An estimated 66.5 million people watched the second debate between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Sunday, according to Nielsen.
The nominees took part in a town hall-style debate, taking questions from both moderators and undecided voters.
Trump won the debate, but it won’t matter, said Allan Saxe, political science associate professor.
“Hillary Clinton has more money to spend, the media, entire Democratic Party unified, strong organization in states, many minority groups, academic world, up against a very divided Republican Party,” Saxe said in an email. “She wins!”
The first debate reached a total of 84 million viewers, more than for any other presidential debate on record. The previous record of 80.6 million was set during the only debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980.
The candidates debated on a variety of topics, from the Syrian crisis to energy policy.
The final question was from an audience member, who asked what they each respected about their opponents.
Clinton offered praise for Trump’s grown children. “I don’t agree with nearly anything else he says or does, but I do respect that,” she said.
Trump described his opponent as a fighter: “She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t give up. I respect that.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
@Its_brittany101
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(11) comments
Yeah she'll win, only if she CHEATS like she did with Bernie Sanders! Everyone go look at the Wikileaks that were just released! Trump is the only hope for Sanders voters to get justice from the Clinton's. She has committed crimes, she needs to go to prison.
Alan Saxe, Tokyo Rose. Trump is way way ahead, everyone I talk to, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Indian are all Trump supporters, no one likes Clinton.
Sanders voters, join us and seek justice for what Clinton did to you!
I said this to a person below, and I'll paraphrase.
All candidates are types of poisons. I know Hillary is a shit, but she's not as toxic as Trump. I'd rather be bedridden for 11 months than be choked to death on my own innards for 4 years until the sweet embrace of death consumes me at my core.
So...uh...no.
A more interesting question is, what would Trump have had to do to lose the debate? Throw up on himself?
"entire Democratic Party unified"??? LMAO Allan saxe must have been only watching what mainstream media dishes out.
I know first hand of the fractured and broken, no unity, Democratic Party as a State Delegate and protesting in Philly.
They are scared out of their mind that a YUUGE portion of us Bernie supporters and Delegates WILL NOT give our vote to someone that rigged the election through voter suppression and election fraud (proven, and admitted by DNC).
I was in Philly, "Hell no DNC we won't vote for Hillary!", "Jill not Hill!", were just some of the most popular chants 10's of thousands of Bernie supporters were screaming from city Hall to the DNC, ALL WEEK LONG.
The Democratic Party called Bernie supporters "sexist", "need to do their own research", "children", "special place in hell for them", "dividing the party", "don't need you", etc.... well NOW they're BEGGING for our votes! Sorry, burned that bridge! What's all the worry about? Jill can't win right? You can do it without us right? You don't need our votes or the 10's of millions of Independents' votes, right? How's that non-existent ground game going for you that Bernie supporters killed at? How's the crowds of 200 going versus Bernie's 20,000? The Super Delegates and the DNC selected the weakest candidate. THEY are responsible for the outcome! #FeelTheBern #GetTheJills #NetflixAndJill #Jill2016 #JillStein #SteinBaraka2016
First, a lot has happened since Philly.
Second, politics is a process not a focus on any person, and if you talk about 'burned bridges' then you risk no longer acting in your own interest. Anyone who is willing to let pride or disappointment get in the way of voting for the candidate that most closely represents their entire set of policy choices is not acting rationally.
Preach on. There's no way in hell any of us (ex?) Bernie supporters are going to vote for Hillary or anyone in the "democratic" party. People don' realize that unlike their strictly 2 party system of thinking, the Bernie supporters were not these lifelong democrats who were just deciding who would be best for the party. They wanted the best possible candidate, regardless of party. So no, we aren't just going to hand Shillary the vote because she is a democrat.
Look at the Wikileaks, Shillary coordinated with the DNC to destroy Sanders. We all want justice against her, her crimes were on full display during this last debate.
Which is why none of the Bernie supporters should be voting for her.
I don't see how voting for Trump will get that justice. While I was a Bernie supporter and it's upsetting to note what Hillary did, I already knew that all of the candidates were poisonous in some way.
Trump happens to be extremely explicit with it, and I don't doubt that certain people would be condemned or perhaps die if he became president--I mean...just look at his views, guys, c'mon.
Voting for Trump or Stein (third party, believes that vaccines cause autism, foreign policy similar to Trump) isn't going to help America. I care that Sanders was cheated out of his role in major candidacy, but not enough to damn myself.
If I'm going to pick a poison, I'm choosing one that causes me to be bedridden for 11 months, not one that makes me slowly choke on my own blood and vomit for 4 years until I die a grizzly death.
It's important to care about Americans, not just Sanders.
Trump won the debate? How was that, exactly? By repeating more of his by now thoroughly debunked lies? By steadily losing his composure as the debate wore on, despite his obvious attempt to put forth a calm persona in the opening minutes? By threatening to move the US into the status of a third world dictatorship by imprisoning his political opponents? By literally stalking Clinton around stage as if he was actually planning on assaulting her like he had his other victims?
The only thing I saw of Trump was a spoiled, petulant bully angry that he wasn't always allowed the last word on everything and fuming that he repeatedly had to cede the mic to two women and a gay man.
I think he was angry the moderators crudely told the audience to quit applauding him, allowed Hillary to go over her time limit, and interrupted him several times while answering their questions. Nothing to do with the fact they were women and a gay man, whom Trump has talked to for years before this election season.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.