After months of remote skirmishes, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden climbed onto the debate stage for a period of 90 minutes fueled by new news developments, personal insults and an enduring pandemic.

This is what the Wall Street Journal opens

with a report

on the first of three debates, saying it comes days after a report alleging how little federal taxes Trump has paid in recent years.

Biden quickly picked up on the tax case, as well as the president's decision to proceed with filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The report stated that Trump is late in federal opinion polls and in a number of major states, where some voters are already casting their votes.

Biden is under pressure to show he can withstand an unpredictable opponent who usually goes beyond key points.

Polls also show that most voters may be consistent in their choice;

But the discussions are important and have been watched by millions.

Highlights

The Wall Street Journal said that during the first 45 minutes of the debate, things began to slide little by little from the Supreme Court to healthcare, to personal matters, after both seemed to be comfortable starting in the place as Trump faced tough questions from moderator Chris Wallace.

Biden appeared with a broad smile on his face and laughed at some of the president's responses, and tried to address viewers directly, while Trump made categorical statements, at times rocking the former vice president.

Trump has reminded viewers repeatedly that Biden has been in office for nearly 5 decades, wondering why he had achieved so little.

Trump, 74, has long sought to describe his 77-year-old opponent as mentally and physically unfit for the job, and Biden took a stand early on, even as he stumbled across words and numbers at times.

He once said when Trump interfered, "I will not listen to him," "All he says so far is just lies." At another point, he said, "Do you shut up, man?" Trump criticized Biden as a tool for the extreme left and questioned his intelligence.

Nothing smart about you, Joe

"There's nothing smart about you, Joe," Trump said.

"47 years old did nothing."

Biden later said, "You are the worst president America has ever known."

Meanwhile, the coronavirus remains the central issue of the race, and has highlighted the sharpest contrasts during the debate.

Biden sought to portray the president's handling of the coronavirus emergency as a fatal failure, saying there are 7.15 million confirmed infections in the United States, more than a fifth of the global number, and more than 205,000 deaths.

In general, Biden sought to make the Corona virus a matter of trust, directing a question to the camera, "Do you believe for a moment what he tells you, in light of all the lies he told?"

Trump replied, "You were going to lose more people", "He wants to close this country and I want to keep it open."

But Trump has been on the defensive by wearing a mask at home and holding rallies.

Tax Records and the Economy

Biden raised the case of the hour, his competitor's tax records;

But he let it pass.

Minutes later, Mediator Wallace raised the question of how much federal taxes Trump was paying, and the president replied "millions of dollars" without detail, and Biden demanded that he release his tax return.

Biden had announced his 2019 tax return just hours before discussion, showing that he had paid nearly $ 300,000 in federal taxes.

The New York Times reported that Trump paid $ 750 for 2016, the same amount for 2017, and zero years before that.

Trump has refused to release his revenues, contrary to what US presidents have been accustomed to for decades, saying it is under review.

This turned into a broader debate about economic policy, which gave Trump room to promote the gains that occurred before the pandemic, and accused former President Barack Obama and Biden of claiming that the economic recovery was due to them, and accused Biden of being weak towards China before turning to asking questions about international trade dealings to Hunter. Biden's son, and Biden defended aggressively for his son.

Duel is around the Supreme Court

The death of Judge Ginsburg prompted the election campaign with a new dynamic, and both campaigns rallied supporters, and Trump explained his efforts to install Conservative Judge Amy Connie Barrett, saying, "The elections have consequences," "We have the Senate and we have the White House."

Biden said that the American people should have a say after the election, noting that some people have already voted.

"This is the only way for the American people to express their views."

Biden argued that a strong conservative majority in the Senate could end the Affordable Care Act and raise what was a strong problem for Democrats in the last congressional elections.

Election day and beyond

Election security was another topic of discussion, and Trump continued to attack ballot papers via mail as a prelude to fraud, calling on his supporters to closely monitor the vote, saying, "They are fraud."

Trump also stirred controversy by refusing to say he would accept the election results and ensure a peaceful transfer of power, citing ballot issues.


Biden said he was concerned that the court would decide the election;

But he was confident that a clear winner could be announced.

"If I am not the winner, I will support the result," he said.