总统唐纳德·特朗普和民主党候选人乔·拜登准备周二在社交场合面对面他们第一次面对面的摊牌2020年总统竞选。
在他们这样做的时候，每个人都在努力解决如何应对第11小时的爆炸性事态发展，包括一份关于特朗普税收的报告和一场最高法院确认战。
周一，当拜登在特拉华州蹲守时，特朗普在俄亥俄州一场宣传电动皮卡生产的活动中被问及是否期待这场比赛时，笑着回答说:“是的，我期待”。“我非常期待这场辩论。”
但是当记者问及《纽约时报》时，他走开了账户关于他的纳税申报表显示他在过去18年里没有或很少缴纳联邦所得税。
2020年9月28日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)在白宫南草坪谈论新的耐力全电动皮卡。
第一场辩论在凯斯西储大学和克利夫兰诊所举行，是最近的一场美国广播公司新闻/华盛顿邮报民意调查显示拜登在登记选民和可能选民中保持10个百分点的优势。
这场辩论将在美国东部时间晚上9点至10点30分在美国广播公司播出，不含商业广告美国广播公司新闻直播。节目前报道将于晚上7点在美国广播公司新闻直播中开始，晚上8点在网络上开始。辩论结束后，将在美国广播公司和美国广播公司新闻直播中进行额外的分析。
这冠状病毒流行病的影响将是显而易见的，因为两位候选人不会像往常一样参加公开握手。
观众的规模也将受到限制，参加辩论的每个人都必须经历新冠肺炎(新型冠状病毒肺炎)测试并遵循其他公共卫生协议。
虽然这一年以总统弹劾和竞争性的民主党初选开始，但该国此后经历了持续的流行病、经济崩溃、围绕种族的全国清算和最高法院空缺。
2020年9月28日，俄亥俄州克利夫兰市克利夫兰诊所的校园里，唐纳德·特朗普总统和总统候选人、前副总统乔·拜登正在等待第一场总统辩论。
辩论主持人、“福克斯周日新闻”主播克里斯·华莱士(Chris Wallace)选择了主题，每个部分大约有15分钟:特朗普和拜登的记录;最高法院;新冠肺炎;经济;美国城市中的种族和暴力;以及选举的公正性。
当被问及特朗普准备得如何时，白宫新闻秘书凯莉·麦克纳尼(Kayleigh McEnany)周一表示，他“在(周日)准备期间讨论了许多话题”。特朗普说他的私人律师鲁迪·朱利安尼和前新泽西州长克里斯·克里斯蒂据白宫称，在周日举行新闻发布会之前，帮助他准备辩论，这是准备辩论的最终方式。(克里斯蒂是ABC新闻的撰稿人。(
“正如他(特朗普)公开直言不讳地说的那样，他每天都在讲台上接受来自一个非常有偏见的媒体的问题——恶毒的问题——不公平的问题。当他上飞机的时候，在去的路上和回来的路上，他都插科打诨，他比历史上任何一位总统都要回答更多的问题。他非常透明，不像乔·拜登那样一直躲着讲述福克斯新闻。
前副总统乔·拜登(左)和唐纳德·特朗普(右)。
在过去的几周里，总统抵制了传统的辩论准备，就像他在2016年竞选期间所做的那样。消息人士说，这一次，辩论会议在白宫和总统周末在新泽西贝德明斯特的务虚会上举行，与会者包括克里斯蒂、特朗普竞选经理比尔·斯捷潘、杰森·米勒和贾里德·库什纳以及其他高级助手。
据消息人士称，这些会议包括关于潜在辩论主题或总统心中问题的对话，但很少包括(如果有的话)广泛的模拟辩论。
消息人士称，特朗普渴望追查拜登的儿子亨特·拜登及其在乌克兰的商业往来，而他的父亲是副总统，负责乌克兰的反腐败工作。亨特·拜登否认有不当行为，也没有面临指控。
据消息人士称，拜登的辩论准备工作正由民主党辩论大师和拜登的前幕僚长罗恩·克莱恩(Ron Klain)监督。据知情人士透露，他的准备工作包括与鲍勃·鲍尔(Bob Bauer)进行模拟辩论，鲍勃·鲍尔是拜登的高级顾问，也是前白宫总法律顾问，扮演特朗普的角色。
2020年9月27日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在DC白宫的一次简报会上发言。-《纽约时报》2020年9月27日援引20多年的纳税申报数据报道，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在2016年赢得大选时只缴纳了750美元的联邦所得税。(布兰登·斯米卢夫斯基/法新社照片)(布兰登·斯米卢夫斯基/法新社通过盖蒂图像公司拍摄的照片)
“这将是困难的。我知道——我的意思是我的猜测将只是直接攻击。它们大多是私人的。这是他唯一知道该怎么做的事。他不知道如何辩论事实，因为他没那么聪明。他不知道那么多事实，”拜登说周六在MSNBC被问及他的策略时。
他补充说:“我准备走出去，提出我的理由，为什么我认为他失败了，为什么我认为我必须着手的答案将有助于美国人民和美国经济，并使我们在国际上更加安全。”。
最高法院将于11月10日(选举日的一周后)听取关于《平价医疗法案》命运的辩论，预计拜登将强调数百万美国人的医疗保健如何悬而未决，尽管民主党人承认民主党人几乎无法阻止特朗普的高等法院提名人，他们警告说，特朗普可能会投票破坏该法案。
这些照片组合显示了民主党总统候选人乔·拜登2020年9月23日在北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市北端营举行的黑人经济峰会上，以及唐纳德·特朗普总统2020年9月24日在佛罗里达州杰克逊维尔塞西尔机场举行的竞选集会上。
特朗普继续暗示拜登正在服用兴奋剂，呼吁他在辩论之前或之后进行测试，并声称他也会服用。特朗普在2016年第一次辩论后，对当时的民主党候选人希拉里·克林顿提出了同样毫无根据的指控，要求在下一次辩论之前进行药物测试。没有进行药物测试，他继续参加了所有三场辩论。
“乔·拜登刚刚宣布，他不会同意进行药物测试。啧啧，不知为什么?”特朗普周一发微博。
拜登的竞选副经理凯特·贝丁菲尔德断然拒绝了这一指控。
与此同时，特朗普的团队夸大了拜登作为一名职业政治家的作用，他已经辩论了几十次，同时指出特朗普的第一次辩论经历是在上个周期第一次竞选总统时。
观众可能会期望华莱士和辩论主持人实时检查候选人的事实，但总统辩论委员会(CPD)试图在周末管理这些期望。
“作为辩论的主持人和作为采访某人的记者有很大的不同，”CPD的联合主席弗兰克·J·法伦科夫二世说。说CNN周日报道。“我们不指望克里斯或我们的其他版主是事实检验者。电视一关掉，世界上的每家报纸和电视台都会有大量的事实调查。这不是我们版主的角色，主要角色。”
2016年10月19日，在由克里斯·华莱士主持的第三场也是最后一场辩论中，唐纳德·特朗普在希拉里·克林顿聆听的同时发言。
华莱士也是特朗普和克林顿2016年第三场也是最后一场辩论的主持人说周日在福克斯新闻上，他作为主持人的工作是“尽可能隐形”
华莱士说:“我试图让他们参与进来，专注于关键问题，让家里的人知道，‘为什么我要投一票，而不是另一票。’”。
虽然辩论正好在选举日的五周前举行，但数百万美国人已经在投票了。
亚利桑那州、佛罗里达州和威斯康星州的州选举官员已经发出了数百万张缺席或邮寄选票，包括明尼苏达州、北卡罗来纳州和弗吉尼亚州在内的几个州已经开始提前投票。
Trump and Biden to face off in 1st 2020 presidential debate
PresidentDonald Trumpand Democratic nomineeJoe Bidenprepared to face off Tuesday -- at a social distance -- intheir first in-person showdownof the 2020 presidential campaign.
As they did so, each grappled with how to tackle 11th hour bombshell developments involving a report about Trump's taxes and a Supreme Court confirmation fight.
While Biden hunkered down in Delaware Monday, Trump, when asked at an event touting production of an electric pickup truck in Ohio -- where the debate will take place -- whether he was looking forward to the matchup, responded, "Yeah, I am," with a grin. "I am looking very forward to the debate."
But he walked away when reporters asked about a New York Timesaccountabout his tax returns showing he paid no or little federal income tax over the past 18 years.
President Donald Trump talks about the new Endurance all-electric pickup truck on the south lawn of the White House, Sept. 28, 2020.
The first debate, at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic, comes as the latestABC News/Washington Post pollshows Biden maintains a 10-point edge among both registered and likely voters.
The debate will air commercial-free from 9 to 10:30 p.m. ET on ABC and stream onABC News Live. Pre-show coverage will begin on ABC News Live at 7 p.m. and on the network at 8 p.m. Following the debate, there will be additional analysis on ABC and ABC News Live.
Thecoronaviruspandemic's impact will be evident as the two candidates won't partake in an opening handshake, as is customary.
The size of the audience also will be limited and everyone attending the debate must undergoCOVID-19testing and follow other public health protocols.
While the year began with a presidential impeachment and a competitive Democratic primary, the country has since experienced an ongoing pandemic, an economic collapse, national reckonings around race and a Supreme Court vacancy.
The stage awaits the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2020.
The debate moderator, "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace, selected the topics, with each segment getting approximately 15 minutes: Trump's and Biden's records; the Supreme Court; COVID-19; the economy; race and violence in U.S. cities; and the integrity of the election.
Asked how Trump was preparing, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday said he went through "a number of topics during preparation [Sunday]." Trump said his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Gov.Chris Christiehelped him with debate preparations Sunday before he held a news conference, the ultimate way to prepare, according to the White House. (Christie is an ABC News contributor.)
"As he (Trump) has said vocally and publicly, his debate prep happens each and every day when he's at the podium taking questions -- vicious questions at that -- unfair questions from a media that's very biased. When he goes to the plane and he gaggles on the way there and on the way back, he takes more questions than any president in history. He's very transparent unlike Joe Biden who really has been hiding away," McEnanytoldFox News.
Over the last few weeks, the president has resisted traditional debate preparations, as he did during the 2016 campaign. This time around, sources said, debate meetings have taken place both at the White House and the president's weekend retreat in Bedminster, New Jersey, with sessions including Christie, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, Jason Miller and Jared Kushner and other top aides.
The sessions have included conversations about potential debate topics or issues on the president's mind but included few, if any, extensive mock debates, according to sources.
Trump, sources said, is eager to go after Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and his business dealings in Ukraine while his father was vice president and in charge of anti-corruption efforts involving Ukraine. Hunter Biden has denied wrongdoing and faces no charges.
Biden's debate preparations are being overseen by Democratic debate guru and Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, according to sources. His preparations have included mock debate sessions with Bob Bauer, a senior Biden adviser and former White House general counsel, playing the role of Trump, according to a source familiar with the process.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing at the White House September 27, 2020, in Washington, DC. - US President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the election, The New York Times reported September 27, 2020, citing tax return data extending more than 20 years. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
"It is going to be difficult. I know -- I mean my guess it's going to be just straight attacks. They're gonna be mostly personal. That's the only thing he knows how to do. He doesn't know how to debate the facts because he's not that smart. He doesn't know that many facts," BidensaidSaturday on MSNBC when asked about his strategy.
"I'm prepared to go out and make my case as to why I think he's failed and why I think the answers I have to proceed will help the American people, the American economy and make us safer internationally," he added.
With the Supreme Court slated to hear arguments on the fate of the Affordable Care Act on Nov. 10 -- one week after Election Day -- Biden can be expected to highlight how health care for millions of Americans could hang in the balance, even as Democrats concede there's little Democrats can do to stop Trump's high court nominee who they warn could vote to scuttle the law.
This combination of pictures shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Sept. 23, 2020, at the Black Economic Summit at Camp North End in Charlotte, N.C., and President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 24, 2020.
Trump has continued to suggest Biden is taking performance-enhancing drugs, calling on him to take a test either before or after the debate, claiming he would take one as well. Trump made the same baseless claim against then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton following their first debate in 2016, calling for a drug test before the next one. No drug tests were taken, and he went on to participate in all three debates.
"Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a Drug Test. Gee, I wonder why?" Trump tweeted Monday.
Biden's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield soundly rejected the accusation.
At the same time, Trump's team has played up Biden as a career politician who has debated dozens of times while noting Trump's first experience debating was when he first ran for president last cycle.
Viewers may anticipate Wallace and debate moderators to fact check the candidates in real time, but the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) attempted to manage those expectations over the weekend.
"There's a vast difference between being a moderator in a debate and being a reporter who is interviewing someone," CPD co-chair Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr.saidSunday on CNN. "We don't expect Chris or our other moderators to be fact checkers. The minute the TV is off, there are going to be plenty of fact checkers in every newspaper and every television station in the world. That's not the role, the main role, of our moderators."
Donald Trump speaks as Hillary Clinton listens during their third and final debate moderated by Chris Wallace at UNLV in Las Vegas, Oct. 19, 2016.
Wallace -- who moderated the third and final 2016 debate between Trump and Clinton -- alsosaidSunday on Fox News that his job as a moderator is "to be as invisible as possible."
"I'm trying to get them to engage, to focus on the key issues, to give people at home a sense of, 'why I want to vote for one versus the other,'" Wallace said.
While the debate falls exactly five weeks before Election Day, millions of Americans are already voting.
State election officials in Arizona, Florida and Wisconsin have issued millions of absentee or mail ballots, and early voting has started in a handful of states including Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia.
