A recap of the second presidential debate

The second presidential debate started off with Hillary Clinton stating that the American people are stronger together. Donald Trump answered back that he agreed with Hillary in a subdued tone, most likely embarrassed from the Access Hollywood video tape that came out a few days before. Anderson Cooper brought up the tapes by asking Trump if he understood that on the tape, he was bragging about sexual assault. Trump tried to excuse himself by saying it was just locker room banter and that the whole incident was drawing attention away from ISIS cutting off people’s heads and that he would stop ISIS. Most of his arguments centered around stopping ISIS.

The debate was mostly an insult-based exchange between the two candidates. Donald Trump attempted to deflect the light shown on the tape by inviting three women that have accused Bill Clinton of rape, comparing his “locker room talk” to Bill Clinton’s actions. Hillary Clinton responded to this by recounting Michelle Obama’s memorable quote which encourages taking the high road when facing such attitudes.

The highlights of the second presidential debate include when Donald Trump said that if a man like him was president, Clinton would be in jail, among other moments. Trump outright admitted that he did not agree with his running mate over air-striking Assad. The moderators and Trump argued about interruptions and talking time. Clinton counterattacked Trump after numerous interruptions by stating he would do anything to distract from his failing campaign.

Yet the most memorable moment of the debate might have been the final question when an audience member asked the two candidates to say something they respect in one another. Hillary Clinton respected the dedication of Trump’s children and Trump respected Clinton’s unwillingness to give up. This debate was the most watched and talked about on social media in history, beating the Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan debate by four million viewers.