The debate is done. America made it out alive. For now, that is.
But before Donald Trump forced the nation to hold its breath in preparation for the morning of Nov. 9, Twitter was scratching its head over what didn’t turn out to be a total failure of our political system — though it came pretty darn close.
Donald Trump stumbled out of the gate, having a hard time grasping how the female body worked, and what exactly happens in the end of pregnancy.
Trump keeps repeating that fetuses get "ripped out" of a woman in late term partial birth abortions
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) October 20, 2016
Ripping the baby our the day before it should be born is technically referred to as a c-section.
— Steph Auerbach (@StephLauren) October 20, 2016
No doctor does abortions one or two or three days before term delivery. Ever. #debate2016
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 20, 2016
You have got to be kidding! Trump doesn't even know what partial birth abortion even is! Ahhhhhhhgggggg.#debate
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) October 20, 2016
This is a GREAT answer by Hil on abortion. Detailed, emotional. It's a pleasure & a relief to hear people talking like this at last.
— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) October 20, 2016
For the most part, the first 30 minutes of the debate were civil, a bright spot in an otherwise dark debate slate. But then, right about the time Donald Trump started losing it in previous debates, everything went off the rails.
Trump at the 930 mark… pic.twitter.com/FjDaduPLzu
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) October 20, 2016
Hillary Clinton was asked about some of the emails exposed by WikiLeaks, and somehow Trump spent most of the time talking about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Smoke rising out of Mt. Trump. Time to flee the village.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) October 20, 2016
In the national #debate Clinton claimed, without any evidence, that WikiLeaks is a front for the Russian gov. McCarthyism is alive and well.
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) October 20, 2016
Clinton referred to Trump as a puppet of Putin’s, which reduced the Republican presidential nominee to a kid playing a game of “I know you are but what am I.”
"YOU’RE THE PUPPET!"
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) October 20, 2016
you’re the puppet
— Philip Bump (@pbump) October 20, 2016
Trump had an opportunity to denounce foreign countries who attempted to manipulate the election. Instead, the GOP nominee expressed doubt, one more time, that Russia was involved with the email hacks.
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 20, 2016
Wallace: "I do get to ask some questions." Now he's essentially fact-checking Trump by noting U.S. intel assessments about Russia
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 20, 2016
"I don't know him" and "He is not my best friend" are not the same thing #debate
— Todd Olmstead (@toddjolmstead) October 20, 2016
Incredible. What does Putin have on Trump to inspire such blind loyalty? Trump defends Putin more aggressively than Putin’s own propaganda!
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) October 20, 2016
Trump has lost his temper. Not sure there's any going back.
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) October 20, 2016
Every time Hillary tries to finish a sentence Trump has to come in and mansplain everyone's ears off
— Arden Rose (@ardenrose) October 20, 2016
Big winner thus far is Chris Wallace. https://t.co/8QRnWjQpUa
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 20, 2016
Funny how Trump has more nice things to say about Putin and Russia than he has to say about US allies. #debatenight
— Robert A. George (@RobGeorge) October 20, 2016
Trump then conflated America’s trade imbalance with the United States’ policy of not collecting money from military allies. Which are two different things!
Trump was disciplined for maybe 20 minutes, which is progress!
90 minute debate though
— Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) October 20, 2016
This is such a false premise from Wallace. The stimulus did not lead to slow GDP growth. That's just stupid. #debatenight
— Ben White (@EconomyBen) October 20, 2016
Hillary's drugs are making her laugh as Trump talks about millions of factory workers unemployed because of NAFTA.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) October 20, 2016
Trump interrupted Clinton throughout the debate, saying she was “wrong” on multiple occasions, and generally talking over his opponent.
"Excuse me. My turn."
Every. Woman. In. Every. Office. Has. Known. This. Man.
— Ali Watkins (@AliWatkins) October 20, 2016
When asked about the recent wave of sexual assault allegations that have rocked the Trump campaign, the former reality TV star said that the accusations were so patently false that he hadn’t even apologized to his wife, Melania, for his purported transgressions.
Melania said Trump apologized to her, re the groping allegations. Just now, Trump said he never apologized. #Debates2016
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) October 20, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump says he didn't apologize 2 his wife because he "didn't do anything." His wife told @AC360 that he did apologize! #debate
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 20, 2016
A recent video that supposedly showed a Clinton supporter inciting violence at a Trump rally appeared online a few days ago. Trump referenced the video a couple of times during the debate, blaming the Clinton campaign for the ruckus atmosphere that has become a trademark of his campaign events.
Apropos hiring people to attend political events… pic.twitter.com/I4p8YIi32f
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) October 20, 2016
At one point, Trump claimed that there was no one in the world who respects women more than he does — an unverifiable claim, at best.
TRUMP: Nobody has more respect for women than I do.
CROWD: LOL
WALLACE: Please, everybody#debate
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 20, 2016
Trump: Nobody has more respect for women than I do.
Audience: (Laughs)
— AndyTowle (@AndyTowle) October 20, 2016
How can Trump say he never met these women, when he sat down with one for a People magazine interview…that was published? #debate
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) October 20, 2016
Meanwhile, conspiracy theorist Bill Mitchell offered his take on the debate:
I wish Trump would say, "Hillary, what do you keep reading? You're not even looking at your notes?"
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) October 20, 2016
Trump invited Clinton to return money and gifts given to the Clinton Foundation by Middle Eastern nations that don’t value gender equality.
Did HRC respond to Trump's question about returning the tens of millions of dollars she's taken from Saudi Arabia? I must've missed it.
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 20, 2016
Trump:
1) Clinton would raise taxes on everyone
2) Wall Streeters know Clinton wouldn't raise their taxes
Again, utter nonsense.
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) October 20, 2016
The quote that will dominate Thursday’s headlines came when Trump would not promise to honor the results of the election.
Wow. Trump won't commit to accept results of the election. WOW
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 20, 2016
there's the lede – "I will look at it at the time" Trump says of whether he will accept results of the election
— Anne Rumsey Gearan (@agearan) October 20, 2016
Clinton countered this gaffe by reminding everyone that Trump says the system is rigged whenever he loses.
This HRC riff on Trump saying everything is "rigged" when he loses — absolutely devastating. #debate
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 20, 2016
"I am for one appalled"–sounds actually sincere
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 20, 2016
Even athletes found Trump alarming.
If he wins, he's gonna deport you….. https://t.co/yswmQrNLzn
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 20, 2016
Presented without comment:
I don't think this debate will move the needle either way. Trump is surging and will continue to. This is an outsider election. He wins.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) October 20, 2016
Ted Cruz’s former campaign manager wasn’t pleased with Trump’s performance.
Chris Wallace earned positive reviews.
Chris Wallace's laughs have been well-placed tonight
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 20, 2016
Clinton didn’t exactly ace the debate.
Yes, there's absolute parity between HRC and Trump's position on the Iraq invasion. She agitated and voted for it, he went on Howard Stern.
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 20, 2016
But the overall takeaway for a lot of people was Trump’s fleeting attention span.
i hate to allude to the stamina thing but he really does seem to gradually lose his composure the longer it goes
— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) October 20, 2016
A lot of people on Twitter were disappointed that climate change was not discussed.
And we wonder why millennials don't tune into traditional news outlets? https://t.co/2flK2jTbfF
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 20, 2016
To keep the debate about the issues, Trump quipped, “Such a nasty woman.”
"such a nasty woman" – Trump is pissed
— Michael A. Cohen (NOT TRUMP’S FORMER FIXER) (@speechboy71) October 20, 2016
The debate ended when Wallace asked the candidates to summarize why they should be elected president.
highly clever of Wallace to ask politicians who give the same god damn stump speech six times a day to improv a closing statement
— Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) October 20, 2016
After it was all over, Clinton and Trump declined to shake hands, another of the numerous ways this election campaign has left precedent and tradition behind.
No handshake at debate end either. This is serious.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 20, 2016
My thoughts on a 'rigged' presidential election. pic.twitter.com/075n83NXMH
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 20, 2016
