'You're the president - you're not someone's crazy uncle!' Donald Trump spars with Savannah Guthrie at town hall, saying he CAN'T REMEMBER when he tested negative for COVID and clashes over taxes and tweets (making Biden's dueling event seem very sleepy)
Donald Trump engaged in a combative town hall with NBC News on Thursday night, a contentious evening that found the president struggling to answer questions about his COVID testing, his taxes and his debt.
The one-hour event seemed more like a boxing match than an interview and discussion with voters as Trump sparred with Savannah Guthrie over wearing a face mask, denouncing white supremacy and the QAnon conspiracy group.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden was questioned by ABC's George Stephanopoulos in Philadelphia, to an audience of undecided voters and set a far more sedate tone on an evening which should have seen them face off in debate, until Trump refused to accept a decision to make the debate remote.
The split-screen town halls could not have been more different: while Stephanopoulus barely interrupted Biden, in Miami Guthrie asked more questions than the undecided voters the evening was dedicated to and challenged Trump repeatedly in a way the president doesn't usually experience, given his preference for interviews with friendlier news outlets.
'Let's waste a whole show,' he snapped at her when she asked him about the retweets on his Twitter feed, which have contained QAnon conspiracy theories and unproven claims Seal Team Six killed Osama bin Laden's body double.
'You're not somebody's crazy uncle who can just retweet whatever,' Guthrie told him as she pressed him on the issue.
She kept the president on his toes with quick questions and repeated follow ups, pushing him to answer questions he tried to deflect away - which conservative backers of Trump said was proof of media bias.
But soon after the debate ended, Trump's campaign boasted he had 'defeated opponent' Guthrie, saying he had 'masterfully handled her attacks'.
During the evening, the president appeared to admit he owes more than $400 million to creditors, denied knowing about QAnon while praising them for fighting pedophilia, and declined to say if he was tested for COVID the day of his first presidential debate.
Unmentioned by either ABC or NBC or by Trump or Biden were Hunter Biden's emails, which were revealed by Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, earlier this week and raised questions over his business dealings in Ukraine and China and whether he used his father to further them. Also unmentioned was the storm over Twitter banning distribution of stories about the email on its platform.
The NBC hall had many memorable moments - most combative and some just unusual. One of those came when Paulette Dale, described as leaning toward voting for Joe Biden, appeared to flirt with the president. 'I have to say, you have a great smile. You're so handsome when you smile,' she told him. 'Thank you,' Trump said as the audience applauded.
The evening started out with the president saying he can't remember when he last tested negative for the coronavirus before he was diagnosed with it on October 3
'Let's waste a whole show,' he snapped at her when she asked him about the retweets on his Twitter feed, which have contained QAnon conspiracy theories and unproven claims Seal Team Six killed Osama bin Laden's body double. 'You're not somebody's crazy uncle who can just retweet whatever,' Guthrie told him as she pressed him on the issue
Trump said he felt 'fantastically' at the debate and there 'was no problem.' 'I was in great shape for the debate,' he repeated. Pictured: Trump touches his nose part during a live one-hour NBC News town hall forum with a group of Florida voters in Miami
After the debate, Trump met with supporters and audience members outside the town hall event as they clamored for a photo of the President
The town hall, which took the place of the second presidential debate scheduled for Thursday night in Miami, had many memorable moments - most combative and some just unusual. One of those came when Paulette Dale (left), described as leaning toward voting for Joe Biden, appeared to flirt with the president. 'I have to say, you have a great smile. You're so handsome when you smile,' she told him. 'Thank you,' Trump said as the audience applauded
Outside the Perez Art Museum, protesters gathered to demonstrate against Donald Trump, with Biden supporters waving placards branding the President a racist
The evening started out with the president saying he can't remember when he last tested negative for the coronavirus before he was diagnosed with it on October 3.
Pressed repeatedly by NBC's Savannah Guthrie, Trump couldn't say if he was tested for the disease on the day of the first presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
'Did you test the day of the debate?,' Guthrie asked him.
'I don't know. I don't even remember,' Trump responded.
Donald Trump was combative throughout his town hall meeting with NBC News on Thursday night, a contentious evening that found the president struggling to answer questions about his COVID testing, his taxes, his debt and a host of other issues
Trump waves after the tough debate where he clashed many times with host Savannah Guthrie after he refused to take part in a virtual debate with Biden
Supporters of Trump gathered outside the debate, with one woman donning a mask and decking herself out in various Trump regalia
The president said he doesn't get tested for COVID every day. 'No but I take a lot of tests,' he said.
The White House has repeatedly refused to answer when the president last tested negative before he tested positive.
Before his September 29 debate with Biden, Trump attended two events at the White House – a Rose Garden ceremony for his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and an East Room event for Gold Star families – where several attendees later tested positive for COVID.
Trump said he felt 'fantastically' at the debate and there 'was no problem.'
'I was in great shape for the debate. And it was only after the debate, like a period of time, after the debate,' Trump said, that he started feeling poorly.
An anti-Trump protester is detained by police outside the venue where the debate took place as tensions grow in the fiery election campaign
A Trump supporter wore a t-shirt which read 'Proud Boys did nothing wrong', a reference to the far-right group which Trump told in the previous debate to 'stand back and stand by'
On ABC Biden was questioned by George Stephanopoulos in Philadelphia, to an audience of undecided voters and set a far more sedate tone
At one point during a commercial break, Trump took out a tissue and dabbed at his nose.
On the back of his right hand there were large band aids, suggesting he is receiving intravenous fluids, despite claiming to be 'medication free' after his battle with coronavirus.
He was previously seen with similar band aids on Saturday. They were placed in a spot that is commonly used to deliver IV fluids or medications. Much less commonly, it could be used as a site to draw blood for tests, if veins in the arm were difficult to access, a medical expert previously told DailyMail.com.
