The second and final presidential debate took place last Thursday night, although not without some complications beforehand. The second debate was postponed due to President Trump’s refusal to take part in a virtual debate. The idea of a virtual debate was brought forth because of the president’s positive COVID-19 results, although President Trump quickly turned down the idea. It was later announced that the debate would be postponed to a later date in its original form, however, with an added aspect. Both candidates agreed to have their mics muted while the other answered the moderator’s question until it was time for the candidates to discuss their responses. 

As expected, the leading question of the night was how each candidate would lead the country in the next stage of the coronavirus fight. The current pandemic is all Americans can think about because it has affected everyone’s lives. So this question was highly anticipated. COVID-19 cases are rising in the U.S. and more people are dying, but Donald Trump was very adamant that the virus is under control. 

In contrast, Joe Biden firmly advocated that strict courses of action are needed to be taken to control the virus. It was clear that President Trump has no plans to close down the country for another government-mandated quarantine, even if the next stage of the coronavirus is statistically worse. “There will be no country,” Trump said, arguing the costs of closing down the country is worse than the virus itself. President Trump also stated his belief that Plexiglas, which a lot of businesses have implemented to be able to safely operate, is unbelievably expensive for a business to implement. 

So how exactly are businesses supposed to safely operate during a pandemic? Biden plans to set a national standard as to how to safely open up businesses and even schools  along with providing them with financial resources. Although it may seem like a sound idea, it was not further discussed. 

When the subject of the vaccine was brought up, President Trump stated that there will be a vaccine by the end of the year. He mentioned that Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer are all progressing very well in regards to the vaccine. However, in response, Biden believed in total transparency regarding the vaccine. The vaccine must be approved by science around the world before it can be released for consumption according to Biden. 

While some questions were left customarily unanswered or not appropriately answered, the final presidential debate seemed to have moved along a lot more smoothly than the first. The mute feature was proven to be effective. Both candidates’ responses to questions were properly heard and distinguished by viewers. Among a pandemic and the impending fear of the country’s future, viewers of Thursday’s debate were left with the decision of which candidate can promptly move this country out of a pandemic and towards a brighter future. 

Serene Janian can be reached at [email protected]