Wallace Cedes Control Over Debate To Trump, Who Treats The Event Like A Rally Monologue, Constantly Interrupting Biden; When Asked Directly, Trump Refuses To Say Anything Negative About Any White Supremacist Group (Or White Supremacy, In General)

Chris Wallace sat in the moderator's chair during Tuesday night's debate, but he was utterly ineffective, allowing Donald Trump to keep up a running monologue for most of the night.

It is impossible to believe the Commission on Presidential Debates, remembering how Trump behaved during the 2016 debates and knowing his desperation must be at an all-time high, did not discuss what should be done if Trump decided to treat this debate as one of his rallies and turn on the spigot of his unhinged, stream-of-consciousness babble. Each man's microphone should have been turned off when it was not his turn to speak. At a minimum. (Will anything be done before the second debate?) But instead, it was a complete free-for-all, a train wreck, with Trump at the controls.

Here's a fun exercise: Try imagining the press' reaction -- or just the reaction at Fox News [sic] - if Hillary Clinton had refused to stop talking for an entire debate, bulldozing her way over the moderator as if no other person was speaking.

From the debate's first minute, Wallace did nothing as Trump prevented Biden from speaking. Wallace allowed Trump's interruptions to sidetrack the main questions. Trump refused to slow down his yammering even as Wallace interjected impotently, "Mr. President, Mr. President". That worked about as well as trying to reason with a four-year-old in the middle of a full tantrum-meltdown.

Did Trump's pathetic and transparent attempts to "work the ref", claiming several days ago that Wallace would be biased in favour of Biden, actually work? It's not out of the question. A moderator must establish herself as the voice of authority, and be given the proper tools to keep the debaters in check. Wallace never assumed control of the debate. His performance was a spectacular failure.

The network that employs tonight's debate moderator is smearing Biden as senile in the run up to the event pic.twitter.com/KmJD27htEv

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

BREAKING: Biden Supporters Hope Biden Does A Good Job In Debate pic.twitter.com/TS9WrKTVeB

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) September 30, 2020

Brit Hume on Fox's pre-debate special coverage: "I don't think there is any doubt Biden is senile."

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) September 30, 2020

On Biden tonight—
1He’s a professional debater – it’s the closest thing he’s ever had to a real job.
2. This is a Biden’s 3rd time running for President.
3Whatever he does, the press will declare him the winner

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) September 29, 2020

A tweet from October 2012 https://t.co/S6WbhKTqmx

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 29, 2020

tl;dr

Im with Van Jones. Trump not condemning Proud Boys and white supremacy is disgusting #Debatenight pic.twitter.com/oyQnVanZeK

— James Russo (@JamesRusso2d3d) September 30, 2020

Ask a normal person who endured this debate their biggest takeaway, and they would say that Trump was on a rampage, breaking all the rules, interrupting all the time, turning this into a total shitshow. https://t.co/w5aTbrUwTT

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

Tonight's debate illustrated that the 2020 presidential election is a choice between a deranged person and a sane person and any analysis that doesn't start with that is missing the bigger picture

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Jake Tapper: "That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck. That was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn't a debate. It was a disgrace. It's primarily because of President Trump, who spent the entire time interrupting, lying..." #Debate2020

— Nick Fish (@NotNickFish) September 30, 2020

pic.twitter.com/YqJ0ZNCbe5

— Bill & Chardee -: #RESIST (@kaiser891) September 30, 2020

The First Trump-Biden Debate, Moderated by Trump

"How you doing, man?" Biden asks Trump pic.twitter.com/lRmw0qUl3s

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Trump is very orange pic.twitter.com/LnwTLOA8jY

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Trump incorrectly claims that there aren't 100 million Americans with preexisting conditions (up to 129 million non-elderly Americans have them) https://t.co/h0ppiS5EnJ. pic.twitter.com/9IeShJQIzX

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Chris Wallace is letting Trump trample all over Biden and not finish his statements pic.twitter.com/OSkm2xx8TM

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Holy shit. Now Trump is trampling all over Chris Wallace. So far this has been a disaster. pic.twitter.com/Il1NnrJe89

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

No, He Doesn't

The President gets shut down by Chris Wallace pic.twitter.com/IqCsXf06az

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

They need to turn off Trump’s mic when it’s not his turn to talk.

— Spikearoonie 2.1 (@1Spikearoonie) September 30, 2020

Is Chris Wallace going to moderate this debate or is he just going to let Trump taunt Biden the whole time? pic.twitter.com/2Z2mpcWduX

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

My god, we all thought trump cut Hillary off so much because she was a woman but now we find out it was also because he’s an asshole

— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) September 30, 2020

These outbursts are not helping the President

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

Biden calls the President a clown pic.twitter.com/kjRUJB44F4

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

This is an absolutely pathetic performance by Chris Wallace. Trump is just interrupting whenever he wants, cutting off Biden, and Chris Wallace is doing nothing about it. The worst moderated presidential debate I have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/PODZ5zvxmi

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"Will You Shut Up, Man?"

"Will you shut up, man?" -- Biden to Trump pic.twitter.com/F1oX6VM7Wz

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

I'm following this thread instead of watching, but I can hear my next door neighbor yelling "SHUT UP!!!" at her television. 🤣🤣🤣

— Malcolm Nance's Mask & Hand Sanitizer of Justice (@mampdx) September 30, 2020

Biden nails it on Covid: “It is what it is because you are who you are. The president has no plan.”

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

Why don't they have a policy that the candidate loses time when they constantly interrupt the other during their time?

— FuckerCarlson (@FuckerCarlson11) September 30, 2020

Trump: “You could never had done the job we did.”

Agreed.

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

"14,000 people died, not 200,000" -- BIden to Trump as he tries to do H1N1 whataboutism pic.twitter.com/EghoG2mzWK

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Joe Biden tells Donald Trump to “Keep yappin” #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/WRQl8mKkFG

— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) September 30, 2020

As Trump baselessly suggests that a coronavirus vaccine will be available as soon as next month, Biden interjects to say, "this is the same man who told you by Easter this would be gone away. By the warm weather it'd be gone ... maybe you can inject some bleach in your arm." pic.twitter.com/47mH71xo9J

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

“That was said sarcastically,” Trump says about injecting bleach.

No, actually, he was just being incredibly stupid.https://t.co/BF4hTnDWLo

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

"Will you just shush for a minute?" -- Biden to Trump as he keeps interrupting him pic.twitter.com/AbBabfl5Qm

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Biden looks like he can barely believe it as Trump insists that masks aren't necessarily good for slowing the spread of coronavirus pic.twitter.com/okZf2pVsw0

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"He will be the first President of the United States to leave office having fewer jobs in his administration than when he became president. Fewer jobs than when he became president." -- Biden pic.twitter.com/pPuEDVjemy

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Biden laughs at Trump as he takes credit for Big Ten football (his mishandling of the coronavirus caused the season to be delayed in the first place) pic.twitter.com/Qnef0Ub4zH

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

This isn't about "balance" or keeping composed. It's about warning one debater that he's not abiding by the rules. In a loud, punitive voice.

Wallace needs to warn Trump about these interruptions. Instead he just chuckled at "nobody's going to show up" for Biden's events. https://t.co/rqrc1wND7y

— Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow) September 30, 2020

Trump is literally taking over Biden’s time, and Wallace is just letting it happen.

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

There is no reason why one guys mike is operational while the other is speaking. It’s like a 4th grade level solution to mute at a time. Wtf

— Henrynathanmia (@henrynathanmia) September 30, 2020

"Show us your tax returns," Biden interjects, as Trump tries to push back on a NYT report that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes without citing any facts to the contrary pic.twitter.com/rxavD6etbB

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Trump again just said that we'll get to see his tax returns.

I went back and checked. Trump has been making this promise since 2014. Six years ago.

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) September 30, 2020

"You're the worst president that America has ever had" -- Biden to Trump pic.twitter.com/N5Hh9nj4Ns

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

“no mr president” 😭 this is like watching a child get told off lmao trump stoppp #debatenight pic.twitter.com/QvAaq1Ir3K

— 🥀فريدة (@cptncindy) September 30, 2020

I’ve experienced great pain watching political TV in my life, but nothing like this.

Shame on Donald Trump and Chris Wallace.

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) September 30, 2020

"Mr. President, please stop" -- Trump refuses to stop interrupting Biden pic.twitter.com/WXlYmPkAzY

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"It's hard to get any word in with this clown" -- Biden on Trump pic.twitter.com/VSRYFqc5nd

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Trump: Can I be honest?
Wallace: No pic.twitter.com/pZFzf4HFyJ

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

Biden: Try to be honest.

— L̘̖͚o̮̱͍͕n̥̯̫͢g̡̭̺b̙̗̣̹̳o̝͚͖̙w͔̪̬̻̲g̺̳u̫̞̳̪n̨̪͙̮̩™ (@Longbowgun) September 30, 2020

Trump: Our suburbs would be gone
Biden: He wouldn’t know a suburb unless he took a wrong turn. pic.twitter.com/CTUmkXrgRQ

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

In tonight’s presidential debate the President said the “Portland Sheriff” supports him. As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him.

— Mike Reese (@SheriffReese) September 30, 2020

It's false that Biden does not have "any" law enforcement support. Here is a...Fox News article: https://t.co/XpKkj9xi8A

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 30, 2020

Trump falsely claims that Kellyanne Conway never said unrest in cities is good for him politically. She said it during a Fox News interview. pic.twitter.com/CLtYy6WD4V

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Extraordinary that the trump campaign thinks behaving like a toddler in high tantrum is a good campaign strategy. No substance, no thought, no human connection, just blathering interruptions. https://t.co/kqrdKsxeNJ

— David Huebner (@DavidHuebner) September 30, 2020

i call this general disposition "moral toddlerism"

— Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) September 29, 2020

Trump Refuses To Say Anything Negative About Violent White Supremacist Groups Or About White Supremacy In General

Holy shit. Trump refuses to condemn white supremacist groups. pic.twitter.com/FFSrvA1tcQ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

A moment to behold.

The president when asked to denounce white supremacists said, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by." https://t.co/8zO22YwWzS

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) September 30, 2020

Love that pregnant pause.

— Nona #GetMasked (@NotGr8flJstDead) September 30, 2020

Telling Proud Boys to “stand by” is telling them to...await further instruction.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 30, 2020

The Proud Boys (a neo-fascist hate group) are very pleased with Trump’s “stand by” remark tonight. pic.twitter.com/utHnbv2zor

— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) September 30, 2020

Chris Wallace scolds Trump for the fact that he won't stop interrupting Biden even though his camp agreed he wouldn't do that.

"He never keeps his words," Biden says pic.twitter.com/uGaJMpA86D

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

I’ve seen enough, I’m calling it pic.twitter.com/u7k3fYfDcJ

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

The Return Of The Exploding Trees

"In Europe, they live, they have forest cities, they're called forest cities. They maintain their forest, they manage their forest. I was w/ the head of a major country, it's a forest city. He said, 'Sir, we have trees that are far more - they ignite much easier than California'" pic.twitter.com/ip4BLzbSUb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

Wallace: Let him finish sir
Biden: He doesn’t know how to do that pic.twitter.com/cq0fH3w5FL

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

Biden: I can’t remember which of all of his rantings...
Wallace: I’m having a little trouble myself pic.twitter.com/MfCWNQgF3f

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

Trump shakes his head as Biden points out that his own DHS and FBI directors say there's no evidence that mail in ballots are a source of cheating pic.twitter.com/cE9RMe2Frt

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"We've got it all on tape" -- Trump claims he has tapes of Biden attempting a coup, or something pic.twitter.com/atGGTSLSsW

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"This is not going to end well. This is not going to end well" -- Trump on the 2020 election pic.twitter.com/OIYtkyzvfm

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

"I am urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully" -- Trump refuses to pledge to not declare victory until the election has been independently certified pic.twitter.com/YD14K8t8nQ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 30, 2020

I'm just sitting here fine. From a fact check perspective, that's basically what every unscripted Trump event has been like for five years. https://t.co/AVTk6OSGMK

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 30, 2020

In summary: Biden has gotten at least a small number of things at least a little wrong; Trump has told big lie after big lie.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 30, 2020

Hannity tries to convince his viewers that the President didn’t make a fool out of himself pic.twitter.com/6iFhmQv2dx

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 30, 2020

Dana Bash, Chief Political Correspondent, CNN

“This was a shitshow.” — Dana Bash.

CORRECT.

— Rose (@roseoftexas1) September 30, 2020