The final debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden may have been civil in tone but the two sides delivered deeply different messages.
Throughout the 90-minute debate moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker, Trump and Biden discussed a range of topics, including the coronavirus response, race relations, immigration, foreign policy, education and criminal justice reform.
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Supporters of both Trump and Biden flocked to social media to provide commentary on the moments when their guy landed good punches.
Here is the social reaction to the Thursday night’s biggest moments:
Texas
Biden will devastate the Texas economy by denying the use of oil and gas. Jobs. Public school funding. Affordable gas and electricity. All devastated. If you didn’t know that before, you know it now after watching that debate. #txlege
— Matt Schaefer (@RepMattSchaefer) October 23, 2020
“The spikes in Florida & Texas” are gone”...that’s how the President opened up the debate tonight. These states are facing increasing Covid cases today & will face some of the worst scenarios this winter after President Trump pressured these Governors to lie. #Debates2020
— Olivia of Troye (@OliviaTroye) October 23, 2020
Red states vs. blue states
“i dont see blue states or red states, just american states”
— MJ (@morganisawizard) October 23, 2020
*1 second later*
“so anyways look what states are spiking right now, the red ones”
Biden: "I don't look at this in terms of the way he does, blue states and red states. They're all the United States."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 23, 2020
Biden repeating rehearsed lines: “I don’t see red states or blue states...”
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 23, 2020
The least racist person in the room
Trump telling a Black woman he’s the least racist person in the room might be peak Trump.
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) October 23, 2020
t/rump: i am the least racist person in this room !!
— lisa⁷ (@jungkookmh) October 23, 2020
the room in question: pic.twitter.com/8Zro0XNinH
"I am the least racist person in the room"
— DASHIE BURNER (@DashieBurner) October 23, 2020
Ummm mah boi, so you are racist. pic.twitter.com/BPHCSvTiHZ
Children at the border
“They are well taken care of,” Trump on children he separated from their parents.
— MARIA TERESA KUMAR #WearAMask (@MariaTeresa1) October 23, 2020
UN called this a violation of children’s rights.
He’s sick. #DebateTonight @votolatino
It’s impossible to fully convey the rage I feel when I think about the fact that there are over 500 children who were stripped away from their parents at the border and now haven’t seen them in years. I look at my two kids, imagining if it were them, and I almost want to explode.
— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) October 21, 2020
The Presidents response when asked why children were separated from their families at the border and kept him cages under his administration:
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) October 23, 2020
The Obama administration came up with the cages
The kids are well cared for under my administration
American has the cleanest water
I thought we made it clear that America does NOT have the cleanest water. #StopLying
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) October 23, 2020
We do not have the cleanest water!
— Jerome Foster II (@JeromeFosterII) October 23, 2020
We do not have the cleanest air!
California is on fire and Flint's water is poisoned!
Our future & our climate is not a political football!
We need real leadership now! #Debates2020 #VoteClimate https://t.co/YO4wSdr2jc
The 1994 crime bill
"In the '80s, we passed -- all 100 senators voted for it -- a bill on drugs and how to deal with drugs. It was a mistake." -- Biden pic.twitter.com/SPLn8WTqQV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2020
Biden says that Crime Bill was a mistake. Can you imagine Trump saying he made a mistake?
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) October 23, 2020
Joe Biden wrote the 1994 crime bill,
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) October 23, 2020
which locked up black fathers & separated them from their children. #Debates2020
The moderator
Not lost on me that the most efficient and coherent debate of the three was moderated by a Black woman #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/wgg9yQpaTi
— God-is Rivera (@GodisRivera) October 23, 2020
"Kristen Welker just broke the space-time continuum."
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) October 23, 2020
-- Rachel Maddow#Debates2020
Kristen Welker was the only debate moderator selected who is a woman, Black, or under 50.
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) October 23, 2020
Just leaving that here.