The first Presidential Debate of 2020 was, as CNN put it, a “shit show.“
In case there was any doubt, President Donald Trump once again wove his racist flag during the first of three debates against former Vice President Joe Biden. In a night full of lies, bullying, and incoherence, the world finally got to hear what it would be like to hear Donald Trump’s Twitter feed out loud.
Over the course of the 90 minutes, the President rambled and interrupted his way through both his opponent and moderator Chris Wallace, to downplay the pandemic and up-play white supremacists.
When asked to condemn white supremacy and the extremist right, Trump stuttered his way through trying to avoid answering and then very clearly told the supremacist group The Proud Boys to “stand back, and stand by.” He also told his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully,” a clear call back to the Jim Crow era when the KKK would wait at polling places to intimidate Black voters.
A news clipping from the 1920s that echoes the current President’s sentiment on voter suppression.
(If you are reading this… please, please, please vote. Everybody’s doing it. In fact, here’s a link that will help you register: Rock The Vote.)
Biden was able to get some quips in, however essentially all policy talk and the productive conversation was squashed by Trump’s incessant blabbering. At points Biden told Trump to “shut up, man” and that he was “the worst president America has ever had.”
Overall, however, this debate showed that the 2020 election is the most consequential election in nearly 200 years and it will decide the fate of the country and the world for generations to come. Cleary neither man on stage is entirely fit to govern the country, however at least one of them isn’t actively working to dismantle decades of progress with gender and civil rights, climate protection, international cooperation, and democracy at its core.
Celebrities react to the “debate”.
Celebrities did not let the President’s racist and democracy-damaging remarks go unchecked, taking to social media to air out their grievances.
We can’t put ourselves through another 4 years of this walking dumpster fire. https://t.co/bsUoIl4N3P
— John Legend (@johnlegend) September 30, 2020
Cardi B, a woman who has actually had productive policy conversations with the former VP, posted a video of her yelling at the TV with the caption “I’m getting hot, TAG ME IN.” In another post, she said, “Maaaannnn I wish I was there,” and “Bro JOE DONT LET THE NIKKA BREATH.”
“The entire country has to make a decision as to whether it will continue to downplay the fact that our President is an openly racist White Supremacist and what that means for its citizens,” Tweeted Chance The Rapper. “VOTE HIM OUT.”
Kevin Hart exclaimed to Instagram that “if this isn’t enough to make you go vote then I don’t know what is….Wake up!!!!! This man is promoting hate at the highest level. Blunt fucking racism…..FUCKING RACISM!!!! If you don’t see it this way then your apart of the fucking problem!!!! I SAID WHAT I SAID AND I WILL STAND ON THAT SHIT!!!!!!”
Check out more reactions from the hip hop community below.
Trump basically giving the white supremacists a big YERRRRRR on live TV during a presidential debate is one of the wildest things I’ve seen in a long time.
— Ibrahim H. (@KingOfQueenz) September 30, 2020
this debate the most embarrassing shit i’ve seen on tv in a long time
— black (@6LACK) September 30, 2020
The entire country has to make a decision as to whether it will continue to downplay the fact that our President is an openly racist White Supremacist and what that means for its citizens, or… VOTE HIM OUT.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) September 30, 2020
