Donald Trump, Joe Biden meet before election

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Refresh for the latest updates from the last presidential debate.Are smirks allowed?The candidates were told not to interrupt each other but no one said they couldn’t physically react.And Biden had plenty of facial expressions when Trump was asked about his criticisms of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert.“This guy’s a disaster,” Trump said of Fauci Monday. On Thursday, Trump said they didn’t have a problem.“I get along very well with Anthony,” Trump said, as Biden smiled.Trump then implied Fauci is a partisan.“I think he’s a Democrat but that’s OK,” Trump said of Fauci, as Biden shook his head.Trump got his turn when Biden was asked whether there was anything unethical with his son’s work for a Ukrainian energy company.“The guy who got in trouble in Ukraine was this guy,” Biden said of Trump as the president shook his head with a smirk.— Maureen GroppeBiden: Trump ‘panicked’ over coronavirusBiden once again went after Trump for telling author Bob Woodward in February that he purposely played down the threat of coronavirus.Woodward recently released an explosive new book on Trump titled “Rage”, which included the president telling the journalist in a recorded interview weeks before the first death in the U.S. that despite knowing how “deadly” and serious the coronavirus pandemic would be, he wanted to “play it down” and would to continue to do so.“He was told this was a serious virus that spread in the air and it was much worse than the flu,” Biden said. “He went on record … that he knew how dangerous it was but he didn’t want to tell us because he didn’t want us to panic. Americans don’t panic. He panicked.”— Ledyard KingBiden: Countries that interfere with election will payBiden vowed to penalize any country that influences the U.S. election after intelligence officials said Russia, China and Iran are trying to interfere.“Any country that interferes with us will pay a price because it is our sovereignty,” Biden said.Biden said a former national security adviser accused Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, of being a Russian pawn by spreading misinformation. But Biden asked why Trump hasn’t challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin.“What happens? Nothing happens,” Biden said. “I don’t know why this president is unwilling to take on Putin.”Trump said he imposed sanctions on Russians.“There has been nobody tougher on Russia than Donald Trump,” Trump said.— Bart JansenTrump shows up in Nashville combative, but more restrainedIt was a question that had dominated the pre-debate coverage for days: Would a more subdued Trump show up to the debate stage in Nashville, or would the president hold firm to the pugilistic style he has embraced for much of the campaign.In a way, in the early moments of the debate at least, he managed to do both.Trump avoided the interruptions that marred the first the debate, giving Biden more room to speak – a strategy his aides had pushed him to embrace. But he still pressed hard against Biden as the Democrat slammed the administration’s coronavirus response.“We’re about to go into a dark winter. And he has no clear plan,” Biden argued on COVID at one point.“He was months behind me. He was way behind us,” Trump countered.“We’re learning to live with it,” Trump said of the virus. “We can’t lock ourselves in a basement like Joe does.”The back and forth was tense but less fiery and uncivil than the first debate on Sept. 29.At one point Trump asked NBC’s Kristen Welker if he could respond to a Biden criticism. When Welker said he could, Trump responded: “Thank you, I appreciate that.”The exchange represented a departure from the more intense and combative exchanges he has had with the moderators of the first debate and a recent town hall.— John Fritze and Maureen GroppeTrump blames COVID-19 response on ‘Democratic states’; Biden says the president is playing politicsTrump sought to shed blame for the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic problems by blaming Democratic state governors.States, like New York and Michigan, led by Democrats Andrew Cuomo and Gretchen Whitmer, have failed to step up and are resisting re-opening their economies, Trump said.Biden said New York and other states have “bent the curve” on COVID cases and are coming back, and added that Trump should not be dividing the country into “red states” and “blue states.””We’re all the United States,” Biden said.– David JacksonBiden says he would ‘shut down the virus, not the country’Biden did not rule out future shutdowns of businesses to combat the coronavirus if elected president, saying reopening must slow down if the rate of infections grows faster than it can be combatted.But the former vice president said: “I’m going to shut down the virus, not the county.”Biden blamed the “ineptitude” of Trump for putting the country in a situation where many businesses and schools are closed to fight the spread of COVID-19. Biden said he supported health precautions against COVID-19 that would still allow businesses to operate.“He shouldn’t have been on his golf course,” Biden said of the president’s coronavirus response. “He should have been negotiating with Speaker Pelosi.”Trump fired back: “All he does is talk about shutdowns,” he said, adding that Biden is just like Democratic governors who have enforced shutdowns in their states. “He’ll shut down the country if one person in our massive bureaucracy says close it down”Biden responded: “Absolutely, not true. We should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.”— Joey Garrison ‘He says we’re learning to live with it. People are learning to die with it’Trump has repeatedly said we’re “rounding the turn on the pandemic,” which has killed more than 220,000 people but the president had a new message about the coronavirus.Biden criticized Trump’s optimistic message on the pandemic as several states are reaching new highs in average new daily cases and slammed the president for saying that the pandemic is going to be “over soon.””We’re learning to live with it. We have no choice we can lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does,” Trump said.”He says we’re learning to live with it. People are learning to die with it,” Biden responded.— Courtney SubramanianNo initial interruptionsBoth Trump and Biden got through their first opening comments without interruptions.After all the overtalking of the first debate, the debate commission announced that only the microphone of the candidate speaking would be turned on while that candidate had two minutes to give an initial answer to each of the debate topics.“I’m going to ask you to please speak one at a time,” Kristen Welker, the debate moderator, requested at the start. “The goal is for you to hear each other and for the American people to hear every word of what you both have to say.”Welker introduced the first topic, the coronavirus pandemic, and both Trump and Biden gave their initial responses uninterrupted.— Maureen GroppeBiden: Trump still has no planDemocratic nominee Joe Biden slammed Trump for not doing more to prevent 220,000 Americans from dying of COVID-19 so far.“Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America,” Biden said.The former vice president said he would urge everyone to wear a mask for months, which could avoid half the projected 200,000 more deaths expected by the end of the year. He also proposed to create programs for rapid testing and national standards for reopening schools and businesses.“We’re in a circumstance where the president still has no plan,” Biden said. “I will take care of this.”–Bart JansenTrump takes first question on COVIDTrump took the first question in the debate – on COVID-19, and how his administration is going to deal with the latest surge in cases taking place in many states.The president focused on the mortality rate in the country, which has decreased, and said asserted that states would climb out of their recent increases.“We’re fighting it and we’re fighting it hard,” Trump said. “There’s some spikes and surges in other places, and they will soon be gone.”Trump talked about his personal experience with COVID-19.“It’s going away,” he said.— John FritzeFinal presidential debate is underwayThe final debate between Trump and Biden is underway in Nashville, an event that has been described as the president’s last, best chance to reset a campaign that is running behind in most of the nation’s battleground states.Family members for both candidates have occupied the front rows in the Curb Event Center at Belmont University. An orange program and a pack of anti-bacterial wipes was placed on each seat in the hall, where about 200 people will watch the candidates square off in person.The debate comes with less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 3 election, and as more than 40 million Americans have already cast a ballot. The candidates will discuss the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, racial tensions, national security and leadership, among other topics.Buckle up: No matter what happens, the next 90 minutes will be among the most interesting and important of this rollercoaster of an election.— John FritzeMembers of Trump family spotted in masksMembers of the Trump family including First Lady Melania Trump and the president’s children Eric, Donald, Ivanka and Tiffany were spotted wearing masks as required by the debates commission. The family was criticized for refusing to wear masks at presidential debate at the Cleveland Clinic on Sept. 29, just two days before the president tested positive for COVID-19.Lara Trump, a Trump campaign official and the wife of Trump’s son Eric, sparred with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, who moderated the debate, about whether the family was asked to wear masks indoors.”We walked in with a mask on. We sat down – all the seats were socially distanced,” she told Wallace earlier this month. “I want to be very clear, never one time did anyone from Cleveland Clinic come up and ask any member of our family to put a mask on.”— Courtney SubramanianTrump invites Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, as debate guestPresident Donald Trump is again taking a page from his 2016 playbook by inviting a guest to attack his opponent.The Trump campaign has enlisted Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who has accused the former vice president of accepting influence payments from foreign entities. Bobulinski claims that Hunter Biden spoke to the former vice president often about his business dealings and “frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals.”Joe Biden has insisted that his son Hunter’s business interests have never influenced his policies.Bobulinski’s appearance comes after The New York Post reported on the alleged contents of a computer hard drive purporting to document the Ukrainian and Chinese business activities of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Federal authorities are investigating whether the material supplied to the Post by Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, is part of a Russian disinformation campaign.Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates responded to the allegations by pointing out the former vice president released his tax returns, which show “there is no indication he ever got any money from anybody in these business deals.””Joe Biden has never even considered being involved in business with his family, nor in any overseas business whatsoever. He has never held stock in any such business arrangements nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him,” Bates said.Earlier on Thursday campaign officials told reporters they expect Trump to attack Biden and his family. Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield warned that such accusations would be “amplifying Russian misinformation.”Bobulinski has agreed to cooperate with a Senate investigation into the Bidens and agreed to be interviewed by members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Finance committees on Friday.For Trump, the move was a reprise of a similar stunt in 2016, when the president entered a debate with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with three women who had accused President Bill Clinton of inappropriate sexual behavior. At the time, Trump was still reeling from the release of the 2005 Access Hollywood recording in which he was heard bragging about groping women.In what was billed as a campaign call “ahead of tonight’s presidential debate,” officials outlined allegations against Hunter Biden and his business activities in Ukraine and China. Aides refused to answer any question that did not pertain to Hunter Biden hours before the final match-up between Trump and Biden.— Courtney Subramanian and John FritzeNo plexiglass to separate Trump, BidenThe plexiglass that separated the vice-presidential candidates during their debate this month will not be present on the presidential debate stage in Nashville.The barrier was added to the stage following Trump’s diagnosis with COVID-19 and an outbreak at the White House. It was on prominent display when Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris debated in Utah on Oct. 7.Health officials in Nashville originally recommended the plexiglass but after consulting with Dr. Tony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and taking Trump’s negative test result into account, the glass was removed around 4:30 p.m. CT, according to Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates.Trump recovered from his bout with the virus and has held an active campaign scheduled. Both candidates have tested negative for the virus ahead of the debate.On Thursday morning, Plexiglass barriers were seen between the podiums. But by Thursday afternoon, after the two candidates conducted their walkthroughs of the debate hall, they were gone.— John Fritze, Joey Garrison and The Tennessean Trump at downtown fundraiser; Biden awaiting debate at local home The president and several members of the first family, including Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, were still at a downtown fundraiser late Thursday afternoon.Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood were on hand at the JW Marriott hotel where the fundraiser is taking place.Biden is staying at a local home while he awaits the debate.— Natalie Neysa Alund and Adam Tamburin, The TennesseanWhat time does the debate start?The debate will air from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET, and will be moderated by NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker. Viewers can stream the match-up at USATODAY.com. The debate also will air on major networks and cable channels, including Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN.Joe Biden invites North Carolina restaurant couple as guests for debateA North Carolina couple struggling to keep their restaurant afloat during the coronavirus pandemic will join Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Nashville for Thursday night’s presidential debate.Zweli and Leonardo Williams, owners of Zweli’s Kitchen, a Zimbabwean restaurant in Durham, N.C., will be in the debate crowd as the former vice president’s invited guests, according to the Biden campaign.“They have really had to adapt in order to keep their business afloat,” Biden campaign senior advisor Symone Sanders said during a press call. “They are two of the many small business owners who have felt an economic impact of this administration’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”— Joey GarrisonBiden camp rebuts Hunter attacksA Biden aide predicted Trump would attack the former vice president’s son during Thursday night’s debate in Tennessee and said doing so would be “amplifying Russian misinformation.”Their pre-debate warning from Biden comes after The New York Post reported on the alleged contents of a computer hard drive purporting to document the Ukrainian and Chinese business activities of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Federal authorities are investigating whether the material supplied to the Post by Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, has part of a Russian disinformation campaign.More: A tabloid got a trove of data on Hunter Biden from Rudy Giuliani. Now, the FBI is probing a possible disinformation campaign.”We expect that Trump will attack Biden and his family,” Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said Thursday. “And every time he does that, all he’s doing is reinforcing what we’ve said all along: He is acknowledging that he has no case for a second term.”– Joey GarrisonTrump tests negative for COVIDSoon after Trump’s COVID diagnosis this month a question emerged that the White House never fully answered: Was the president tested for the virus before he stood on stage with Biden for their first debate?This time around, White House officials are being more clear.“We tested him on the way here and he tested negative,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters traveling with the president to the debate in Nashville, Tennessee.The White House announced Trump’s positive test result on the morning of Oct. 2. He took part in the debate with Biden days earlier, on Sept. 29. Trump has not directly answered whether he was tested on the day of the debate, a requirement from the Commission on Presidential Debates, and White House aides have been unwilling to answer questions about the timeline of his previous negative tests.“I don’t know, I don’t even remember,” Trump said during a televised town hall on NBC last week. “I test all the time.”– John FritzeTrump has much on the line in final debate with Biden Trump faces a make-or-break moment in his campaign for a second term as he squares off Thursday against Biden in the final presidential debate of the 2020 election – and perhaps the final opportunity to reset the narrative of the race.   After a widely panned and frequently vitriolic debate Sept. 29, the two candidates will square off with less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 3 election. What to watch: Will Trump moderate his tone after facing blowback for coming in “too hot” during his first exchange with Biden? How will the decision by the Commission on Presidential Debates to mute microphones during portions of the debate affect the back-and-forth? The final debate comes as Biden enjoyed double-digit leads in national polls and single-digit leads in most battlegrounds, findings the Trump campaign argues does not adequately capture the enthusiasm among the president’s supporters for a second term.More:How to watch the last presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald TrumpThe debate will air from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET, and will be moderated by NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker. Viewers can stream the match-up at USATODAY.com. The debate also will air on major networks and cable channels, including Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, PBS and C-SPAN.– John FritzeTrump will vote for himself Saturday in FloridaPresident Donald Trump has a special reason for spending Friday night at his home in southern Florida.Voting.”President Trump plans to early vote on Saturday in West Palm Beach, Florida,” the White House said in a statement.Trump is also campaigning in the Sunshine State on Friday and Saturday.Four years ago, Trump voted for himself in New York City. Since then, the president has switched his place of residence to Florida, which just happens to be a key battleground state in his reelection race with Democrat Joe Biden.— David Jackson

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