Biden's ABC town hall: Former VP lays out vision in stark contrast to Trump's

Highlights from Biden's town hall with voters in Philadelphia.

With less than three weeks to Election Day, Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden faced voters directly in an ABC News Town Hall from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Thursday night.

The live special edition of "20/20" -- titled "The Vice President and the People" -- was moderated by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.

The primetime event followed a fiery back-and-forth on the fate of the second presidential debate, which was originally scheduled for Thursday in Miami but ultimately canceled last Friday.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates changed its format to be virtual following President Donald Trump's positive COVID-19 diagnosis, to which Trump took issue, saying he wouldn't "waste" time in a virtual debate. With Trump's rejection of the event, Biden then agreed to participate in the town hall with ABC News.

Voters had the opportunity to ask the former vice president the questions most important to them

The event was held in accordance with state and local government health and safety regulations, as well as guidelines set forward by health officials.

Trump, at the same time Thursday, participated in a town hall from Miami with NBC News. The president participated in an ABC News town hall in September.


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Biden speaks on race

Cedric Humphrey, a Black student, brought up race issues in his question to Biden.

Humphrey noted that young Black voters are conflicted between voting for Trump and not voting. He also made a reference to controversial comments Biden made in May during an interview for a radio show, which he later apologized for.

"So my question for you then is, besides 'you ain't black,' what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continually fails to protect them?"

Biden brought up several proposals including expanding educational opportunities for all Americans, which he said propels people to a better economic standing.

"The federal government spends billions of dollars a year on universities because they're ... the best-kept secret of where most of the major inventions come out of," he said. "And so that school will now be able to produce young black women and men who are going to go into a field of a future that's burgeoning."

Biden also said he would expand a program under President Barack Obama that provided over $1.5 billion to small business associations across the country.

Stephanopoulos asked Humphrey if he heard what he needed to hear, to which the voter responded, "I think so."

Biden said he would speak with Humphrey after the town hall to answer any more questions.


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Biden criticizes Trump on the economy

Anthony, a Republican voter from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, asked Biden about his assertion that he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year and how that fit with his promise to repeal the Trump tax cuts.

Biden said that the majority of those tax cuts, $1.3 trillion out of a total $2 trillion, went to the wealthiest Americans.

"If you raise the corporate tax just back to 28%, which is a fair tax, you'd raise $1,300,000,000 by that one act," he said. "If you made sure people making over $400,000 paid what they did in the Bush administration, 39.6%, you'd raise another -- it goes up to, let me get you the exact number here -- about another 200 -- excuse me, $92 billion."

Stephanopoulos asked Biden if the economy could handle the tax increases after the (devastation) caused by the pandemic. Biden pointed to a Moody's analysis of his tax plan which said his plan would create 18.6 million jobs and raise the GDP by a trillion dollars. He also talked about the wealth that billionaires gained, while millions of Americans were out of work.

Trump "talks about a V-shaped recovery. It's a K-shaped recovery," Biden said. "If you're on the top, you're going to do very well. ... If you're at the bottom, or you're in the middle or the bottom, your income is coming down. You're not getting a raise."

Stephanopoulos pressed Biden on whether it's wise to raise the corporate tax when the economy is weak.

"We're going to invest a great deal of that money into infrastructure and green infrastructure," he said.


Biden talks about vaccine plan

Biden was asked by Republican Kelly Lee about his views and plans for a future coronavirus vaccine.

During last week's vice presidential debate, Sen. Kamala Harris said she would trust scientists over the president with regard to the validity of a vaccine.

Biden warned that Trump's rhetoric on vaccine and health guidelines have been questionable.

"President Trump says things like, you know, everything from this crazy stuff he's walking away from now, inject bleach in your arm and that's going to work," he said. "I'm not being facetious though. He actually said these things."

Biden said that he's been meeting with scientists and complimented them for their diligence in their research.

"They're not there yet," he said. "And the most scientists say -- it's not likely to have a vaccine that would be available until the beginning of next year, into the spring of next year."

Stephanopoulos asked if Biden would mandate a vaccine's use once it's safe and effective. Biden said it would depend on several factors.

"It depends on the state of the nature of the vaccine when it comes out and how it's being distributed," he said. "But I would think that we should be talking about, depending on the continuation of the spread of the virus, we should be thinking about making it mandatory."


Biden promises to unify the country

Democratic voter Keenan Wilson started his question by referencing that the former vice president said he entered the race following the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He asked Biden how he would steer Trump and his supporters "towards the ideals of a more perfect union."

Biden said he doesn't think Trump would stop his rhetoric and added that the president was emboldened by his impeachment.

The vice president said he would lead by the example set by his father and treat everyone with dignity.

"Whether I'm a defeated candidate for president, back teaching or I'm elected president, it is a major element of everything that I'm about," he said.

Biden said he feels most Americans want to be inclusive and provide opportunities to all regardless of race or background.

"If I'm elected president, you will not hear me race baiting, you will not hear me dividing, you will hear me trying to unify," he said.

Stephanopoulos asked Biden, if he lost, what that would say about the country.

"Well, it could say that I'm a lousy candidate and I didn't do a good job, but I think -- I hope that it doesn't say that we are as racially, ethically and religiously at odds with one other as it appears the president wants us to be," he said.

The vice president, however, said he is committed to making sure that if elected he would be a voice for all Americans.

"I think the people are ready, they understand what's at stake," he said. "I'm going to take care of those who voted against me as well as those who voted for me. For real. That's what presidents do. We've got to heal this nation."