other.
“That’s a good point,” Biden responded.
Wallace implored Trump to continue the debate with “fewer interruptions.” Trump shot back with “and him, too,” referencing Biden, to which Wallace replied, “Frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting.”
Chris Wallace jumps in after Trump and Biden have continuously interrupted each other: “Gentlemen, I hate to raise my voice, but why shouldn’t I be different than the two of you?”
He also tells Trump: “Frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting” https://t.co/a7VWn5npT9 pic.twitter.com/htgKNkq2Yw
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 30, 2020
Wallace, who expressed his desire before the debate to be as “invisible as possible,” also sparred with Trump earlier in the debate on the subject of healthcare, prompting Trump to say, “I guess I’m debating you, not him, but that’s OK. I’m not surprised.”
“I guess I’m debating you, not him, but that’s okay. I’m not surprised.”@realDonaldTrump criticizes Chris Wallace during the debate. pic.twitter.com/M2PpmscZ51
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 30, 2020
Trump brought up Biden’s son Hunter’s controversial business dealings with Ukraine, which Republicans have focused on for months.
“Just out of curiosity, the mayor of Moscow’s wife gave your son $3.5 million,” Trump said to Biden at one point. “What did he do to deserve it?”
“Just out of curiosity, the mayor of Moscow’s wife gave your son $3.5M. What did he do to deserve it?”@realDonaldTrump hammers @JoeBiden over the reported financial payments made to his son Hunter while abroad. pic.twitter.com/CRVn8YHXhB
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 30, 2020
“None of that is true,” Biden shot back.
