Biden thrashes Trump in post-debate snap polls

Most reputable snap polls conducted after the final US presidential debate show that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden emerged victorious in his face-off against President Donald Trump.

According to the snap reaction polls, Biden did a better job in the third and final debate held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday than his Republican rival.

Trump, Biden clash at final presidential debate

US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have begun their final debate in Nashville, Tennessee.

Their second presidential debate was canceled after Trump refused to participate virtually following his COVID-19 diagnosis. The first debate was widely criticized for descending into an angry shouting match, with Trump frequently hectoring and interrupting, prompting Biden to tell him to "shut up" as the two fought over COVID-19, healthcare and the struggling economy.

CNN’s poll, released shortly after the last debate, found that 53 percent of viewers felt the former US vice president had won the debate, compared to 39 percent who believed Trump had done a better job.

Similar numbers were seen in polls by YouGov America, which had Biden on 54 percent and Trump on 35 percent, and Data for Progress where Biden garnered 52 percent of support and Trump 41 percent.

#NEW Poll On Who won tonight's debate?@YouGovAmerica:
Biden 54% (+19)
Trump 35%@CNN:
Biden 53% (+14)
Trump 39%@DataProgress:
Biden 52% (+11)
Trump 41%

— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) October 23, 2020

About the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic nominee was backed by 57 percent of viewers in comparison with 41 percent who said Trump would do a better job.

The gap between the two candidates grew even larger on the issue of climate change, with 67 percent backing Biden and 29 percent favoring Trump.

On the economy, viewers held a more favorable view of Trump with 56 percent of support against Biden’s 44 percent. The support for the Republican president seems to have increased since the last debate, when he was trailing behind Biden on the economy by two percentage points. 

The CNN post-debate poll was conducted among 585 registered voters who participated with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points.

In Pennsylvania, Trump touts the economy and warns of 'Biden depression'

Trump said he needed a second term in the White House to ensure a successful recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout.

Citing preliminary ratings data, the Los Angeles-based Hollywood publication Variety reported that an estimated 21.4 million people watched the debate on three US broadcast television networks, a sharp fall in figures compared to the first face-off in September, which showed 28.2 million people tuned in.

The tally includes viewership on Walt Disney Co's ABC, ViacomCBS Corp's CBS and Comcast Corp's NBC.

Over 300 military family members endorse Biden

In an open letter released Friday, more than 300 military family members endorsed Biden as a “man of integrity with a lifelong record of public service and leadership.”

“Joe and Jill Biden are a military family,” the endorsers wrote. “They are intimately familiar with the fear, anxiety and pride that come with sending a loved one into harm's way. But they are more than a military family. They have been staunch advocates for service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.”

The letter said Trump’s actions, by contrast, have “convinced us that he does not value the lives of those who serve.”

The letter cited Trump’s threat to send active-duty troops to quell protests, in what was clearly acknowledged by the president during anti-racism demonstrations in Portland.

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