The Best Celeb Reactions to the Final Debate Between Donald Trump and Joe Biden
Celebrities and audiences alike took to social media on Thursday to share their hottest takes and boldest reactions to the final debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden before the election. This marked their second debate overall after an earlier one was canceled due to Trump refusing to participate in a virtual format -- a change that was made after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Broadcast live from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, the debate was moderated by NBC News anchor and White House correspondent Kristen Welker. Broken up into six 15-minute segments, the discussion covered COVID-19, families in America, race, climate change, national security and leadership.
What most notably set tonight’s meeting apart from the first, which was described by various pundits as a “sh*t show,” was the decision to cut off Trump and Biden’s mics during their opponent’s opening statements at the beginning of each segment.
Mute!!!
— Jenni Konner (@JenniKonner) October 23, 2020
While there were a few jokes about muting Trump, it was hardly the biggest moment of the night. What elicited the biggest reactions were comments about New York City being a ghost town, which opponent was spending time in basements, coyotes, and the quote that summed up the night, “I take full responsibility. It's not my fault.”
At one point Trump accused Biden of hiding in a basement instead of facing the coronavirus pandemic head on.
Wish he would go live in a basement tbh
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) October 23, 2020
Breaking: Trump would "like to lock [himself] away in a basement"
— Conor P. Williams (@ConorPWilliams) October 23, 2020
Trump:
I’d love to go hide in a basement for a year.
America Screaming at the TV:
PLEASE DO!#Debate2020— Mike Kelton (@mikekelton) October 23, 2020
DT: “Joe has a thing about basements!” - even Biden seemed to chuckle.
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) October 23, 2020
Later, Trump claimed that New York City was dead as a result of it previously being an epi-center of the pandemic. But many quickly pushed back on Twitter.
Hey New Yorkers in my time line -- is New York a ghost town? I'm betting it's not. And one of the reasons is that New Yorkers were happy to shut down so people didn't die and fill the fucking city with GHOSTS. #Debates2020
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) October 23, 2020
New York is not your wonderful city. New Yorkers hate you.
— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) October 23, 2020
New York is not a ghost town but Trump's failures are going to haunt our country forever. #TrumpMeltdown#TrumpIsNotAmerica#TrumpLied220KDied
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 23, 2020
fact check from NY — not a ghost town, much better since trump went to florida
— Philip Gourevitch (@PGourevitch) October 23, 2020
Hey @realDonaldTrump this doesn’t look like a ghost town to me. #NYCpic.twitter.com/19VT02C5HO
— Michael Kelly (@michaeljkellyjr) October 23, 2020
Biden’s best performance by far. Trump, please go away forever and stay the fuck away from NYC.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 23, 2020
Currently in NYC. Not ghost town. hi.
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) October 23, 2020
New York knows you, @realDonaldTrump, and New York despises you.
— Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) October 23, 2020
New York isn't a ghost town, you clown
And it's not your city— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 23, 2020
Over halfway through, Biden uttered the first malarkey of the night, completing debate bingo and drinking games for fans watching along.
Malarkey is a go!
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 23, 2020
Biden: "Malarkey."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 23, 2020
M A L A R K E Y
— carla lalli music (@lallimusic) October 23, 2020
*drinks* pic.twitter.com/wa8CjPqc2l
— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) October 23, 2020
When the debate turned to immigrant families in America, Trump claimed that children were being brought in by coyotes, which confused many watching along.
Coyotes
— Sarah Paulson (@MsSarahPaulson) October 23, 2020
Children are brought here by ... coyotes???
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 23, 2020
People are brought here by ‘coyotes’ 🥴
— Kim Cattrall (@KimCattrall) October 23, 2020
COYOTES?!?
— Griffin Newman (@GriffLightning) October 23, 2020
This is who responsible for all those displaced kids. Who knew? pic.twitter.com/IN8e5J4WtF
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 23, 2020
— fury (@KidFury) October 23, 2020
Children are brought here by....coyotes?! #Debates2020pic.twitter.com/QEwtoWpwgn
— Twiggy Pucci Garçon (@SimplyTwiggy) October 23, 2020
But the biggest and most quoted moment of the night came courtesy of Trump, when he was defending his handling of COVID-19 while accusing China of not doing enough to prevent the spread of the coronavirus out its country.
“I take full responsibility. It's not my fault that it came here. It's China's fault. And you know what, it’s not Joe’s fault that it came here either.” -@realDonaldTrump#Debates2020pic.twitter.com/i3LeAH5b38
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 23, 2020
"I take full responsibility" followed by "it's not my fault" ... sort of cancels out the former.
— Jackie Kucinich (@JFKucinich) October 23, 2020
"I take full responsibility." I don't think those words mean what Donald Trump thinks they mean.
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) October 23, 2020
I take full responsibility / It's not my fault
— Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) October 23, 2020
— Chad Hodge (@chad_hodge) October 23, 2020
— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) October 23, 2020
"I take full responsibility. It's not my fault." is perhaps the most @realDonaldTrump statement ever.
— Max Steele (@maxasteele) October 23, 2020
'MERICA FUCK YEAH! https://t.co/QEhrVSNq7Y
— David Call (@davidscall) October 23, 2020
"I take full responsibility – it's not my fault."
– Donald J. Trump— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) October 23, 2020
Very fine responsibility on both sides https://t.co/MHCp2WpMvF
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 23, 2020
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