[Joe Biden , Presidential Nominee:] We're about to go into a dark winter, a dark winter. And he has no clear plan. And there is no prospect that there's going to be a vaccine available for the majority of the American people before the middle of next year.
[Kristen Welker, Debate Moderator:] President Trump, your reaction? He says you have no plan.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] I don't think we're going to have a dark winter at all.
[Don Lemon, Cnn:] Well, lots of big moments including that one, of course, to discuss with the last presidential debate. Let's get some thoughts from really smart people. Three of the smartest people I know on politics. It's Nia-Malika Henderson, Mark Preston, and S.E. Cupp. Hello one and all. We'll say good evening, but good morning to all of you. So let me just say this. Mark, I know you think that's part of the reason that Biden did well in the debate tonight, because of his honesty with the coronavirus.
[Mark Preston, Cnn Senior Political Analyst:] Right.
[Lemon:] You think that the president was not so honest when it comes to that. But at least, I hear people saying the president was trying to be somewhat positive about the time we are going into, and you are not buying that.
[Preston:] No. Not at all. I mean look, the fact of the matter was, with the clip we just showed right there, it's the closing argument for Joe Biden. I don't know much more that he would have to say at this point. We are at a very, very bad point right now with the coronavirus. And what scares me Don, and I think it probably scares everyone else on this panel and yourself and Chris and just about anybody who has any kind of sense, that we are kind of giving up. There are folks who are just buying into the idea of open up the economy, full-blown, don't worry about it. And I think that there was an interesting moment tonight, Joe Biden had a lot of interesting moments tonight but when he'd look straight into the camera and said to all the teachers out there, hey don't worry about it, only x amount of you are going to die. That was very compelling.
[Lemon:] S.E., so I got a note from someone saying why are we giving President Trump so much credit because he didn't behave like a zoo animal tonight? He was forced not to behave that way because they had to mute the mics on him and then his people told him, if he did not, you know, if he didn't calm down a bit, he was going to lose it. What do you think about that?
[S.e. Cupp, Cnn Political Commentator:] Yes, I think we need to be rally careful with the way we described Trump's debate performance. You know, by our own Daniel Dale standards, he lied more in this debate performance then in the quote,-unquote "crazy debate". And the bar is so low that it's on the floor. And so I get what we talk well, he was better this time. But that bar is so incredibly low, and I think we do a disservice when we talk about it in those terms. This was a terrible debate for the president of the United States to get on a national stage, and then tell millions of Americans that COVID isn't so bad, and it's going to be gone soon. Winter's going to be fine. To look in the camera and express absolutely zero compassion for kids separated from families. I mean I could go on and on. It was a terrible debate performance, and very, very sad for our country. so I do think our language around his performance matters.
[Lemon:] At least he was thinking though, Nia, and I'm doing what S.E. said I shouldn't do right here. But at least he was thinking you remember the low IQ part. I mean the very least, you remember the low IQ part? I mean I guess, it's like oh my gosh. But he did say, maybe I shouldn't say this, but he did say it out loud.
[Nia-malika Henderson, Cnn Senior Political Reporter:] He did say it out loud. The president has been saying terrible, racist things out loud for many, many years. Particularly over these last many months. You know I think he did well in the sense that he did, I think advance this argument about Joe Biden being in Washington, all of these years, and not being able to get anything done particularly on criminal justice, particularly on immigration reform. So those moments were good. Joe Biden, you're just a politician, you are all talk, no action. But it turned around when Joe Biden looked into the camera and said listen, this isn't about our family. This is about you at home, and all of your struggles. And you know, you had Donald Trump essentially say listen, who cares about those families? You are being a phony by looking into the camera, and talking to Americans directly. So I thought that backfired on him. Joe Biden had, I think, some good one-liners about this idea that he doesn't want to shut down the economy. He wants to shut down the virus. I thought that was good.
[Lemon:] Do you think he was clear enough on that?
[Henderson:] Listen, you know, Joe Biden is not the clearest talker and neither is Donald Trump. And he got himself into trouble, particularly down the stretch, because he gets a little tired down the stretch. In particularly got himself in trouble I think with his answer on fossil fuels and in the oil industry. So I think they're going to have to do some clean up on that. I think they already are doing that this one. But listen, I think Democrats went into tonight seeing that these polls were tightening in some of these battleground states and I think, with that, this debate will probably continue that trend of tightening polls in these battleground.
[Lemon:] Let's continue on because you mentioned the racist stuff and then we're if we have time, we'll talk about the fossil fuels stuff. Because he has the same refrain, any time someone brings it up, right saying that he's the least racist president and even first looking out in the room saying I can't see. He said that exact same thing to me in 2015. For the undecide does this lineup that this line, I should say, help or hurt him. Let's listen and then we'll discuss.
[Trump:] As far as my relationships with all people, I think I have great relationships with all people. I am the least racist person in this room.
[Lemon:] Are you racist?
[Trump:] I am the least racist person that you have ever met. I am the least racist person.
[Lemon:] Are you bigoted in any way?
[Trump:] I don't think so, no. I don't think so.
[Lemon:] Islamophobic?
[Trump:] I'm the person no, not at all.
[Lemon:] Ok. The first one was tonight, and then in 2015 same thing. I have listen, I've got to ask people are saying to ask me Nia when you talk about race, I'm not going to ask the African American person. I will later. But I want to ask does that, for white folks who are out there watching that, do they believe it? Mark? S.E.? Do they Mark, go first.
[Preston:] No, no. As a white person, let me say, that I'm probably the least racist person watching tonight. You know what's interesting?
[Lemon:] Well done.
[Preston:] No, I do think
[Lemon:] Well done, Mark.
[Preston:] this is important. I do think that this is important though. If you look at his debate performance tonight and how he answered questions, he clearly did not prepare at all for this. And if you looked at Joe Biden, how he answered questions, he totally prepared. He knew what to say. He knew to keep it short. He knew not to say racist things. And that wasn't the only racist thing that he said. He also said he also about folks coming back in, that he shouldn't really say this, but you know, basically, folks who come back across the border are stupid, you know.
[Lemon:] Come back to court, to show up for their show for the court hearing is that's low
[Iq. Preston:] Right. Right, right, right. Low IQ. And this is what he also said too Don, when he's talking about the HBCU, historically black colleges and universities, he said, you know, I like them. You know, I thought they liked me. And it's just he was not talking in a way that was one-on-one with a person. He was describing them as all of these college administrators as one just big block. It was very, very telling.
[Lemon:] What do you think, S.E.? Did you buy it when what do you think when he says that I'm the least racist person alive.
[Cupp:] It's absurd. I mean it's an absurd claim. I think thought he's definitely convinced that that's true. They really can justify a lot of both his policies and rhetoric. And I think, they believe, that he is not coming from a racist place. But I think anyone looking at this honestly, over not just the years he's been president, but his lifetime of doing racism, whether it is birtherism, or bigotry, xenophobia, Islamophobia I think anyone would have to acknowledge, no, a lot of what you have done, and said, has not just been a dog whistle, but a foghorn, to racists. He has courted white supremacists, racist voters, and racist hate groups. To the point that, you know, the group I am looking at the most right now are white suburban women voters. I think they might actually end up deciding the next president. And to them, to us, we hear and see the racism loud and clear. It is not coded, it is not a dog whistle. And I think that has been is part of what has turned so many of us off from Trump and the Republican Party.
[Lemon:] So Nia, you said cleanup on aisle one, and S.E. was shaking her head in agreement about fossil fuels, and oil and gas jobs. Listen to this.
[Trump:] Would he close down the oil industry.
[Welker:] It's false, it's false, it's false
[Biden:] By the way, I will transition from the oil industry, yes.
[Trump:] Oh, a transition. A big statement.
[Biden:] It is big statement because I would stop
[Welker:] Why would you do that?
[Biden:] Because, the oil industry pollutes, significantly. I said, here is the deal.
[Trump:] That's a big statement.
[Biden:] Well, if you let me finish the statement because it has to be replaced by renewable energy, overtime. Over time. And I stopped giving to the oil industry. I'd stopped giving them federal subsidies. You won't give federal subsidies to the gas excuse to the solar and wind. Why are we giving it to oil industries?
[Trump:] We actually do give to solar and wind and all right. We have one final question. And that may be the biggest statement in terms of business. That's the biggest statement
[Welker:] Ok. We have one final question
[Trump:] We have one final question, Mr. President.
[Bartiromo:] Is he's going to be the oil industry. Will you remember that, Texas?
[Welker:] Ok.
[Trump:] Will you remember that Pennsylvania? Oklahoma?
[Welker:] Vice President Biden, let me give you ten seconds to respond. And then I have to get to the final question. Vice President Biden.
[Biden:] He takes everything out of context, but the point, look we have to move toward net zero emissions. The first place to do that, by the year 2035, is an energy production. By 2050 totally.
[Lemon:] So listen Nia, he's not off on that's a democratic policy, right. I don't think that Democrats say that. But it was at the right moment to say I talked with the president saying, you know, are listening Texas, are you listening Pennsylvania? Are you listening Oklahoma? It may have been very effective.
[Henderson:] Yes. I think it was. The Trump campaign, Donald Trump himself knew that that was a real moment. And you see Joe Biden say now well he really meant that he wants to gain subsidies. So in those states that you mentioned Texas, Pennsylvania. Most of all, I don't think Joe Biden is really going to win Texas but some of those down ballot people in Texas and other states like Oklahoma. They're already having to distance themselves from the statement that he made. So that was a real flub. Again, it was down the stretch. We know Joe Biden gets a little tired. But, you know this is where got to play error free every or ball so big so particularly in these battleground states that he's trying to win down the stretch.
[Lemon:] S.E. I know you want to weigh in on this, go ahead.
[Cupp:] Well yes, it was just messy. And what's unfortunate is Joe Biden has answered this question before and he's done it in a much neither way. He has talked about training people out of certain manufacturing jobs, and into new kinds of new jobs. He has good answers for this, but yes, that was a very messy response, that opened a door that Trump walked right through. And I could see I could feel some nervous campaign aides, sort of, you know hearts aflutter backstage, and in their offices when he said that.
[Lemon:] Well, that's it. Mark, you don't get to talk about this in this time. The ladies have spoken.
[Henderson:] The least racist person.
[Lemon:] The least racist person doesn't get the last word.
[Cupp:] He's just a white guy. He doesn't matter, obviously.
[Lemon:] You don't get to mansplain right now, Mark. Thank you all Good to see you all, I appreciate it. So we're just getting started here. Our special coverage of the 2nd and final TrumpBiden showdown continues with another power trio. Plus, you know, Chris and me.