The best memes from the final presidential debate of 2020, from 'Abraham Lincoln' to 'malarkey'
- President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participated in the final presidential debate of 2020 on Thursday night.
- Moderated by NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker, the Commission on Presidental Debates instituted a new rule for the debate that would allow for each candidate's microphones to be muted in order to allow the other to have two minutes of uninterrupted speaking time.
- Memes from the event riffed on the famed mute button, Biden calling Trump "Abraham Lincoln," and Biden saying the word "malarky," which he is known to frequently use.
On Thursday night, President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden faced off in the final presidential debate ahead of this year's November 3 election.
Moderated by NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker, the debate was markedly more calm than the candidates' initial face-off, which was marked by interruptions and chaos. As Business Insider reported, Trump and Biden primarily discussed COVID-19, race, climate change, national security, leadership, and American families.
While there wasn't a stand out moment on Thursday night that reached the meme-able heights of the fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence's head during the vice presidential debate, there was still plenty of chatter online throughout and following the event. Here are the best memes and reactions to last night's final presidential debate.
The mute button
Following the chaos of the first debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced earlier this week a new rule that would allow for microphones to be muted during the final debate, which would allow each candidate to have two-minute blocks of uninterrupted time.
As CNET noted, that didn't mean that there was a "mute button" that could be used at will — rather, each candidates' microphone was supposed to be muted while the other was answering a question.
That didn't mean that there weren't memes about what a more freewheeling mute button could look like, or who was running it.
Biden said 'Malarkey'
Joe Biden's frequent use of the word "malarkey" — "insincere or foolish talk," per Merriam-Webster — is well-documented. During the debate, Biden dropped the word, which has now become a kind of calling card for the candidate. Of course, the memes, which typically just pointed out that he had said "malarkey," swiftly followed.
Biden called Trump 'Abraham Lincoln,' and the joke appears to have gone over his head
During a discussion about race in American during the debate, Trump claimed that "nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump. If you look, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, possible exception, nobody has done what I've done." That claim is false if judged by legislative achievements: As The New York Times reported, the majority of historians and experts agree that Abraham Lincoln and former President Lyndon B. Johnson hold the most legislative achievements in advancing civil rights.
In response to Trump's claim, Biden said, "Abraham Lincoln here is one of the most racist presidents we've had in modern history."
However, the president didn't seem to pick up on the joke despite the fact that he had just referenced Lincoln himself, clarifying that he was not, in fact, Abraham Lincoln.
Biden called the 'Proud Boys' the 'Poor Boys'
During the first presidential debate, Trump famously told the majority right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by," a comment that experts said could incite violence.
Biden referenced those comments during Thursday night's debate, misspeaking and calling the Proud Boys the "poor boys." As The Hill reported, on Twitter, many accepted that rebranding.
Other reactions simply encapsulated the frustrating and stressful experience of watching the debate
- Read more:
- Highlights from the final presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden
- How to watch the final 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Biden
- Five things to know about Kristen Welker, the moderator of the final presidential debate between Biden and Trump
- Democrats and Republicans are praising Kristen Welker for keeping control in the final debate between Trump and Biden