This weekend featured scores of Republican officials deserting their presidential nominee, Donald Trump, following the release of a now-infamous 2005 video. The stage was set for the wildest debate yet between him and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Adding to the tension: Trump held a pre-debate press conference with women who accused Clinton’s husband of even worse crimes.
When you run into 4 women you might have sexually assaulted. #debates pic.twitter.com/Yo6qiwRPlP
— Grant (@GrantGambling) October 10, 2016
We all knew it was going to get ugly, and some of you tweeted about it. Here are some of the night’s best.
Let's get this freakshow started. #debate pic.twitter.com/k7X0mkRnvV
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) October 10, 2016
From the beginning, the candidates could barely contain their distaste for one another.
No handshake.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) October 10, 2016
No handshake!
— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) October 10, 2016
NO HANDSHAKE
— Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) October 10, 2016
Because this was the town hall-style debate, the first question came from the audience and was about whether the candidates set a good example for America’s children.
First question: WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!?!
— Joel Mathis (@joelmmathis) October 10, 2016
First question: do you guys feel terrible for being such weirdos? #debate
— Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) October 10, 2016
The question was clearly a reaction to Trump’s recently disclosed vulgarity. Instead of discussing that, Clinton talked about diversity. Trump mentioned foreign policy.
shoutout to whoever had "mumbling erratically about the iran deal" in the pool
— Josh Fruhlinger (@jfruh) October 10, 2016
But the question on everyone’s mind: what is he on?
Low-key Donald.
— Stuart Rothenberg (@StuPolitics) October 10, 2016
Honest question. Was he drugged? Is he trying to be boring? https://t.co/xoWYrS73WJ
— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) October 10, 2016
Ah, I see we have Donald "Xanax" Trump to start the evening!
— Heather Wilhelm (@heatherwilhelm) October 10, 2016
Holy crap who gave Trump the diazepam
— SwiftOnSecurity (@SwiftOnSecurity) October 10, 2016
Trump can't stop fidgeting like a 2nd grader who just snorted a massive tanker truck of cocaine. #debate
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) October 10, 2016
The moderators directed things back to Trump’s tapes.
Anderson Cooper: "You bragged that you sexually assaulted women. Do you understand that?"
Trump: "No that's not what I said at all."
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) October 10, 2016
"I didn't say that at all" – Trump after Cooper read the exact quotes of what Trump said on the Access Hollywood tapes. pic.twitter.com/GVFHWn0BGh
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 10, 2016
It's not locker room talk unless you share a locker room WITH PSYCHOPATHS
— Heather Wilhelm (@heatherwilhelm) October 10, 2016
no matter how demonstratbly dumb it is,if u say it in a lockeroom you cant get in trouble for it. Why Jeff FIsher hasnt been fired yet
— PFTCommenter (@PFTCommenter) October 10, 2016
After denying it, Trump talked about ISIS instead.
ANDERSON COOPER: did u advocate for sexual assault
TRUMP: i'll destroy isis
ANDERSON COOPER: u didnt answer the question
TRUMP: china— Bob Vulfov (@bobvulfov) October 10, 2016
Anderson Cooper: why did you say "grab them in the pussy" eleven years ago
Trump: Cooper I'm gonna level with you…isis..
— halljoeween (@sad_tree) October 10, 2016
Clinton took the opening offered her.
This is veeerrry smart by Hillary: Don't apologize to me; apologize to the Khans. Apologize to Curiel.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) October 10, 2016
Trump: I apologize for my words.
Clinton: He never apologizes to anyone.— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 10, 2016
Trump brought up Hillary’s e-mail problems, too, and the tension in the room could be felt across the country.
Really. This is like when an old couple who really hates each other lets it air out in public and no one wants to be in the same room
— Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) October 10, 2016
Hillary: "It's a good thing Donald's not in charge."
Donald: "Because you'd be in jail."
Audience cheers.#debate— Razor (@hale_razor) October 10, 2016
Wait am I hallucinating or did Trump promise to personally prosecute Hillary Clinton if he wins the election?
— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) October 10, 2016
We're 30 minutes in not a single voter in this country has heard a single idea on how to improve their lives. #debate
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 10, 2016
As the talk moved to health care, people began to notice the strangeness of the town-hall setting.
A third of the way through a "town hall debate" and we've had one question from the audience due to the endless responses.
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) October 10, 2016
Oh no! Don't let him grab you! #debate pic.twitter.com/dmZkd4VTaW
— Bloody Mariya (@MariyaAlexander) October 10, 2016
LOOK AT TRUMP BEHIND HILLARY HE LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO EAT HER HAIR
— Heather Wilhelm (@heatherwilhelm) October 10, 2016
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) October 10, 2016
A Muslim audience member asked about immigration and Islamophobia.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I'm a muslim
TRUMP: pic.twitter.com/oMLkqR1GT7— sadvil (@crylenol) October 10, 2016
Trump just said his policy "morphed" into something else. What is it, a Power Ranger?
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) October 10, 2016
— Josh Fruhlinger (@jfruh) October 10, 2016
The moderators asked Clinton about her recently revealed speeches made to Wall Street bankers, including one in which she said politicians’ private and public opinions should be kept separate.
Hillary says she can have two different positions because of Lincoln. #debate
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) October 10, 2016
next time someone brings up something stupid that I wrote, I'm just gonna say that I was actually talking about Abraham Lincoln #debate
— Joe Simonson (@SaysSimonson) October 10, 2016
So Hillary is explaining being bought off by Wall Street by talking about the movie Lincoln. Makes sense. #debate pic.twitter.com/WILfgHzwWc
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 10, 2016
Trump, seeing Clinton faced with a tough question, inexplicably changed the subject to his own income tax problems.
Trump brought up his taxes without being asked can someone please check in on @KellyannePolls
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) October 10, 2016
Trump has now claimed paying huge taxes, and also to have gotten out of paying taxes, at the same time. #debate
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 10, 2016
He said he would fix the tax code and Clinton wouldn’t, because the provisions in question all benefit her campaign donors. To which everyone replied:
"I know most of her donors," Trump says. BECAUSE YOU WERE ONE, DUDE.
— Peter Suderman (@petersuderman) October 10, 2016
On Syria, Russia, and Iran, the candidates disagreed with each other.
"Russia is new in terms of nuclear. We are old, we are tired, in terms of nuclear" – real words from Trump
— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) October 10, 2016
Trump also disagreed with his running mate, Mike Pence.
He defended Assad and attacked Pence
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) October 10, 2016
Moderator Martha Radditz tagged in to attack Trump as well, for good measure.
Why is the moderator arguing with a candidate.
— Razor (@hale_razor) October 10, 2016
Martha Raddatz is now personally arguing with Donald Trump because she doesn't like his answer. Pathetic.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 10, 2016
Trump: we need more sneak attacks
Martha: sometimes the military does that for-
Trump: Grappling hooks. When's the last time we used a gra
— halljoeween (@sad_tree) October 10, 2016
An audience member threw both candidates a softball, asking whether they would be a president devoted to all the people.
Who is going to say "no, I don't think I can be a devoted president."
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) October 10, 2016
Trump said he would help everyone. Or something like that.
Trump says he's going to bring "economics to people."#debate
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 10, 2016
Clinton also promised to be the president of all the people.
Hillary says she has spent her life working for the good of children, unless they look like this pic.twitter.com/ZllUo3Gb9D
— Andrew King (@aking443) October 10, 2016
On a question about the Supreme Court, Clinton listed the amendments she would like to see ignored.
Citizens United actually has nothing to do with disclosure/"dark" money. #Cato2016 #debate
— Ilya Shapiro (@ishapiro) October 10, 2016
There is no gun show loophole and there is no online gun loophole.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 10, 2016
Trump praised justices like the late Antonin Scalia.
Literally "Justice Scalia great judge" someone bury me in the earth #debate
— Anna Drezen (@annadrezen) October 10, 2016
Trump praises Justice Scalia. Omits his amplification of conspiracy theory that Scalia was murdered. #debate
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 10, 2016
On energy, Trump held his own, and Clinton’s answer was nearly as jumbled as his.
Trump sinks his teeth into the energy question—talks about bringing back steel & coal. Knows where he wants to pick up votes.
— Daniel McCarthy (@ToryAnarchist) October 10, 2016
Trump: 'We'll Have Enough Coal To Make Millions Of Snowmen Faces' #debate
— Onion Politics (@OnionPolitics) October 10, 2016
Hillary keep throwing out her website like her album bout to drop….
— Ms Pat (@ComedienneMsPat) October 10, 2016
Finally, a member of the audience asked the weirdest question of the night: after attacking each other for 90 minutes, could you guys say something nice about each other?
"Can you two say 1 nice about each other?" #debate pic.twitter.com/fqS5x1BwcA
— Scott Williams (@scott_joe_will) October 10, 2016
Karl just went straight up dad on those two. "Okay kids. Say ONE NICE THING about each other." #debate
— Fake J.D. Greear (@FakeJDGreear) October 10, 2016
this last question from the town hall debate comes from a child of divorce
— rebecca (@everythingowns) October 10, 2016
They managed, actually.
Clinton: "I respect his children." Says they are "incredibly able, devoted, and that says a lot about Donald."
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) October 10, 2016
Huh. That was a sincere and effective endorsement of Hillary, while hers was the usually perfunctory thing.
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) October 10, 2016
The debate ended there, on a less vulgar note than expected. Not everyone’s questions were answered.
OK.
It has now been one full hour.
Not one comment on Obama/HIllary's FDA war on Americans who vape. They threaten Prohibition.
Focus.— Grover Norquist (@GroverNorquist) October 10, 2016
Some found it disappointing overall.
I legit hate them both. #debates
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) October 10, 2016
But, really, one man said it best:
Man, this new version of "Islands in the Stream" SUCKS pic.twitter.com/59tqqNfZA1
— Kevin Gannon (@TheTattooedProf) October 10, 2016
