Debate veers from 'How you doing?' to 'Will you shut up?'

 It started out civilly eugh, with President Donald Trump striding deliberately to his lectern, and Democrat Joe Biden dding to his opponent and offering a “How you doing, man?”

But within 15 minutes, debate h devolved into a series of endless interruptions, with Biden, seemingly unable to complete a sentence, finally blurting out, “Will you shut up, man?”

It was a chaotic and unusually bitter first presidential debate of 2020 general election, me all more unusual by ongoing coronavirus pandemic. re was friendly handshake to kick things off, room full of supporters in each candidate's court. Inste, debate played out before a socially-distanced audience of about 100 people in a makeshift debate hall built in an atrium that h been previously set up as an emergency hospital for patients with COVID-19.

Even without pandemic, 90-minute faceoff was jarring.

Trump came out of gate looking to challenge Biden and bgered him throughout debate, drawing a string of rejoinders from Democrat, including a plea to “just shush for a minute” at half-hour mark.

At or points, two candidates dialed down ir rhetoric, only to resume ir interruptions once again. When Trump was fielding a question about a report that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, Biden was one interjecting: “Show us your taxes. Show us your taxes.”

Roughly 50 minutes into debate, moderator Chris Wallace’s frustration came to a boil as he tried to regain control.

“Gentlemen, I hate to raise my voice, but why should I be any different than two of you?” Wallace said, drawing some muffled laughter from both sides of orwise mostly quiet room.

Trump blamed Biden, but Wallace firmly pushed back to president, “Frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting.”

reaction from mask-wearing crowd, warned t to make a sound, was inaudible on television, though re were several moments when y could be heard laughing or jeering inside atrium — including when Biden used his “shut up” line.

But was discernible response when former vice president called sitting president a “clown” and told him to “keep yapping.”

television cameras also eliminated difference in speaking volume between Trump and Biden that me Trump seem even more combative. Inside atrium, Biden was sometimes hard to hear and spoke far more softly than Trump, who often yelled, and even Wallace, who repeatedly tangled with Trump as he tried to get candidates to abide by -interruption rules ir campaigns h agreed to.

debate was hosted by Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University in 27,000-square-foot (2,500-square-meter) atrium of Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion on clinic’s Health Education Campus. tre Dame, original debate host, withdrew because of pandemic.

Earlier this year, building h been transformed into a temporary, 1,000-bed surge hospital, named Hope Hospital, for expected coronavirus patients. Though it never ended up needing to be used, floor where debate st was built was t long ago lined with beds for patients and copper piping to bring in oxygen.

This time it was turned into a makeshift debate hall with a st, red carpeting and elevated platforms for cameras. About 100 people watched, all of whom were tested for virus and sat with plenty of distance between m. Guests were required to wear masks, though some — including members of president's family — didn't. Seats were set with programs and antibacterial wipes.

Most in crowd did abide by social distancing and mask-wearing rules. At least one audience member even wore a bright red “MAGA” face mask, technically a violation of rules prohibiting campaign paraphernalia.

Some in Trump’s section tried to greet first ly with a standing ovation as she walked in, but with sparse crowd it didn’t quite come toger.

emptiness of room only me sharpness of candidates’ verbal slugfest, which often took tone of a schoolyard squabble, more table.

“ fact is that everything he’s saying so far is simply a lie,” a flustered Biden snapped when Trump suggested that vice president stole mination from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. “I’m t here to call out his lies. Everybody kws he’s a liar.”

After just over 90 minutes, faceoff was done — but t without more interruptions.

“This is end of this debate," said Wallace, as Trump continued to boom his objections. “We're going to leave it re, to be continued," moderator said as he finished what he deemed an “interesting” debate.