On the day of the scheduled second debate Oct. 15, President Trump and Joe Biden held two separate townhalls at the exact same time on different networks.
As typical townhall discussion works, they allowed members in the audience to come up and ask the candidates questions.
The main questions were on mask-wearing, COVID-19, fracking, and other political gaffs the candidates have said.
Viewers had a hard time watching the townhalls, either flipping between or watching both at the same time, it was hard to make up their mind.
“To be honest, if I would have put them on at the same time, I feel like I would have been watching the first debate again,” mechanical engineer sophomore Matt O’Rourke said.
The moderator, for Trump’s townhall, Savannah Guthrie asked multiple questions along with the audience.
Among those questions, QAnon was brought up and asked why they have not been denounced, with Trump’s response being, “I just don’t know about QAnon.” This stated a back and forth, with the President and the moderator.
QAnon is a conspiracy group that has had multiple ‘affiliates’ who have been harming people in their attempts to bring down supposed pedophile rings.
On the other hand, former Vice President Joe Biden was asked by an audience member, “besides ‘you ain’t Black’ what do you have to say to young Black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continuously fails to protect them?”
The candidate responded with, “Well, I’d said, first of all, as my buddy John Lewis said, it’s a sacred opportunity, the right to vote. You can make a difference. If young Black women and men vote, you can determine the outcome of this election. Not a joke. You can do that. And the next question is, am I worthy of your vote, can I earn your vote,” avoiding the gaff all in all.
Saturday Night Live made light of these town halls, emphasizing the question dodging from Joe Biden, the banter of Trump and Guthrie, and the fact that both townhalls were at the same time.
Some asked the question, ‘why did they not debate’, and the answer is, the format was supposed to be virtual since the President’s rendezvous with COVID-19, and he did not agree to the format which canceled the debate.
“I really wanted this debate to happen so I could try to decide who I could vote for, I am still on the fence and these town halls were just a cluster,” criminal justice freshman Jake Withee said.
The next debate is slotted for Oct. 22 at 9:00 p.m. on every major news network.