Thread by @Hegemommy

So yeah. The debate. I’m live tweeting it

Apologies for the programming interruption I had to go carbo load to get ready for this ......event

Let me start off by sending my condolences to my friends living under the tyranny of east coast time.

Here in The Vortex there is no time so who is to say if the debate starts late, early, next Friday even?

Before we really get into things, do me a favor. If you don't already, go over and follow @RewireNewsGroup. I often live tweet from there and that way, if you follow both, you never miss out when... you know... democracy is on fire and you have questions

So Cleveland Clinic is hosting this presidential debate. Wonderfully appropriate with health care on the ballot and in the courts this election!

Well so I guess Chris Wallace is moderating this debate on mute

The audience promises to stay silent during the debate. Screaming inside your hearts, only.

I know I already am

First subject is the Supreme Court. Goes right to the Amy Coney Barrett nomination.

Trump says he gets to nominate Barrett because he won the election and election have consequences.

Except that he hasnt won THIS election and thousands are currently voting.

We won the election and therefore we have the right to chose her, Trump insists.

Trump is definitely talking about "we have the election" as though it is THIS election in case the alarm bells were not already ringing nonstop

Biden goes right to this point. There is an election happening RIGHT NOW. People are voting RIGHT NOW.

Biden immediately connects striking down the ACA as an attack on women's rights and this is very good. Women will pay more for less coverage.

Also abortion is health care

If Biden can maintain this demeanor I predict Trump will lose his mind real soon

Biden is speaking in the tone of a parent who has negotiated for hours on end with a toddler

Donald Trump says abortion isn't on the ballot this year and I would like to introduce him to both the states of Colorado and Louisiana where abortion is actually on the ballot

Wallace is trying to ask Trump a question on the ACA and Trump is talking over Wallace. He's debating the moderator. I mean. Wallace should refuse to participate

What is the Trump health care plan?

Trump answers first by attacking Wallace and then Biden and basically everyone is laughing at him.

But inside our hearts only.

Insulin so cheap it's like water, Trump promises.

Biden now gets to actually lay out his health care plan and Trump interrupts to shout SOCIALIZED MEDICINE

Everybody knows he's a liar says Biden

Wallace can you let him finish and Trump makes a sex joke

This is real life I can't snark this

Biden also just called Trump a clown.

Reminder this all started as an opportunity for Trump to explain a Republican health care plan and it devolved into a sex joke by the sitting president

Trump is going to respond with an insult 10000% guaranteed

Wallace asks Biden about expanding the court or ending the filibuster

Biden says 'the issue is the american people should speak by vote'

Oh fun now we talk about COVID but not without Wallace telling Trump to try and behave first basically

It is what it is because you are who you are is Biden's response to Trump's COVID plan and that's a solid line that will needle Trump for days

1000% Trump talks about Hunter Biden in response

You wouldn't have made ventilators, Trump says to Biden

Oh already with the fake news and bad press

Biden going to empathize with families who lost folks from COVID and Trump can only talk over him

Trump says he's spoken to all the people he needs to can get a vaccine and it's nonsense

Wallace is at least trying to push

Logistically the military is all set up to deliver a vaccine Trump also says

All of this is terrifying nonsense

Lol my favorite brand of conservative populism is attacking state schools

Trump insulting Biden for wearing a mask is 100% on the bingo for tonight

This is a terrible question on the economy but it gives Trump an opportunity to say that Biden would have never closed the economy in response to COVID after saying he wanted to keep the economy shut down

Biden makes a simple point that millionaires and billionaires have done very well during COVID and I don't think people say this enough

THE RICH ARE GETTING RICHER DURING THE PANDEMIC

You can't fix the economy until you fix the COVID crisis, Biden says.

Wallace now going to ask Trump about his $750 tax paid

Buckle up.

I paid millions of dollars of income tax, Trump said.

Show us your tax returns, Biden responds.

Hahaha now Trump trying to blame Biden for taking investment depreciations

This is all farce

Are any of us really going to get through tonight?

YES WE ARE I BELIEVE IN US WE CAN DO THIS

Sorry zoned out there for a second and maybe very definitely grabbed a vape pen

Oh came back to Hunter Biden I see lol

Mr President, please stop is something the debate moderate has to say over and over and over again

At what point will the producers cut the camera if Trump can't abide by the rules

Now the race question and this is already terrible.

Why should voters trust you on race is the question.

Biden invokes Charlotteville and Trump's association and Trump cannot stay quiet.

Biden now pivots to Floyd protests and teargassing protesters for a photo op.

Biden connecting COVID deaths to racism too.

Okay here's Trump's answer and he responds with

Crime Bill and super-predators

Trump then pivots to say he has the support of law enforcement and all the police unions in case you want to know how Trump sees race in this country

I mean I know you all know how he sees race but here it is, once again

Biden says he believes in systemic racism and this will be somehow controversial

Trump said critical race theory is racist and part of a radical revolution taking place in our military and schools.

He is literally complaining about reverse racism and hating our country and all the white supremacist dog whistles

Trump also notably doesn't say he believes in systemic racism.

I know I know. I'm just trying to close the loops here

Oh good now the law and order question

Wallace asks if this is a party issue and Trump says well duh look at Chicago

Biden pointing out that suburbs are integrated and that Trump saying he's coming for the suburbs only registers to racists

Wallace is very upset about the protests and this is a solid peek into Fox programming id

Wallace asks Biden how come he hasn't called Portland to call in the National Guard and Biden rightly points out he's not currently an elected official

Wallace asks Trump to condemn white supremacists and militia groups

Trump can't do it.

STAND BACK AND STAND BY Trump tells the Proud Boys when asked to condemn white nationalists so there you go

Literally when asked to disavow white supremacists Trump tells them to stand by. Just want to make sure that didn't blow past any one

Wow this is really bad at a level that I didn't even imagine

Trump says he believes in planting a billion trees in response to a question of whether he believes in climate change.

I really can't believe nobody factored in a bathroom break

WHY DIDN'T YOU CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE LAST 47 YEARS is a real thing that Trump also just said

Trump answers the question of how can people trust the election by suggesting there's been a long coup against him.

Don't tell me about a free transition, Trump says.

This is going to be a fraud like you've never seen, Trump says of this election.

Are you counting on the Supreme Court to settle any dispute

Yeah I think so, Trump says.

lol I deleted that Tweet because it said Trump v Gore it should have said:

This is a good time to remind y'all that Amy Coney Barrett worked on the BUSH v Gore litigation team along with John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh

GOOD GRIEF APOLOGIES

Trump urges his supporters to go to the polls and "watch very carefully"

Trump refuses to say that he won't claim victory before the election results are independently certified nor will he commit to urging his supporters to stay calm

This is all so so very bad y'all. More in the media need to speak this clearly.

Oh my god we're going to call it a night.

Wallace is shaken but the next real test is how this is covered starting now