Breaking down the biggest moments of the Biden-Trump debate

Breaking down the Biden-Trump debate >> Adrienne: NOW IT'S TIME TO DIG DEEPER INTO TONIGHT'S HISTORIC U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. [♪♪♪] >> President Joe Biden: THINK OF ALL THE CIVIL PENALTIES YOU HAVE. HOW MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DO YOU OWE FOR CIVIL PENALTIES, FOR MOLESTING A WOMAN IN PUBLIC, FOR HAVING SEX WITH A PORN STAR ON THE NIGHT -- WHILE YOUR WIFE WAS PREGNANT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU HAVE THE MORALS OF AN ALLEY CAT. >> Adrienne: OKAY. THAT WAS AN EXCHANGE OF BARBS DURING TONIGHT'S DEBATE. THE STORY OF THIS DEBATE WILL BE JOE BIDEN AND A PERFORMANCE THAT MAY CONFIRM HIS SUPPORTER'S WORST FEARS. SO LET'S BREAKDOWN THE KEY MOMENTS OF THIS DEBATE. OUR SENIOR CORRESPONDENT IS IN Joe Biden's shaky debate performance WASHINGTON, AND BRIAN STELTER, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FROM VANITY FAIR, JOINS US FROM NEW YORK. BRIAN, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU. JUST WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WATCH THAT FOR YOU? >> Reporter: IT WAS PAINFUL FOR BIDEN SUPPORTERS WHO THINK HE'S THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB. IT WAS ALSO PAINFUL FOR REPUBLICAN NONTRUMP SUPPORTERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE TRUMP RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET AND HAND THE REIGNS OVER TO SOMEONE LIKE NIKKI HALEY. NIKKI HALEY IS ON TWITTER TONIGHT, PREDICTING THAT BIDEN WILL NOT BE THE DEMOCRAT ON THE TICKET BY THE FALL, AND RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS IN PARTY CIRCLES ABOUT WHETHER IT'S POSSIBLE TO PLACE BIDEN. IT WOULD BE -- REPLACE BIDEN. IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. HONESTLY, THE LEVELS OF CONCERN, THE LEVELS OF PANIC IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ARE OFF THE CHARTS TONIGHT. >> Adrienne: PAUL, FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT IN WASHINGTON, WHAT WAS IT LIKE? >> Reporter: WELL, HERE IN THE BUREAU, PEOPLE WERE LOOKING AROUND, WHAT? BECAUSE BIDEN WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT OF THE GATE GANGBUSTERS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE NEED TO DO TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THE, HE'S TOO OLD, HE'S TOO FRAGILE STUFF. I DON'T MEAN TO BE MEAN, JUST REALISTIC. HOW CAN DEMOCRATS MAKE THE ARGUMENT BROADLY THAT HE HAS THE REASON TO RUN AGAIN? STATED REASON, AND HE SAID THIS, HE'S THE ONLY TRUMP BEATER OUT THERE. AFTER THIS, EFFECTIVELY SPEAKING, MELTDOWN TONIGHT IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, IT'S LEGIT FOR DEMOCRATS TO FREAK OUT AS BRIAN WAS SAYING, SAYING WE WATCHED YOU, AND THERE'S ONLY FOUR MONTHS TODAY, PLUS IT'S NECK AND NECK, PROBABLY SLANTING BIDEN'S WAY BEFORE TONIGHT, AND THE POLITICAL AMNESIA THAT'S SWEEPING ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AFFECTING TRUMP SUPPORTERS DURING HIS How both campaigns reacted to the debate PRESIDENTIAL YEARS. IS IT POSSIBLE TO FIND SOMEONE TO REPLACE HIM AT THIS STAGE? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT DEMOCRATS ARE ASKING TONIGHT. >> Adrienne: TIA, I SAVED YOU FOR LAST IN THAT YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. YOU WERE IN THE SPIN ROOM AFTER THE DEBATE. I THINK YOU BOLTED THERE AFTER THE DEBATE. HOW DID BOTH PARTIES REACT TO THIS? >> Reporter: SO I THINK MY SPIN AROUND THE SPIN ROOM WAS VERY TELLING. I GOT THERE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER THE DEBATE ENDED. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF TRUMP SURROGATES IN THE SPIN ROOM. A COUPLE OF THEM HAD ALREADY LEFT. WHEN I GOT THERE, ONE DEMOCRAT WAS ON THE FLOOR, AND HE WAS TELLING THE MEDIA IT MIGHT BE TIME TO REPLACE BIDEN AS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, AND THAT WAS THE ONLY PERSON EVEN REMOTELY SPEAKING AS A DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTER AT THAT TIME. NOW, OTHERS WILL COME AND GO, BUT IT IS VERY TELLING THAT DEMOCRATS ARE IN A TOUGH SPOT. NOW I DO WANT TO SAY THERE IS A UNIVERSE THAT MAYBE JOE BIDEN CAN REBOUND FROM THIS AND CONVINCE VOTERS THAT HE JUST HAD A BAD NIGHT, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH BECAUSE TONIGHT WAS THE NIGHT THAT BIDEN WAS SUPPOSED TO CONVINCE VOTERS TO GIVE HIM A SECOND TERM IN THE WHITE HOUSE. >> Adrienne: TIA, ONE DEMOCRAT Trump takes advantage of Biden's stumbles LEFT IN THE SPIN ROOM TALKING ABOUT JOE BIDEN'S PLAYBOOK, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE. >> President Joe Biden: MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY PERSON ELIGIBLE WITH WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH COVID -- EXCUSE ME, DEALING WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD TO DO WITH -- LOOK, IF -- WE FINALLY BEAT MEDICARE, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE UNTIL WE GET THE TOTAL BAN ON THE -- THE TOTAL INITIATIVE RELATIVE TO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH MORE BORDER PATROL AND MORE ASYLUM OFFICERS. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP? >> President Donald Trump: I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAYS AT THE END OF THIS, AND I DON'T THINK HE KNOWS WHAT HE SAID EARLIER. LOOK -- >> Adrienne: TIA, YOU PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER, THAT'S HOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WATCH THIS DEBATE. THEY WON'T HAVE WATCHED THE ENTIRE DEBATE, THEY'RE GOING TO WATCH IT IN SNIPPETS LIKE THAT. WHAT'S THE EFFECT OF THAT, DO YOU THINK? >> Reporter: YEAH, IT'S BAD FOR BIDEN, AND IF TRUMP WAS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A BAD MOMENT FOR BIDEN AND SAY LOOK, THIS GUY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE SAID, HE'S HARD TO FOLLOW. THERE WAS ME IN THE SPIN ROOM TRYING TO FOLLOW BIDEN'S PARTICULAR THOUGHT, AND THAT STATEMENT WAS VERY INDICATIVE OF HIS TROUBLES, LOSING HIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT, LOW ENERGY. NOW, TO BE CLEAR, THERE ARE SNIPPETS WE CAN TAKE OF TRUMP STRUGGLING TO HAVE A COHERENT AND ACCURATE MESSAGE, AS WELL. THOSE WILL BE PLAYED, TOO, BUT IT'S TWO DIFFERENT NARRATIVES ABOUT THESE CANDIDATES, BOTH Biden goes after Trump's character BAD BUT, AGAIN, PROBABLY MUCH WORSE FOR BIDEN. >> Adrienne: SO TO YOUR POINT, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK AT A MOMENT THAT SEEMED TO GO RELATIVELY WELL FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN. >> President Joe Biden: THE IDEA THAT I DID ANYTHING WRONG RELATIVE TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS OUTRAGEOUS. IT'S SIMPLY A LIE, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SEEK RETRIBUTION AGAINST ANY AMERICAN, IT'S WRONG. NO ONE HAS SPOKEN LIKE THAT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, NO PRESIDENT BEFORE. THINK OF ALL THE CIVIL PENALTIES THAT YOU HAVE. HOW MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DO YOU OWE IN CIVIL PENALTIES FOR MOLESTING A WOMAN IN PUBLIC, FOR DOING A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS, FOR HAVING SEX WITH A PORN STAR WHILE YOUR WIFE IS PREGNANT? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU HAVE THE MORALS OF AN ALLEY CAT. >> Adrienne: BRIAN, DOES THAT MOMENT HELP HIM OR IS IT TOO LATE? >> Reporter: IT DOES HELP HIM AROUND THE EDGES, BUT IT'S PROBABLY TOO LATE FOR OUR FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD. THIS IS DEPRESSING, IT'S DISPIRITING. THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT BIDEN CAN HIGHLIGHT. THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT HE IMPROVES AS THE DEBATE WENT ON, BUT THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM HAS CALCIFIED, AND IT'S THAT BIDEN DIDN'T DO AS WELL AS TRUMP. BIDEN'S VOTERS HOLD HIM TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN TRUMP'S VOTERS, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM HERE. TRUMP CLAIMS THAT BIDEN WANTS TO QUADRUPLE TAXES ON AMERICANS, AND THAT'S NOT TRUE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, BIDEN DOESN'T SEEM TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. >> Adrienne: IT'S JUNE IN Can Biden's campaign turn this around? AMERICAN POLITICS, AND IT'S NOT UNTIL OCTOBER THAT PEOPLE WIPE THE SLEEP OUT OF THEIR EYES AND REALLY GET INTO IT. SO CAN BIDEN, PRESUMING FOR A MOMENT THAT HE'S NOT REPLACED, WHAT DOES HIS CAMPAIGN DO TO TURN THIS AROUND? >> Reporter: THE GOOD QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING THEY CAN DO, I THINK IS Questions about CNN's debate format MARK. >> Adrienne: TIA, WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS JUST BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO BREAK, BUT SOMETHING OCCURS TO ME, AS YOU'RE SITTING IN ATLANTA, THE HOME OF CNN, WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE THERE ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THIS BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING AT THE TELEVISION, SAYING THAT'S NOT TRUE, HANG ON, THAT'S NOT TRUE. POOR DANIEL DAY, THE CANADIAN WHO HAS WORKED FOR CNN. I DON'T THINK -- HIS FINGERS MUST BE BROKEN FROM TRYING TO FACT CHECK IN REAL-TIME. IS THIS A PROBLEM THAT THERE WAS NO PUSH-BACK? >> Reporter: I MEAN, I THINK NO MATTER WHAT FORMAT, THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE WAYS THAT FORMAT CAN BE MANIPULATED OR THE NOT-SO-STRONG POINTS OF THIS FORMAT. IN ONE WAY, IT DID ALLOW THE CANDIDATES TO BE HEARD. THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO TALK OVER EACH OTHER, THE MODERATORS WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THEIR QUESTIONS, BUT THERE WASN'T THE LIVE FACT CHECKING MAINLY BECAUSE BIDEN WASN'T FACT CHECKING TRUMP. AND THEN, THE MODERATORS WERE PRETTY HANDS OFF. I THINK THERE WILL BE PEOPLE SAYING THEY WISH THE MODERATORS HAD BEEN A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE IN THAT, BUT THAT WASN'T THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS CREATED. THE ENVIRONMENT WAS FOR EACH CANDIDATE TO GET THEIR POINT ACROSS, BUT BECAUSE BIDEN WAS SO WEAK IN THE MOMENT, IT LET TRUMP'S LIES GO UNCHALLENGED, PERHAPS A DIFFERENT FORMAT, MORE URGENCY FROM THE MODERATORS ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS A CHOICE THAT BOTH CANDIDATES, THE FORMAT THAT THEY AGREED TO. >> Adrienne: OKAY. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN SEPTEMBER, IF THERE'S ANOTHER DEBATE BETWEEN THESE TWO [♪♪♪] >> Adrienne: WITH LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, TONIGHT'S DEBATE Could the Democrats replace Biden? MATTERED, SO LET'S GET RIGHT BACK TO THE ANALYSIS FROM OUR PANEL. TIA, IF I CAN START WITH YOU, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT REPLACING BIDEN, MECHANICALLY, WHAT HAPPENS THERE? IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, HOW WOULD IT HAPPEN? >> Reporter: SO TECHNICALLY BIDEN DOESN'T BECOME THE NOMINEE UNTIL THE DELEGATES MAKE THEIR VOTES OFFICIAL DURING THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, WHICH IS IN AUGUST, SO THERE IS A MECHANISM WHEREAS THESE DELEGATES CAN DECIDE TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE, NOT BIDEN. NOW THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE BIDEN HAS ALREADY WON PRIMARIES IN NEARLY ALL 50 STATES. JUST A HANDFUL STILL HAVEN'T DONE SO, SO THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE WILL BE A CONVERSATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ABOUT GETTING STATES TO TALK TO THEIR VOTERS AND KIND OF START THE PROCESS OF FREEING THE DELEGATES TO SELECT OTHER CANDIDATES. SO IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT WOULD BE PRETTY UNPRECEDENTED, AND IT WOULD BE PRETTY CHAOTIC ON THE CONVENTION FLOOR IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, AND IT WOULD LEAVE A LOT OF VOTERS, QUITE FRANKLY, DISENFRANCHISED THINKING, WAIT A MINUTE, WE HAD A PRIMARY. BIDEN IS OUR STATE'S CANDIDATE. BIDEN HAS WON EVERY STATE, WE DON'T WANT TO REPLACE HIM. SO IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT WOULD BE A ROUGH GO WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. >> Adrienne: WELL, THAT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS SOME OF THE CLAIMS ON-LINE, SOME OF THE EARLY TWEETS THAT SIMPLY SAY RELEASE THE DELEGATES. THAT'S CLEARLY WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. >> Reporter: YEAH. >> Adrienne: BRIAN -- >> Reporter: AND AGAIN, THE DELEGATES ARE BOUND, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE ASSIGNED, BUT THEY COULD MAYBE GO ROGUE -- NOT GO The lasting impact of this debate ROGUE, BUT THEY COULD MAYBE DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT IT'LL BE DIFFICULT. >> Adrienne: SO BRIAN, YOU KNOW, THE MOMENT AFTER SOMETHING HAPPENS, PEOPLE ARE OFTEN VERY REACTIVE AND VERY QUICK AND VERY PASSIONATE. >> Reporter: YES. >> Adrienne: AND THEN, THEY GO TO BED AND WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND GO, IN THE LIGHT OF DAY, THINGS ARE DIFFERENT. WHAT IS YOUR GUT ABOUT WHAT THE LIGHT OF DAY WILL TELL US ABOUT THIS THING? >> Reporter: I THINK THE LIGHT OF DAY TELLS US THAT BOTH OF THESE CANDIDATES ARE SO SUPREMELY FLAWED, BUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ON BOARD WITH TRUMP AND ALL OF HIS DEMAGOGUERY, ALL OF THE NONSENSE THAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS NOT WITH BIDEN IN THE SAME WAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY VERY MUCH WANT TO REELECT BIDEN. BUT WHAT DEMOCRATIC VOTERS HAVE BEEN TOLD IS BIDEN IS THE ONE WHO CAN BEAT TRUMP. TONIGHT, THEY'RE SAYING THAT PERHAPS WE'VE BEEN SOLD A BILL OF GOODS, THAT BIDEN IS NOT THE PERSON TO BEAT TRUMP. IT'LL ALL COME DOWN TO TWO PEOPLE: OBAMA AND JILL BIDEN. TONIGHT'S DIFFERENT, THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THE TENOR OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE EXTENT OF THAT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM. YOU HAVE REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, WHO ARE UNITED IN THEIR VIEW THAT THIS WAS NOT GOOD FOR BIDEN WHEN HE WANTED TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. HE HAS CHANGED THE NARRATIVE BUT IN A WAY THAT HAS HURT HIM. >> Adrienne: PAUL, I HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS. SORRY ABOUT THAT, FRIEND, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE DEBATE THAT SUGGESTS TO YOU WHO DONALD TRUMP MIGHT PICK, WHO HE MIGHT PICK TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE? >> Reporter: YEAH, MARCO RUBIO, J.D. VANCE. I WANT TO PICK UP ON SOMETHING, AND THAT'S CAN JOE BIDEN LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SAY, YOU'RE THE PROBLEM. BEFORE, HE DIDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S THE GUY TO BEAT TRUMP.