![US President](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7c8ef31/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6038x4024+5+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8b%2F0a%2F862baf7a42838b166470d5b6dfa1%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228794678.jpg)
President Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
(AFP)
- Share via
President Trump and Joe Biden clashed Tuesday night in their first face-to-face debate.
The debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland could be one of the most-watched political events in American history, with roughly a third of the nation’s voters watching the 90-minute broadcast.
![President Donald Trump\](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/10557c5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5144x3434+0+0/resize/2000x1335!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff4%2F20%2Fe5a8fe1a4d0ea85ed44c42e1b559%2Felection-2020-debate-84010.jpg)
President Donald Trump gestures while speaking during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.
(Julio Cortez/Associated Press)
![Democratic presidential candidate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1029176/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3313x2209+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F46%2F60%2F6b20158c40829cdecdd61914a7fd%2Faptopix-election-2020-debate-90310.jpg)
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden smiles during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.
(Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)
![Moderator Chris Wallace](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9cfc849/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4492x2995+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7a%2F1c%2Fe6a7beae4a4f9b22c710e185556a%2Felection-2020-debate-63922.jpg)
Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News gestures toward President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Morry Gash/Pool))
![President Donald Trump](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6025d21/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8b%2Fc2%2F5462f336437cb614dd5647054c5c%2Felection-2020-debate-04995.jpg)
President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, during the first presidential debate with moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News, center, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)
![Donald Trump speaks during a debate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c465b0f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7542x5031+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb4%2Fbb%2F3e8aff5a401c8c319f72d8160e3e%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1277458359.jpg)
President Trump at the first presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University on Sept. 29.
( Win McNamee / Getty Images)
![Democratic Presidential candidate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/018f7ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x2660+0+0/resize/2000x1330!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2Fd9%2Fe90abda94e8e8a7d1a1887549b7a%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228795578.jpg)
Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during the first presidential debate at the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.
(JIM WATSON/AFP)
![Joe Biden and Donald Trump on the debate stage](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ca83f80/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5813x3876+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2F80%2F62ccc81b446fae0d318366b5015e%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228794699.jpg)
President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
![Debate moderator](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a5bc1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2896x1936+0+0/resize/2000x1337!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9d%2Fce%2F0deb598343ffa385e485d1c97d26%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228795099.jpg)
Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace directs the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.
(OLIVIER DOULIERY/POOL)
![President Donald Trump](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1d962bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4783x3193+0+0/resize/2000x1335!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffc%2F14%2F0c6b942f45cabc43f80e8b6a1842%2Felection-2020-debate-43442.jpg)
President Donald Trump holds up his face mask during the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Julio Cortez/Associated Press )
![Joe Biden speaks during a debate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e2e1b5e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4083x2717+0+0/resize/2000x1331!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2F2b%2Fca98583845e880d973a85bc7af17%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228795805.jpg)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during the first presidential debate at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
(AFP)
![Joe Biden and President Trump on the debate stage](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d1b5cc4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5484x3556+0+0/resize/2000x1297!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fb4%2Fb0e8cef24cdb845945f7e34322da%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228794814.jpg)
President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrive for the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(AFP )
![CLEVELAND, OHIO](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/af81f8d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3733+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F97%2Fba%2Fe137a78f4a0796cc48c26be6818a%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228795616.jpg)
First lady Melania Trump stands with President Donald Trump as he looks at Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as he hugs his wife Jill Biden during the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
![US President Donald Trump](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4fe817a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x4024+0+0/resize/2000x1331!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff7%2F2d%2Ff6ba93804e739f6f1ebb67ff15b2%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228796380.jpg)
First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump waves, as Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden and Jill Biden approach moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace after the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(JIM WATSON/AFP)
![CLEVELAND, OHIO](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d9f8d03/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4893x3263+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Faf%2F98%2F414731aa47998042427a8b903a8a%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1277465683.jpg)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on stage after the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
![CLEVELAND, OHIO](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/57ee4b6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5950x3969+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffa%2F58%2F74f681d44b62bec331cf7b94534d%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1277465689.jpg)
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden greet the audience after the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
![Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec935ec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5082x3381+0+0/resize/2000x1331!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F5e%2Fc9cf3978485f8ef8500c4d5f6b1c%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228794756.jpg)
From left: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump ahead of the first presidential debate.
(Jim Watson / AFP)
![First presidential debate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/57cc429/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5313x3542+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2F41%2Fe32ae42845e6a75248280ccdf38e%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228769917.jpg)
Workers complete the final touches on the stage of the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Eric Baradat / AFP/Getty Images )
![First presidential debate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f83df75/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5622x3748+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1e%2F7d%2F801169f74f9abc93b2cb7c827c8c%2Fhttps-delivery.gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1228784714.jpg)
The site of the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
(Eric Baradat / AFP/Getty Images )
![Mobile offices](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc1046c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5381x3587+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F09%2F5d%2F480ef3a543f390bef528ba8c9568%2Felection-2020-debate-76310.jpg)
Mobile offices outside the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University before the first presidential debate in Cleveland.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
![Joe Biden](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9a285db/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4935x3290+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F62%2F07%2F1b631e754a54b62e312688dcb8c0%2Felection-2020-biden-73394.jpg)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Cleveland airport for the first presidential debate.
(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press )
![President Trump and Melania Trump](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9b0d3dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5116x3411+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2F7a%2Fe621c5334a66b13c77fb328ed01c%2Ftrump-54841.jpg)
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump prepare to board Marine One at the White House en route to Cleveland for the first presidential debate.
(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.