The first US President debate saw a scrappy battle between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, where Biden called Trump 'Putin’s puppy' and Trump accused Biden of bowing to the 'radical left'.
Covid-19, race relations and the economy dominated the debate, with the pair trading digs while each attempted to discredit the other.
Fox News' Chris Wallace was moderating the debate, first asking about the Supreme Court, health care and the Covid-19 response . Later in the debate, he moved on to a Covid-19 vaccine, masks, the economy, and race and unrest.
COVID-19 VACCINE
Trump was asked about the Covid-19 response.
"We got the gowns, we got the masks, we got the ventilators, we're weeks away from a vaccine. You could have never done the job we did," he told Biden.
Biden questioned the time period the President had given on a potential vaccine.
"I don’t trust him at all, nor do you," he said as he stared down the camera. "We trust a scientist."
Trump hit back, saying vaccines were a "very political thing", adding he'd spoken "to all the people that need to be spoken to".
"I spoke to the scientist in charge, they will have the vaccine ready very soon."
Biden quipped that Trump was the same guy who said to inject bleach into your arm.
"That was said sarcastically," Trump said.
The spotlight was then turned on Biden - who was asked by Fox News' Chris Wallace if he and his running mate Kamala Harris were contributing to distrust around potentially taking a vaccine, after Harris previously told CNN health experts and scientists would be "muzzled" and "suppressed" around the quality of a vaccine.
"He puts pressure and disagrees with his own scientists," Biden said. "You believe for a moment all the lies he’s telling you?"
MASKS
Biden accused Trump of being "totally irresponsible" during his rallies, "in the way in which he has handled social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraging them not to".
"If you could get the crowds you would have done the same thing," Trump quipped back.
Trump also said Biden wore "the biggest mask I’ve ever seen" and that he was "not fighting masks".
ECONOMY
Trump said he was forced to close "the greatest economy", but was rebuilding it fast.
"He wants to shut down this country," he said to Biden.
Trump said the states that were in lockdown was "almost like being in prison" and that Biden would "destroy this country".
"Millionaires and billionaires like him, in the middle of a Covid crisis, have done very well," Biden said.
"You folks at home… how well are you doing? You can't fix the economy until you fix the Covid crisis and [Trump] has no intention of making it better for you all at home for your health and safety."
Trump added he "brought back football".
"It was me and I’m very proud to do it."
Biden told Trump he was "the worst President America’s ever had".
"Under this President, we become weaker, sicker, poorer, more divided and more violent. He’s Putin’s puppy. We’re poor, the billionaires have gotten much more wealthy."
"In 47 months I’ve done more than you’ve done in 47 years," Trump replied.
RACE AND UNREST
"This is a President who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division," Biden said.
"This man is a saviour of African Americans? This man cares at all? This man has done virtually nothing."
He accused Trump of "pouring gasoline in the fire".
"There is systemic injustice in this country, in education and work and law enforcement."
Trump said Biden did not believe in law and order, instead was bowing to the "radical left".
Trump was asked about his decision to end racial sensitivity training at federal agencies that went over topics such as white privilege and race theory.
"I ended it because it’s racist. It was a radical revolution taking place in our military, our schools, all over the place."
He said they were teaching "very bad" and "very sick" ideas.
Wrapping up the debate, Wallace said it had been an "interesting hour and a half".
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