The defining moments of the US presidential debates

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will debate on Thursday for the first time this election cycle, and it has the potential for some history-making moments.

Debates can inform voters about the issues and temperaments of candidates, potentially swaying an undecided voter toward one candidate. They can also make for good TV, creating catchphrases that will resonate for decades to come.

From the candidates’ physical appearances to gaffes, to planned attacks and impromptu retorts, here are some memorable moments from US presidential debate history.

1960: The first and possibly still the most famous televised American presidential debate pitted the telegenic Democrat John F. Kennedy against the Republican vice president Richard Nixon, creating decisive moments both for the presidential debates and for television itself. The clingy Nixon was recovering from an illness and had stubble, but he refused makeup. It is said that viewers considered Kennedy the winner, while radio listeners either gave the award to Nixon or considered it a tie. Kennedy won a narrow election. He was murdered three years later.

1976: Republican President Gerald Ford, who succeeded Nixon after the Watergate scandal, had been closing the gap with the Democrats. Jimmy Carter but later noted: “There is no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.” It was seen as a critical gaffe in the context of the Cold War and Carter won the election.

1980: Carter accused Republican Ronald Reagan of planning to cut Medicare health care funding for seniors. Reagan, who complained that Carter was misrepresenting his positions on countless issues, said with a laugh, “There you go again.” The audience exploded. The duel attracted 80.6 million viewers, the highest number ever recorded for a presidential debate at that time, according to Nielsen.

1984: Reagan, at 73, the oldest president in U.S. history at the time, softened the issue of his age during the second debate with Democratic candidate Walter Mondale, 56, with this phrase: “I want you to know that, also, no I will make age an issue in this campaign. I will not exploit, for political purposes, the youth and inexperience of my opponent.” Reagan was reelected.

1988: Democrat Michael Dukakis, facing Republican Vice President George HW Bush, was asked whether he would support the death penalty for someone who raped and murdered his wife. “No, no, Bernard,” replied the governor of Massachusetts. “And I think you know I’ve opposed the death penalty my entire life.” He was criticized as cold and emotionless and lost the election.

1988: In the vice-presidential debate, Bush’s running mate, Dan Quayle, compared himself to John F. Kennedy. Democratic Senator Lloyd Bentsen responded: “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy. It’s probably the most famous line ever uttered in a vice-presidential debate and has been widely parodied ever since.

1992: In a three-way race with the Democrat Bill Clinton and businessman Ross Perot, President George HW Bush made the fatal mistake of looking at his watch. He gave the impression of an arrogant, distant incumbent who didn’t want to be there and took many things for granted. Bush later admitted what was on his mind: “Just 10 more minutes of this crap.” He lost to Clinton.

2000: Democratic Vice President Al Gore entered the debate leading in the polls, but sighed loudly when his rival, Republican George W Bush, spoke. In another incident, he was criticized for invading Bush’s personal space when Bush advanced and Gore stood up and advanced toward his rival, as if looking for a fight. Bush dismissed him with a nod and won a close, hard-fought election.

2012: It was widely considered that President Barack Obama “phoned in” his first mediocre debate performance against Republican Mitt Romney, who performed above expectations. But in the second debate, Romney, responding to a question about equal pay for men and women, said he had “briefcases full of women” as candidates for cabinet positions. The phrase became a meme on social media and Romney lost in November.

2016: With no incumbent in the mix, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton debated as an outsider and an experienced public servant, respectively. In perhaps her most enduring catchphrase, Clinton addressed the fact that Trump had not paid income taxes on the few tax returns that were public at the time. “That makes me smart,” Trump retorted. He also called people who came to the US “bad men”, mispronouncing the word. And in an awkward moment, Trump stood directly behind Clinton as she answered an audience question, which Clinton later wrote made her cringe. Trump also refused to say whether he would accept the results of the election – which he would win in 2016.

2020: Trump, now the incumbent, debated Joe Biden in his characteristically testy manner, replete with interruptions. At one point, an exasperated Biden pleaded, “Will you shut up, man?” This memorable phrase came at a time when the debate calendar was affected by a new virus, Covid-19, which was spreading across the country. Trump tested positive for the virus, leading to the cancellation of the second debate. His former chief of staff claimed Trump tested positive before the first debate but did not disclose it, a claim Trump called “fake news.” Biden won the election.