Chaos of 1st presidential debate prompts reactions of dismay, disappointment

Viewers from across the country let out their frustrations on social media while watching the first presidential debate as the face-off between President Trump and former Vice President Biden was marked by interruptions, name-calling and shouting from both candidates and moderator Chris Wallace.

Many Twitter users were critical of Wallace for his moderating skills and blamed him for not doing a good job keeping order during the 90 minutes.

Some called for moderators to have the option to silence the microphones after Trump repeatedly ignored calls to stop interrupting Biden during his turn to speak.

"I thought this debate was going to have a moderator," Jane Lynch tweeted.

The Daily Show Twitter account, however, took some pity on Wallace.

"Chris Wallace's debate performance tonight is a great reminder that kindergarten teachers are underpaid," The Daily Show tweeted.

Others noted that Trump spent as much time going back and forth with Wallace as he did with his opponent.

"Somehow Trump is getting 3rd place in this 2 person debate," comedian Jim Gaffigan tweeted.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang brought up his universal basic income idea to poke fun at the chaos.

"Everyone who watched that debate deserves $1,000 a month," he tweeted

Longtime news anchor Dan Rather gave viewers a colorful take on the night's events as the debate ended.

"All across America, people are ready to take a shower," he tweeted.

This report was featured in the Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

"Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.