Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photos: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Joe Biden twice referred to President Trump as "this guy," and Trump called the former vice president's family "like a vacuum cleaner" for foreign money.
Why it matters: The personal venom — during Thursday's final presidential debate, in Nashville — was a reminder that even during a more normal debate, nothing this year is normal.
- A prime example: "Oh, God," Biden said during an exchange on race.
Foreshadowing the crises he'd face if elected, Biden said America is "about to go into a dark winter" because of the coronavirus:
- "220,000 Americans dead. If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this: ... Anyone who's responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America."
- Trump responded that he expects a vaccine "within a matter of weeks": "I don't think we’re going to have a dark winter, at all. ... We have to open our country."
An exchange that captures the two in a nutshell:
- Biden: "It’s not about his family and my family. It’s about your family. And your family's hurting badly. ... [Middle-class families are] sitting at the kitchen table this morning deciding: 'Well, we can’t get new tires — they're bald — because we have to wait another month or so.'"
- Trump: "That’s a typical political statement. Let’s get off this China thing, and then he looks [in mocking tone]: 'The family around the table,' everything. Just a typical politician when I see that. I’m not a typical politician. That’s why I got elected."
Go deeper, with our instant reaction posted last night: Finally, a real debate
Videos:
{{{headline}}}
{{{headline}}}
Subscribe to Axios AM/PM for a daily rundown of what's new and why it matters, directly from Mike Allen.
Subscribe to Axios AM/PM for a daily rundown of what's new and why it matters, directly from Mike Allen.