From Gerald Ford’s catastrophic Soviet gaffe to Ronald Reagan’s witty remarks about his age and Joe Biden’s infamous outburst, US presidential debates are full of shocking moments.
Here are some of the most memorable examples in modern American politics.
Kennedy-Nixon, September 26, 1960
It was the first televised debate of its kind, at a time when broadcasts were in black and white, and it established the importance of a politician’s public image. Republican Richard Nixon seemed poised to win the election, having served two terms as vice president under Dwight Eisenhower.
“I’m Bill Shadle ABC News…The two candidates will not share the same stage. John F. Kennedy in New York. Richard Nixon 3,000 miles away in a Los Angeles studio. The debate will be joined by a network of electronic facilities which allows each candidate to see and hear the other”
13/10/1960 pic.twitter.com/9GottJMbPP— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) 8 October 2020
But the debate did not go well for them. Nixon refused to wear makeup and appeared pale and sweaty in front of an audience of more than 66 million, while the young Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy appeared taut and relaxed. While Nixon addressed the moderator, Kennedy looked straight into the camera and spoke directly to his voters.
The extent to which the debate scenes impacted the election is disputed, but Kennedy defeated Nixon in the election.
Ford-Carter, October 6, 1976
The first debate between Republican President Gerald Ford and Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter had the audio turned off for 27 minutes. The second debate did not go well for Ford either, when he made a mistake that cost him the presidency.
At the height of the Cold War, Ford stated that “there is no Soviet dominance over Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford Administration”, even though the Soviet Union had troops deployed throughout the Eastern Bloc.
Six days later, Ford clarified his statement, saying that he was not talking about actual military presence but rather that the morale of the people there had not been crushed.
Reagan-Mondale, October 21, 1984
Republican President Ronald Reagan was 73 when he ran for a second term against 56-year-old Walter Mondale. But he turned his age into his strength and gave a witty retort that went down in history.
When Reagan was asked if he was fit for office, he said, “I will not make age an issue in this campaign.” “I am not going to exploit my opponent’s youth and inexperience for political purposes.”
Bush-Clinton-Perot, October 15, 1992
The second debate in the 1992 presidential election pitted incumbent President George Bush against his would-be successor Bill Clinton and independent candidate Ross Perot.
During a town hall debate, Bush was caught on camera looking at his watch while Clinton was speaking to a viewer, which cost Bush heavily.
Years later, Bush admitted he hated the debates. “That’s probably why I was watching it — ‘Just 10 more minutes of this crap.'”
Obama-Romney, October 22, 2012
During a debate against President Barack Obama, Republican opponent Mitt Romney lamented that the US Navy currently has fewer ships than it did in 1916.
Obama responded, “Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed.”
“We have aircraft carriers with planes landing on them. We have underwater ships, nuclear submarines.”
Obama’s comments went viral.
Trump-Clinton, October 9, 2016
The second debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election was particularly fierce.
Shortly after the release of a video in which Trump was heard saying his fame had given him the opportunity to touch women, the Republican billionaire took aim at his rival’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, and accused him of behaving “very disrespectfully towards women.”
Trump also promised to investigate the private email account Hillary Clinton used while she was secretary of state.
“It’s a great thing that someone with a temperament like Donald Trump isn’t in charge of law enforcement in our country,” Clinton said.
Trump responded: “Because you’d be in jail.”
Trump-Biden, September 29, 2020
The first debate of the 2020 presidential election, involving Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, devolved into shouting matches and insults.
As Trump repeatedly interrupted him, Biden said, “Will you shut up?”
The Democrat also called his opponent a “clown” and “Putin’s puppy.”
On the other hand, Trump kept avoiding the question whether he would recognize the results of the election.
Unable to control the two candidates, the debate’s moderator, Fox News journalist Chris Wallace, later spoke of feeling “frustrated”.
Trump-Biden, June 27, 2024
The June debate, held in an unprecedented fashion four months before this year’s November vote, was expected to give the 81-year-old Biden a chance to address concerns about his age.
But it was a debacle for Democrats, who repeatedly lost their train of thought, stared blankly and spoke at times incoherently and raspy voices.
This disappointing performance set the stage for Biden to ultimately drop out of the race — and the mantle now passes to Trump’s new rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris and Trump will now debate on Tuesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)