So who won the debate?
Students in an AP government class were eager to discuss the subject Tuesday at Warren County High School.
“Trump kept taking sips of water and licking his lips. He looked unprepared,” said student Allie Winkler when giving her first impression of Monday night’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Students in the class of Tommy Davis dissected the debate at length with most agreeing the candidates have their flaws.
Trump did his best to pin America’s national security problems on Clinton and cast her as a typical career politician who has failed to take action during her years in office. However, it was Trump who found himself on the defensive for much of the night for not releasing his taxes and for not being truthful about his stance on the Iraq War.
“You can see how debates are low reward and high risk,” Davis told his students. “Are any of us talking about something good they said? No, we’re all nitpicking stuff. That’s what happens with debates.”
As with most of this presidential election, much of the student discussion centered on Trump. When it was pointed out by Clinton he hasn’t released his tax returns and she theorized it was because he hasn’t paid federal taxes, Trump smugly replied, “That makes me smart.”
Said student Nick Williamson, “It might be a smart business move not to pay your taxes, but it’s not good nationalism.”
Most students agreed the focus on the birth status of President Barack Obama was a waste of time. Davis reminded students the only three qualifications to become a U.S. president are: 1) to be at least 35 years old, 2) be a natural born U.S. citizens, and 3) have 14 straight years of U.S. residency before running.
Trump’s claim he never supported the Iraq War was also bothersome for students.
“He supported it in the beginning and he needs to own up to it,” said Samuel Gillies. However, he did agree with Trump that America needs to focus on its infrastructure. “Better bridges and roads are things which need to be discussed,” Gillies said.
Trump defended himself for much of Monday’s 90-minute showdown. The next morning, he spread the blame. He accused moderator Lester Holt of a left-leaning performance and going harder on him than Clinton, even floating the theory that organizers had intentionally given him a faulty microphone to set him up.
Student Samantha Henry said she didn’t agree with Trump’s overall demeanor and his failure to listen to Holt as moderator.
“Trump just talked right over him,” said Henry.
Davis said being moderator of such an event is no easy task.
“Can you imagine sitting there and your job is to tell Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton what to do?” Davis asked.
Clinton was sharp in her criticism of Trump’s business record, his past statements about women, and that he may be a racist himself for refusing to rent property to minorities in the 1970s.
Trump’s criticism of Clinton turned personal in the debate’s closing moments. He said, “She doesn’t have the look, she doesn’t have the stamina” to be president. He’s made similar comments in previous events, sparking outrage from Clinton backers who accused him of leveling a sexist attack on the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.
Clinton responded that she’s traveled to over 120 countries and has plenty of stamina.