To have attended a fundraiser in downtown nashville. The Vice President and ms. Biden arrived 10 minutes later and traveled to Beaumont University of the site survey debate stage. Thanks for joining us on cspan for our coverage of this final debate of the 2020 president ial election. It all kicks off at 9 00 p. M. Tonight. As always, we will go early to get all the festivities ahead of time. Afterwards, we will take your calls and reactions. At about 8 35, the commission on president ial debates will issue a welcome. Janet brown will come out. Kristen welker will come out. People will be arriving. We will show you all that live. The debate begins a little bit after 9 00 p. M. At 10 30, we will take your calls and get your reaction. Throughout this campaign season, at all three debates sites, has traveled to them. Heres a little bit of randys report behind the scenes at the debate hall. Speakers were in the debate hall doing a dresser her salon stage. I want to take you behind the scenes, where we do a lot of our work. These are the network platforms. Every network has a platform. This is what they can do preand postshow on the day of or day before. These platforms are 2024 feet. Was that of lights, cameras we set up cameras, audio equipment. This is where we do interviews. We will show you more of his reporting a little later in this program. Joining us now from our d. C. Studios is Susan Ferruccio of the washington examiner. You have covered a lot of president ial campaigns. This one is so different. Have you gotten in a rhythm of how to cover these two . One of the main things that made this different as the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, we would be out on the campaign trail either in the bubble, traveling with the candidates, where you are on the plane with them and following them from stop to stop or independently, traveling around and going toters key swing areas that will help decide who is going to win this time. But that is not happening. Theres not a lot of travel happening. The president has been having rallies, but those started fairly recently. There was not a lot of campaign happening. The Vice President , joe biden, has done for less in terms of rallying and getting around the country. Theres a huge difference. It limits the energy of the campaign, the insurrection with voters, and for the press, it limits our ability to gauge what is going on. I think those are key things to keep in mind here, as we go into this final debate. Its really been about the two candidates sparring with each other, even though they have had two debates, one debate so far, some town halls. They mostly sparred with each other through their campaign folks people and on twitter, just back and forth. I think thats been what has made this kind of a particularly Acrimonious Campaign season for the president ial candidates. Its been really nasty, more than even in past campaigns. As a member of the National Press corps, are you viewing tonights debate as momentous, monumental . I dont know. Its hard to say. A lot of the voters have made up their minds already. Theres a sliver of people still undecided. A lot of people have already voted. Early voting has been happening. It depends. For viewers, it will be exciting. Its no question. Theres a level of unpredictability about it. There always is with debates, but particularly with President Trump, he can be full of surprises. Its hard to say what kind of topics he will introduce that the moderator does not bring up, having to do with biden and his son, hunter biden. Will that take over the debate . This could make it really interesting. In terms of what it will mean canwho will win, i think it have an impact. And the race is narrowing. The race has narrowed. Polling has come up that showed some movement back in the direction of President Trump, who has been trailing behind in critical battleground states, michigan, ohio, pennsylvania, wisconsin, important places. The president has shown movement in some of those states, showing there is opportunity for him to close the gap with this limited pool of undecided voters. He can connect with them and make progress at a debate, given how he addresses key topics. If it turns into a debate where everyone is interrupting each other and the voters are not getting a good message, it will make it a less effective for um for him to reach out to voters he needs to win over in order to succeed. Vice President Biden has got to lead in the polls. Polls are not always correct. But polls suggest he is winning at this point. Be making surel he remains articulate, ontopic, and to navigate whatever is thrown his way by the moderator and the president. It is going to be tricky for him. He doesnt want to have any major gaps or big problems that could prove to be could make voters think twice. These debates are always full of risk, but also opportunity for the two candidates. Think that is what you are going to see tonight. We will have to decide who took best advantage of that, and whether or not the voters will to get anything from it. There was a lot of crosstalk that a lot of voters turned off their tvs. I think the Debate Commission wants to avoid that this time around. They are going to have some moderated version of a mute button. I think the candidates are aware of the situation and will try to let each other talk more. That will make his debate potentially different from the first one. Sen. Harris it is a 90 minute 90 minute total debate. Twominute answers from each. E of theme, on candidates is answering, the microphones will be turned off. Whose idea was this . The Debate Commission. They have been trying to figure out how the candidates are he ard. The point of this is not to entertain us, it is to give us an idea of what the two candidates stand for. While it was exciting when they go at it at the stage while it is exciting when they go at it on stage, nobody can understand what each person is saying. The idea here is to help the moderator control the situation. What are your options other than to silence the mic . Someoderator can only say items, excuse me, mr. President , the only the other candidate is talking. Is not exactly a pushover. It was hard to control that. I think this is what they consider to be a neutral way. Im not sure if the two candidates will agree if it was no true or not, but a neutral way to ensure that everybody is getting neutral or not, but a neutral way to ensure everybody is getting no interruptions. I know the Trump Campaign manager have somebody monitoring that from their campaign. Trump ishink president too excited about making changes to the debate format. President , for this we have always sort of felt the debates were not fair toward them. The choice of moderators, the format what have you was never fair toward republicans and seemed to favor democrats, in their view. This lastminute change can be as a way toople silence President Trump, since he did a lot of the interrupting. I like the idea of them making sure each candidate can speak for two minutes. Because that is not really here. G a side each candidate gets their two minutes without interrupting and changing subjects. Way ofels like a neutral trying to address the problem. This is a problem with every debate. They will talk over the time limits. That is just the nature of these things. So, this might look a little awkward, just to have them cut off while they are talking. That is not always a flattering look for a candidate. It depends which candidate is better able to navigate this new change. Obviously, President Trump likes a more freewheeling style of these things. This is far less freewheeling under these rules. Also joining us tonight is cspans Greta Brawner. Lets pick up on what susan was talking about. Sources from the president s allies are telling the president he really needs to talk tonight about promises kept, the trade deals, nafta, to moving the u. S. Embassy to jerusalem. Which many predecessors before him promised but never actually did when in office. They are also telling him you need to talk about the economy. You need to give voters something to have credit for. Also talk about the hunter biden factor. The former Vice President does not want to retaliate by bringing up trumps on children and questions about their qualifications for working in the white house. They go on to say that the Trump Campaign is hoping to disrupt the former Vice President tonight. Peopleave been telling the surprise in store is him bringing tony bob linsky, the former hunter biden business associate, as a guest and he. They are hoping the spring this on biden the way he brought bill Clinton Accusers in 2016. Bauer goes on the attack against the former Vice President , interrupting him and shouting him down. A note in the story that he is playing the role of the debates, during mock often embodying the president as he behaved during the first debate. In order to prepare biden to stay on message in the event that trump goes through new measures to put in place by the commission to prevent interruption. Team biden is worried the planned to meet candidates during portions of the debate will not help with the distraction fact. Even if the audience at home cannot hear the president s microphone, the democratic nominee will be standing right there and will hear him loud and clear. ItselfDebate Commission has become a topic of controversy. This week, one of the debate members, republican of missouri, had this to say in an oped. Above criticism, but theres in a criticism between goodfaith efforts and corrupt favoritism. The second destroys Public Confidence in the most basic treasure of democracy, the conduct of fair elections. Earlier this week, Greta Brawner spoke with him about his idea of dismantling the commission. Fortunately, they have degenerated to where i think the public ends up more confused than enlightened. Some of the moderators feel they have to do that you questions gotcha questions. A should go back to having certain question before the candidates with a certain amount of time to make their statement, then issue a rebuttal statement, then perhaps question each other. They will probe each other far way anda very hard enlightening way then perhaps the moderator would. That way, you will not get bias. I think the structure needs to be changed. Get rid of the commission, start over, hopefully we get more enlightening exchanges in the next president ial election in 2024. As you noted, the commission has been in charge of the debates since the 1980 election. Has it always been this way . When did you see it change . You seenk perhaps what unfolding now reflects the divisions of our time. What is happen what has happened everywhere in our society. In the past, i think some moderators have made a real effort to be evenhanded. Instead of depending on the moderators, go to the traditional debate group, where you dont have to worry about if moderators are up to the task or not, you have the two candidates tackle after each other. You will get more information, good cross given the fact we had this covid crisis, who knows what crisis may come in the future, voters are hungering to learn more about where a candidate expandshow a candidate their position, and how they defend their position. Vice President Biden has a controversial proposal on taxation at their. Voters would have to have that probed. Cuts, talked about tax deregulation. Voters can feel they are getting a handle, not just a quickie of answers done in two minutes or less. To hear from the candidates, but also the candidates have to then defend their positions from the rebuttal and from the questions from the opposing candidate, so people get a real feel. To they have a real understanding of these issues do they have a real understanding of these issues . They can then come to a conclusion if that sounds persuasive or not quite right. Areas like Foreign Policy are going to get short strict. We could have done far more on the economy. That is what people want, forwardlooking answers. This is about the next four years. We want to know, what do you have an prospect for the next four . What do you think about the new guidance by the Debate Commission for this debate . Where they are going to have somebody cut the microphone. Is that a good step . Not really. I think voters will judge if the candidate seems to be doing things they dont feel [indiscernible] with the rules. The moderator can say these are the rules. Having a debate where the candidates cannot go after each other, the moderator is there to make sure the clocks are working and people can gauge the character of candidates, and whether they are making good points are not, whether they so i thinkes or not, the debate t commission is trying to micromanage. The Debate Commission is trying to micromanage. If you look at the 1960 kennedynixon debate, there was a moderator, but the candidates had time to explain, expands. What we learned from that is the republican candidate won the debate on radio but lost it because he did not put makeup on for the regular debate. People will see through the superficial. They want to get a real feel for the candidates. Realizing that things are going to arise that we cant foresee. Does this person have the backbone, the Leadership Qualities that can cope with things that are absolutely and utterly and expect to unexpected . Thank you very much. Former senator, bob dole, sent this out weeks ago about the commission on president ial debates. It is a it is supposedly bipartisan. I know all of the republicans and most are friends of mine, but i am concerned that none of them support donald trump. A biased Debate Commission is unfair. Has the commission always been a part of the story on the debate since it was formed . No. In recent years, theres been a perception linked to media more than the Debate Commission. Conservatives and republicans generally have been critical of who is moderating the debate. Of course, theres the overall theme that the media is overwhelmingly against President Trump and leaning more toward the left. That the moderators you choose, you will end up with moderators who people perceived to be more on the left, may be less in favor of the candidate who was the republican on the stage. Perhaps, they will word their question a different way for that candidate, perhaps they will factcheck that candidate, which we saw during the romneyobama debate. The last election cycle. Provokes anger amongst republicans that they are not getting a fair shake. These are critical debates. 3 debates every election cycle. 1 debate for the Vice President ial candidates. It is a real opportunity to give voters a close look at where the two candidates stand. If one of them looks like a are getting treated unfairly by the moderator, or come out in and on flattering way an unflattering way, it is perceived bias. The Debate Commission is the one who chooses the moderators, thus the perception. Senator dole, thats when he was expecting. President trump is not your everyday republican. He divides the republican party. , how Many Commission are protrump come are going to say, why are we having this moderator . He has always clashed with donald trump. That is where this is coming from. Debateher format for gives an opportunity for the candidates to kind of moderate the debate themselves, by having interactions, asking each other questions. Debate, the last one, sort of fell apart. But they were questioning each other. President trump had to ask the questions that moderator didnt ask, he made an allegation like that. That is how it evolved into what it is now. A real sense of frustration. Enter donald trump, who was blunt, and is not going to take it anymore, that is why he has changed the game here a little bit for these debates. Then you have the Debate Commission say, how do we control this . Button. Ry this mute its really a vault quickly. Here are some of the past debate moderators, barbara walters, charley gibson, lester holt. That is just a sprinkling. Kristen welker is the debate moderator tonight. She joined nbc in 2010. Became the nbc White House Correspondent in 2011. And the weekend today coanchor this past january. Susan for riccio, the president has been making attacks already on Kristen Welker. Whats even saying . The president feels he wont be treated fairly by this moderator. It is based on interactions they have had at the white house. The debatebelieves moderator will be hyper critical of him and will not ask biden about things that the president wants to ask. He also wants there to be inreign policy and debate the debate. That is not one of the six topics. He has also expressed frustration with the choice of Chris Wallace, who is from fox news, and the president felt Chris Wallace was not fair, either. Mean for thel moderator is, for any moderator, the goal is to ask the hardest question you can on that topic. I dont think any moderator goes in there aiming to undercut one candidate or another. I cant imagine anybody would want to do that. We all have our own builtin biases, where maybe you dont think of a question a certain way and realize it a not be a fair west and a fair question. This is not a robot moderating the debate. It will be a challenge to navigate that. She will be criticized. Any moderator will be criticized. There is no escaping it. You cant please everybody in a row like that role like that. No one is going to be fully satisfied. It is a tough job on the national stage. I wish her the absolute best of luck. As you can see bouma university in nashville, tennessee is starting to fill up. Lets check in with Greta Brawner. More on the lead up to tonight and debate strategies. Jennifer epstein tweets that, a. M. ,day morning at 10 45 biden focuses on prep for tomorrows debate. Giuliani, whorudy others try to keep out of the debate prep. Earlier this week, we spoke with Beaumont Universitys jason stahl, who is a debate coach for ightss debate team tonights debate team. The first question i asked him was about the role of the moderator and how Kristen Welker will moderate the debate without interjecting herself into it. This is a question i have been asked quite frequently. Its one of those things that is hard to ask. It is a hard question to answer, because i really think both getidates really want to their talking points out. It will do about anything they can to have that time, that opportunity. Sometimes thats not necessarily what they are saying when they are at one they are interrupting, it is that when they are interrupting, they disagree with what is being said. The best advice i would give to the moderator is, stick to your guns. When the rules are being broken, you have to keep pressing on until you get some semblance of normality and structure. It will be a fight. Do theyllege debates, cut the microphone . Are you allowed to interrupt . You are not. We dont have this issue with college debates. It is very structured, formal. Ive never had an experience where i have had this issue. If it does happen, it is exceedingly rare, where somebody was a little bit too intent on trying to be rude during question and answer phases. Just like the public debates, you have so many minutes per speech. Once that time is expired, theres a little beeping that goes on. Everyone knows the time has expired. They finish their sentence, then that is the end of it. It is not something that we have to moderate. How do you describe President Trumps debate style from the first debate . That is a tough question, say it in is hard to any way that has not been said already. It was very aggressive. That is one of the things that a lot of Trump Supporters appreciate about trump. That he is completely out there, he does not worry as much about what people think, he wants to be able to personality. In a way, he met that goal. A think i think it had a backlash. How would you describe joe bidens debate style . I thought it was very appropriate given he is a moderate candidate that he is somewhat more moderate in his approach. He definitely did not let trump completely steamroll him. He was not as aggressive as in the same respect, he did not always follow the rules, because that would have also been just as bad of an outcome. He would have seemed as to passive, noto passionate about winning the role. The president s team is advising him to not interrupt during the president ial debate. Followed that strategy, they argue that the Vice President will look [indiscernible] is that a vulnerability of joe bidens . Think trump did not have a choice. I think a lot of the or bleeding into speeches. He would not have that option. Automatically, he is going to be interrupting less, whether his team coached him to or not. People might think, he is learning, he is improving. Part of it might be a result of the rules change. It will be interesting to see if he is being coached to speak out more often. Biden. If think he will follow the lead of trump. Interrupting,ill he will, as well, but he will not be quite as bold. If you were the debate coach, for the two candidates, for this debate, what is the top thing you would say you need to work on next . I think athe things lot of people were really frustrated with was their ability to sway answers away from the questions that were being asked. Think there is something that happens whenever an important question is asked. Lets say i am interested in Climate Change. A Climate Change question is asked and they completely dont address it, to me, and feels like i got excited, then it is ignored, which we saw quite a bit of that in the first of a, its very frustrating to those listeners. Candidates, if you are asked a question, even if you need to spend some time addressing another issue, do not let that question linger and completely go unanswered. Where that is a voting issue for them, they will be f they will be highly frustrated. It feels like they didnt know what i was wanting to know seriously. Think that is something we hopefully will see more of being addressed. Will you and your debate team we watching be watching . What is the mood like on campus . I think it is a little tense. Its 2020 its getting close to finals. Its 2020. Its 2020. Its getting close to finals. Students, my debate its added a lot of excitement. For us, it is particularly interesting. It is definitely a little ominous. This muchhere is pageantry in the middle of a stressful season. Students are wound up, curious to see what happens. Than anything, it is excitement and timeliness for the upcoming election. Thank you. The topics for tonight include fighting covid, american families, Climate Change, national security, and leadership. Picked by nbcs Kristen Welker. We saw the candidates arrive at tonights debate. We will bring you into the hall momentarily. The white house chief of staff, metals, told the white house the president tested negative for the white house for the debate. Both campaigns agreed to have plexiglass removed after consulting with dr. Fauci. The plexiglass was deemed necessary by fauci if both trump and biden have tested negative. What are you going to be watching for tonight . The topics are really interesting. Covid19 will give candidates a chance to talk about something that is pretty much number one on the minds of voters. Theou look at the polls, pandemic is a big issue. Biden leads in the polls on this uniformly, even in key battleground states. The president would need to find a way to talk about when he has done. He has faced a lot of criticism by democrats and the media. Also to talk about what is coming down the pike in terms of getting the economy back on track and getting people healthy, making sure theres enough treatment and vaccines. The other thing im watching for is the opening for any discussion of hunter Biden Allegations and the three laptops that were seized by the fbi and written about by the new york post. Some of which contained emails alleging potential corruption leading up to the Vice President. When will that come into play . The moderator does not ask about it, where will the where will the president see an opening . Im interested to see one that comes up. The discussion of Climate Change. I think that will be exciting. Its an area where the two parties are very far apart. Susan for riccio susan for riccio, thanks for being with us this evening. The president is arriving at Beaumont University in nashville. The event begins at 9 00 p. M. Tonight. Livee going to go and watch some familiar faces by janetd the welcomed brown, the executive director of the commission on president ial debates. Cspan. Erage on [indistinct chatter]