The Oklahoman

Trump's town hall offered preview of debates

- By Jonathan Lemire and Kevin Freking

WASHINGTON—The coronaviru­s cannot be wished away. Real people kept it real. Preparatio­n — and the moderator — matters.

President Donald Trump's town hall in front of undecided Pennsylvan­ia voters offered an intriguing preview of how he may approach his first debate against Democratic nominee Joe Biden in two weeks.

Tuesday night's event on ABC featured predictabl­e attack lines and vague promises of policy from Trump. But it also showcased, again, the president's struggle to effectivel­y defend his handling of the coronaviru­s pandemic that has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 Americans.

And while the president's aides have been eager to shift focus off the virus, the town hall made clear that the campaign, now down to its final seven weeks, has remained a referendum on the president and the pandemic.

Here are other takeaways from a night that served as a tantalizin­g opening act for the first general election debate on Sept. 29:

Denialism

Memorably, Trump said in February that the coronaviru­s would disappear “like a miracle.” His tone has not changed much seven months later.

The president put himself at odds with some basic scientific facts about the virus, including being dismissive of his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention' s strong recommenda­tion for Americans to use face masks.

“There are people that don't think masks are good,” Trump said, mentioning that waiters have struggled with their face coverings and did not like them.

Trump also tried to counter his admission to journalist Bob Woodward that he had tried to “play it down” when discussing the threat of COVID-19 to Americans earlier this year. Although audio recordings of his comments have been released, Trump said: “Yeah, well, I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it, in terms of action.”

He also, again, offered little acknowledg­ment of the historical injustices targeted at Black Americans.

“Well, I hope there's not a race problem,” the president said.

Preparatio­n matters

Trump has largely eschewed f ormal preparatio­n f or hi s debates with Biden, telling aides and allies that he believes his day job sparring with journalist­s will suffice. And Trump backers saw much that they liked in Trump's performanc­e Tuesday evening, including an opportunit­y for the president to make a rare, if uneven, display of empathy.

But, privately, some are worried that Trump will face the same fate as many of his predecesso­rs, who tend to grow complacent in the White House and can become flustered when they face their general-election rival for the first time.

While some have gently advised Trump to study up, the president has largely ignored their advice for now, leaving allies holding their breath for Sept. 29.

Long-promised policy plans

“We' re signing a health care plan within two weeks,” Trump said on July 19. It would be introduced “hopefully, prior to the end of the month,” he told reporters in early August.

No such plan has materializ­ed, and few expect one to arrive before the election.

Trump' s unfulfille­d promises came into sharp relief during the town hall as Trump insisted he had a plan – but refused to share its details or explain why he'd waited more than 3.5 years to unveil it.

“I have it all ready, and it's a much better plan for you – and it's a much better plan,” he insisted.

Trump made a similar promise when it came to immigratio­n, another issue on which he has been promising action for months without details materializ­ing.

“So we are doing something with immigratio­n that I think is going to be very strong because we want people to come into our country,” he said. “And in a very short time, we're going to be announcing it. And I think it' s going to have quite an impact.”

Real problems. Real emotions.

The questions from selfdescri­bed undecided voters were often more pointed than what the president is used to receiving.

There was a diabetic man who explained t hat he had to dodge people who don't social distance or wear a mask, a prime feature of the president's campaign events. “Why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus?” asked Paul Tubiana, of Bethlehem, who said he had voted for Trump in 2016.

The president sometimes began his answers before the questioner­s were done speaking, something Ellesia Blaque, of Wyomissing, did not allow. She asked the president how people with preexistin­g health conditions who work hard can stay insured. “Please stop and let me finish my question, sir,” she sternly insisted.

And Flora Cruceta offered a question on behalf of her late mother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who became a U.S. citizen, asking, “What will you change to make more people, like me and like her, to become citizens and vote?

Trump, who has worked to reduce legal and illegal immigratio­n, promised another immigratio­n plan that he said “actually will be popular for all.” He appeared to mishear her comment that her mother died of breast cancer and steered the conversati­on to the coronaviru­s and the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderators matter

ABC News anchor George Stephanopo­ulos pushed back against some of Trump's comments but didn't always challenge the president's misstateme­nts.

In answering a question about preexistin­g conditions, Trump said Democrats favor socialized medicine while his “strong” plan protects people with ailments they suffer before getting insurance.

“Mr. President, I have to stop you there. ... No. 1, Joe Biden ran against Medicare for All in the primaries ,” Stephanopo­ulos said.

Step ha no poul os added that the Trump administra­tion is trying to strike down the Obama administra­tion's health care law, which ensured coverage for people with preexistin­g conditions. He pointed out that Trump said in June 2019 that his health care plan would come out in two weeks and voters still haven't seen it.

On another pocket book issue, Trump claimed that Biden “wants to raise everybody's taxes.”

Stephanopo­ulos went to the next question without noting that Biden has said no individual with taxable income of $400,000 or less would see a federal tax increase under his plans.

 ??  ?? President Donald Trump talks with ABC News anchor George Stephanopo­ulos before a town hall Tuesday at National Constituti­on Center in Philadelph­ia. [EVAN VUCCI/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]
President Donald Trump talks with ABC News anchor George Stephanopo­ulos before a town hall Tuesday at National Constituti­on Center in Philadelph­ia. [EVAN VUCCI/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]

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