Arizona Democratic leaders said Tuesday’s contentious presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden shows a clear choice for Arizona voters to support Biden.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who grew up in Somerton, said she wishes Trump had not interrupted Biden as he was detailing his plans if elected. Romero said the debate was “very painful to watch. But I had expected the President was going to be who he is. He showed his true colors as a bully.”
Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods named the late Senator John McCain and the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as examples of Arizonans who never acted as poorly as Trump did in the debate. Woods said Trump gave “the most disgraceful performance that I’ve ever seen in a debate at any level and to have it come from a sitting President of the United States… The President’s behavior was disgraceful. It was an embarrassment to the United States of America.”
In a Zoom call, Romero, Woods and others said one of the most disturbing moments of the debate came when Trump declined to denounce white supremacists including the Proud Boys group. They said Biden tried to speak to the American people on what he will do to build America back better through the COVID-19 pandemic.
A second debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. Today, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced they will make changes to the format to allow for a more civil tone for the candidates.
