Presidential debate 2020: Voters react to final Trump-Biden clash

  • Published
Voters
Image caption,
Thumbs up or down? Our voter panel's verdict on how confident they are about the state of the US

Two Biden voters. Two Trump voters. Two undecided voters. All from battleground states.

We watched the final debate with six voters who will help determine the fate of the nation on 3 November.

Our two undecided voters felt the final head-to-head between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was enough to help lock in their vote.

As for the rest? The debate simply confirmed their choice for president. Here's what they said.

Andrew is an undecided voter leaning toward Joe Biden, but wishes he had other options to choose from. He works in the restaurant industry and has two young children.

What moment stood out to you in the debate?

At the beginning it looked like they were going to do much better. But Trump seems like he just wants people to like him, it's so pathetic. I questioned it when he said he did more for black people than any other president. He seemed like someone who has such a huge disconnect with reality.

Did Trump or Biden do enough to win your vote tonight?

Trump appealed to me on only one issue, and I still don't like his personality. I have enough information now. Biden is who I'm going to go for, although he's not my favourite choice.

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - incomprehensible; Biden - better.

After becoming disillusioned with the left, Eliana now supports the policies of the Republican Party and backs the re-election of Donald Trump. She is the president of her local young Republicans group and a former professional dancer. She won the national television competition So You Think You Can Dance in 2012.

What moment stood out to you in the debate?

The standout moments are ones that affect me personally. I ended up spending a tremendous amount on Obamacare. Biden said he would get rid of the competition and that ups the price.

If your candidate is defeated, what would it mean to you?

It's incredible that we live in a country with an election process like we have here. I would stay in the country and be a proud citizen. But the way I live my life would very much change. I would take my assets and put them into real-estate because I don't trust the government. I am for low-regulation and for a free market.

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - improvement; Biden - acting.

Joe Biden was not Jessica's first choice as Democratic candidate but she will cast her vote for the former vice-president because she likes and respects him a lot. An attorney and self-described "news junkie", Jessica admits to feeling exhausted by this election.

What moment stood out to you in the debate?

When Trump was going on about how Biden wanted everyone to have small windows and how he wants to knock down buildings and rebuild them. It stood out to me because it's so silly and such an obviously false depiction of Biden's climate plan.

If your candidate is defeated, what would it mean to you?

I think I'll be scared if Donald Trump wins again. Less for myself than for future generations. I don't have children, but I have a niece and a nephew who are black, and I fear for their future. I worry about another four years of Trump being president and of Republicans rolling back civil rights, reproductive rights and climate measures.

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - liar; Biden - solid.

Lesley was raised in Canada and became a US citizen in 2016. She is an independent, and will vote for Joe Biden.

What moment stood out to you in the debate?

In general I felt like Trump wasn't answering the questions. The one part that made my eyebrows raise was when he brought up Hillary Clinton. Why can't he get past that and just lead the country?

If your candidate is defeated, what would it mean to you?

As a black person and an immigrant living in this country - things have shifted so much in the last four years. I literally have fear - for my life and people who look like me - if there's another four years of Trump.

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - predictable; Biden - predictable.

Noel is a dual UK-US citizen and undecided voter. Before the debate he said he preferred Biden as a person but was more supportive of Trump's policies.

What moment stood out in the debate to you?

There were two things that really stood out to me. First, when Biden admitted policy mistakes in the past, which is very rare. Trump could probably learn a lesson from that. Second, Biden was completely wrong when he spoke about the minimum wage.

Did Trump or Biden do enough to win your vote tonight?

The debate did very little to help me. I am leaning more towards Trump after the debate because I didn't like what Biden said about the economy. I don't think Trump really nitpicked Biden's agenda enough. But in the end, Biden seems to want to grow government, which I am personally not in favour of. But is this really the best that America can deliver?

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - erratic; Biden - politician.

Rom was featured on Tuesday's military veterans panel. He enthusiastically supports the president's re-election.

What moment stood out in the debate to you?

For the most part, it was a dignified slugfest. The one moment that stood out was when Biden said he was going to give a pathway to 11 million people who are in the US illegally. We've got millions of unemployed Americans and I don't think that's going to sell very well to anybody who listened to the debate that he's giving priority to people here illegally.

If your candidate is defeated, what would it mean to you?

I will accept the results, however much I may dislike those results, and I will do it in a dignified way. I have family members who are extreme [Democrats] and said in 2016 when Trump won that he was "not my president". I will not take that route. I will take a dignified route as distasteful as it may be for me.

One word to describe Trump and Biden tonight?

Trump - improved; Biden - rehearsed.

Reporting by Sam Cabral and Silvia Martelli.

All voters featured here are members of our US election voter panel. You'll hear more from them, and many of our other voters, throughout the next two weeks.

Join the conversation: In five words, tell us what's at stake in this election.

We're just two weeks away from voting day. The BBC wants to answer your questions about the US election on our live page. Submit them here.

In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.