The first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden took place on Tuesday night, and it’s safe to say that things got heated.
Moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, the 90-minute debate featured Trump refusing to condemn white supremacists, Biden telling Trump to “shut up, man,” and plenty of interruptions from both sides. Naturally, celebrities had their share of reactions to the event, with many taking to Twitter to express their concerns and disdain, primarily for Trump.
Actor Mark Ruffalo responded to a tweet from Sophia Bush, who pointed out Biden’s lifelong struggle with a stutter and his courage to speak publicly. In response, Ruffalo wrote: “Just to show another dimension of Donald’s deep cruelty is that interrupting someone with a stutter is the worst thing you could do. He knew exactly what he was doing and Joe held his own against it.”
Twitter was certainly aflutter after Trump addressed the hate group Proud Boys, telling them to “stand back and stand by.” Actor Kumail Nanjiani reacted by tweeting, “Did he just tell white supremacists to ‘stand by’?”
“Little Fires Everywhere” actor Kerry Washington used Trump’s mention of the Proud Boys to remind her followers to vote on Nov. 3. “Once again. He refuses to condemn white supremacy. PAY ATTENTION FOLKS. Please vote,” Washington wrote.
Musician Pink commented on moderator Wallace’s performance, observing the chaotic nature of Trump, Biden and Wallace all interrupting each other. “I feel like the moderators of our debates now need to be preschool teachers in order to deal with the sulking clown that is Donald,” she tweeted.
In Alyssa Milano’s opinion, Biden “clearly” won the debate. “This was just a showcase of how unhinged Trump is,” Milano tweeted.
Late night host Lilly Singh also chimed in, tweeting about the lack of representation on the debate stage. “Me watching three white men debate issues involving BIPOC and women… where they at in this room though,” she wrote.
Comedian Billy Eichner said that Trump’s mention of Proud Boys was “one of the most disgusting, dangerous things that could have possibly been said.”
See more reactions below.