Trump and Biden wrangled over the 1994 crime bill and discussed Biden’s climate change plan in some detail. Immigration — the issue that defined Trump’s first campaign, but has been all but absent from this one — made its return.
The conversation could be one of the more important in the debate. Trump has made some inroads with Black and Latino voters, though he is still losing them by a large margin to Biden. It is a point of concern for Democrats.
Biden chastised Trump for separating migrant parents from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border. “It’s criminal,” Biden said. Trump responded with a reminder of the Obama administration’s own record on the border. He said, “Who made the cages, Joe?”
The victory for Trump here will be if one “soft” Biden supporter decides to stay home after seeing this. The risk for him is that any reminder of his policies at the border will further mobilize voters of color against him.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member