1st presidential debate between Trump and Biden spirals into chaotic clash

Highlights from the first presidential debate held in Cleveland.

ByLibby Cathey, Lauren Lantry, and Matt Zarrell
Last Updated: January 6, 2022, 3:01 PM EST

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden faced off from a social distance in the first presidential debate of 2020 in Cleveland, just five weeks out from Election Day.

The first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic came on the heels of bombshell reporting from The New York Times on two decades of Trump's tax records, ahead of a contentious Supreme Court confirmation process in the Senate and as the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Biden maintains a 10-point edge among both registered and likely voters.

The coronavirus pandemic's impact on the race was also on display as the two candidates didn't partake in a handshake, customary at the top of such events. The size of the audience was also limited and everyone attending the debate had to undergo COVID-19 testing and follow other public health protocols.

The debate’s moderator, Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday," selected six topics for Tuesday with each segment expected to get approximately 15 minutes: Trump's and Biden's records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in U.S. cities, and the integrity of the election -- the final topic coming as Trump over the weekend wouldn’t commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the debate unfolded. All times Eastern.
Sep 29, 2020, 5:17 PM EDT

Most-watched presidential debates of all time

Trump's first presidential debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016 set the record as the most-watched debate in television history, with 84 million viewers, surpassing the previous record of 80.6 million viewers set between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980, according to Nielsen. 

PHOTO: Graphic showing debate ratings and the most viewed presidential debates.
Debate ratings and the most viewed presidential debates.
Tribune News Service via Newscom

Trump's second debate with Clinton back in 2016 ranks as the ninth most-watched presidential debate with 66.5 million viewers. 

MORE: Trump blames media after DNC tops RNC in TV ratings

Sep 29, 2020, 4:51 PM EDT

How Trump’s tax returns could affect the election

On Sunday, a New York Times expose on President Trump’s tax returns revealed decades of tax avoidance and millions of dollars in business losses over the past two decades.

The picture painted by Trump’s returns is sharply at odds with the shrewd, deal-making image the president has tried to fashion as a real estate mogul and TV star on a show built around his business prowess, “The Apprentice.”

Now, five weeks from Election Day, the question is will these new revelations affect the presidential race?

Read the analysis from FiveThirtyEight's Geoffrey Skelley here.

Sep 29, 2020, 4:19 PM EDT

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Economy

When President Trump rang in 2020, the economy was one of his biggest selling points for reelection. He had inherited a strong economy from the Obama administration, and it continued to grow stronger during his first term. Unemployment was hovering at a 50-year-low, GDP growth was exceeding expectations and Wall Street was riding the longest bull market in its history.

An overview of the presidential candidates’ positions on various issues.
1:48

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: The economy

An overview of the presidential candidates’ positions on various issues.
ABCNews.com

But by spring, all of that came crashing down. While the economy has begun to shakily recoup some of its losses, a full and speedy recovery is anything but assured, making it a top concern for many Americans. According to a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation released earlier this month, registered voters ranked the economy as the most important issue in deciding their pick for president, putting it ahead of the ongoing pandemic.

Trump is now trying to convince the country that since he oversaw a robust economy before the outbreak, he’s the best candidate to restore it. His opponent, Joe Biden, argues that Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus compounded its impact on an economy that was inequitable to begin with and that it should be reimagined rather than rebuilt.

Click here to see how the candidates’ economic plans compare.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Crawford

Sep 29, 2020, 4:03 PM EDT

Biden heads to Ohio for debate

Former Vice President Joe Biden boarded a new campaign plane in Wilmington, Delaware, at 3:18pm as he gets ready to head to Cleveland, Ohio, for the debate tonight.

Former Vice President Joe Biden boards a plane at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Del., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, to travel to Cleveland for the first presidential debate against President Donald Trump.
Andrew Harnik/AP

Former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to board a plane at New Castle Airport in New Castle, Del., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, to travel to Cleveland for the first presidential debate against President Donald Trump.
Andrew Harnik/AP

-ABC News' Molly Nagle