Covid, economy, Supreme Court among US presidential debate topics

People social distance as Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden delivers remarks at an aluminum manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on September 21, 2020.
JIM WATSON / AFP

 

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court, the economy and “race and violence” in US cities will be among the topics on the table at next week’s presidential debate, the moderator announced on Tuesday.

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said the 90-minute discussion will also include the records of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The September 29 debate at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, set to begin at 9:00 pm ET (0100 GMT), is the first of three between Trump and Biden.

Wallace said the six main topics, which also include the integrity of the election, will be tackled in six 15-minute segments.

The topics could change subject to “news developments”, Wallace added.

He said they were selected and announced in advance “in order to encourage deep discussion of the leading issues facing the country.”

Billionaire Tom Steyer, who unsuccessfully challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination, complained that climate change was not among the topics.

“This is unacceptable — the climate crisis cannot be ignored,” he tweeted.

The other presidential debates ahead of the November 3 election are scheduled for October 15 and 22.

Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris are to hold a debate on October 7.

An average of national polls by the RealClearPolitics website shows Biden holding a lead over Trump.