Buttigieg says there's no 'dial in the Oval Office' to lower gas prices



Gas prices reached another record high on Monday while the Biden administration continues to deny any responsibility for rising costs.

The national average price per gallon of regular gas was $4.87 Monday, a new record high according to the American Automobile Association. Gas prices jumped 25 cents from last week's average of $4.62, and rose nearly 60 cents over the past month.

Industry analysts have predicted that gas could reach an average of $5 per gallon this summer, as Americans hit the road for vacations and demand for fuel surges, per CBS News.

But Biden's officials insist there's little the president can do to lower the cost of filling up your car.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday there's no "dial" in the White House that sets the price of gas.

He told ABC News' "This Week" that the president's decision to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve "helped to stabilize global oil prices."

\u201cAsked if Pres. Biden's plan to use the strategic petroleum reserve failed, Transportation Sec. Buttigieg tells @GStephanopoulos that oil companies are trying to maximize profits. \n\n"The price of gasoline is not set by a dial in the Oval Office.\u201d https://t.co/dUgJwL5VYR\u201d
— This Week (@This Week) 1654437796

Buttigieg added that Biden's decision to suspend the Environmental Protection Agency's summertime ban on 15% ethanol gas could help lower prices. Permitting oil and gas companies to use 15% ethanol blends instead of the usual 10% should lower prices because there's less crude oil in the blend. But energy experts have warned the impact on prices could be minimal, according to the New York Times.

"We know that the price of gasoline is not set by a dial in the Oval Office," Buttigieg said, before asserting greedy oil companies were to blame for high prices.

"When an oil company is deciding, hour by hour, how much to charge you for a gallon of gas, they're not calling the administration to ask what they should do. They're doing it based on their goal on maximizing their profits," he said.

“It’s been very striking right now to see these oil companies, who have become almost ridiculously profitable, and you hear these oil executives on the record talking about how they’re not going to increase production,” Buttigieg continued.

“Why would they? They’re doing great right now, That’s why the president has called it a use it or lose it policy where, if you’re sitting on these thousands of permits and you’re not doing anything with them, then you’re going to be held accountable for them. So far, Congressional Republicans have blocked action to do something like that, but we think that’s another step that would make a difference.”

Buttigieg repeated an old assertion from the White House that oil and gas companies are not using their drilling permits. Industry experts have previously said this accusation is a "red herring;" that Biden officials were ignoring how the process actually works and that energy companies need to discover whether there is actually oil and gas where they've obtained leases before they can start to drill. They also have to obtain permits to drill, a process that could take years.

Oil and gas industry representatives have also accused the Biden administration of double talk on energy production. On the one hand, Buttigieg and other officials insist companies are not doing enough to increase production. On the other, the Biden administration is canceling the sale of some oil and gas leases and increasing regulations and fees on others, which undermines production.

High gas prices are a consequence of supply and demand. As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, there's more demand for gas because people are starting to travel again. At the same time there's restricted supply on multiple fronts — lingering supply chain issues from the pandemic, production that was shut down and hasn't restarted yet, and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine that has interrupted international oil and gas exports, to name a few

It's true that many of these factors are outside of Biden's control, but the president has responded by trying to make deals with anti-American regimes in oil-producing nations like Iran and Venezuela instead of ramping up domestic supply. Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia this summer to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite pledging to turn the country into an international "pariah" for the assassination of a prominent dissident and journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.

While Republicans and oil executives have demanded that Biden open up more federal lands for drilling and decrease regulations so Canada can build more pipelines to the U.S., Democrats and environmentalists have opposed these measures because they would contribute to global warming.

New York governor uses Buffalo mass killing to push for new control on speech: 'You don't protect hate speech'



New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) wasted no time using the atrocious Buffalo mass killing to push for more government control over the lives of Americans.

In appearances on multiple Sunday cable news shows, Hochul advocated for government intervention to stop so-called "hate speech" from spreading online. She credited such content with radicalizing the perpetrator of the Buffalo massacre.

CNN

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Hochul said the "bone-chilling" aspect of the killer's manifesto "is that there is the ability for people to write and subscribe to such philosophies filled with hate, the white supremacist acts of terrorism that have been fomented on social media."

She added that she wants the CEOs of every major social media platform to "look me in the eye and tell me that everything is being done that they can to make sure that this information is not spread."

Later in the interview, Hochul demanded new "national laws" to restrict the Second Amendment and "the unfettered sharing of hate information on the internet." She described firearms and the aforementioned hate information as a "lethal combination."

NBC

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Hochul took her rhetoric further, blaming social media companies and TV commentators for spreading the type of information that radicalized the Buffalo killer.

"They need to be held accountable as well," she said of such TV commentators. "And any government leader that does not condemn this and condemn it today is a coward, and they're also partially responsible."

Not only did she also place blame on elected officials, but she called for new, unconstitutional restrictions against so-called "hate speech."

So let's just be real honest about the role of elected leaders. And what they need to be doing is calling this out and not coddling this behavior and saying that, "Well, that's just young people and they're sharing their ideas." Yeah, I'll protect the First Amendment any day of the week. But you don't protect hate speech. You don't protect incendiary speech. You're not allowed to scream "fire" in a crowded theater. There are limitations on speech. And right now, we have seen this run rampant. And as a result, I have ten dead neighbors in this community. And it hurts. And we're going to do something about it.

Meet The Press Broadcast (Full) - May 15 youtu.be

ABC

In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Hochul repeated the same message and claimed that "hate speech" is not protected speech, which is patently false.

"The CEOs of those companies need to be held accountable and assure all of us that they're taking every step humanly possible to be able to monitor this information," she said.

Hochul then demanded that so-called hate speech "be monitored and shut down the second these words are espoused out there in these platforms."

"And short of that, we will protect the right to free speech, but there is a limit. There is a limit to what you can do and hate speech is not protected," she claimed.

\u201cHow these depraved ideas are fermenting on social media\u2014it\u2019s spreading like a virus now.\u201d \n\nAfter mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket in alleged hate crime, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul tells @GStephanopoulos that tech platforms must do more to stop hate speech. https://abcn.ws/3Neul9X\u00a0pic.twitter.com/3ohT8LoeQL
— This Week (@This Week) 1652648621

Samantha Power says 'catastrophic' food shortages are an opportunity to implement left-wing policies



A Biden administration member said that "catastrophic" food and fertilizer shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are a great opportunity to implement left-wing policies.

Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, made the comments during an interview with "This Week" on Sunday.

"We're seeing global food shortages all around the world," said anchor George Stephanopoulos, "as the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, what more can be done to address those shortages?"

"Thank you for posing that question, it is just another catastrophic effect of Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, I mean as if the harms in Ukraine weren't enough, you have countries like in subsaharan Africa and the Middle East who get maybe eighty, ninety percent of their wheat or their grain, overall, from Russia and Ukraine, and you see massive spikes in food prices," said Power.

"Food prices, right now George, globally are up 34% from where they were a year ago, aided substantially, again, by this invasion," she added.

Power said they were working to increase food production from farmers, but also wanted to use the opportunity to make farmers choose green energy alternatives to fertilizer.

"Fertilizer shortages are real now because Russia is a big exporter of fertilizer. And even though fertilizer is not sanctioned, less fertilizer is coming out of Russia. As a result, we're working with countries to think about natural solutions like manure and compost. And this may hasten transitions that would have been in the interest of farmers to make eventually anyway," Power continued.

"So never let a crisis go to waste," she concluded.

She went on to defend the Biden administration against criticism that its policies led to high food prices.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is in its tenth week, with some estimates claiming civilian casualties as high as 2,685, and the U.S. State Dept. estimating that more than 10,000 Russian soldiers have perished in the brutal war.

Here's the video of the interview with Power:

.@gstephanopoulos\u00a0presses @PowerUSAID\u00a0on strategies to combat global food shortages countries are seeing amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine: "We really do need this financial support from the Congress to meet emergency food needs." https://abcn.ws/3vyDdBB\u00a0pic.twitter.com/EAliT1JGvW
— This Week (@This Week) 1651415283

Marco Rubio warns in no uncertain terms why a no-fly zone over Ukraine is a bad idea: 'It means World War III'



Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned Sunday that establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would trigger World War III.

What is a NFZ?

A no-fly zone, otherwise known as an air-exclusion zone, is an order banning aircraft over a certain area.

In war, such aerial demilitarized zones are intended to prohibit military aircraft from engaging in bombing runs and other hostile actions. Military enforcement is thus required, which includes shooting down aircraft that violate the no-fly order. In this situation, if NATO were to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, enforcement would mean NATO forces engaging Russian aircraft.

What did Rubio say?

Speaking on ABC News' "This Week," Rubio explained that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would trigger another world war because enforcing a NFZ requires willingness "to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation."

"Look, a no-fly zone has become a catchphrase. I’m not sure a lot of people fully understand what that means," Rubio began.

"That means flying [Airborne Warning and Control Systems] 24 hours a day. That means the willingness to shoot down and engage Russian airplanes in the sky. That means, frankly, you can’t put those planes up there unless you’re willing to knock out the anti-aircraft systems that the Russians have deployed — and not just in Ukraine, but in Russia and also in Belarus," he explained.

"So basically a no-fly zone, if people understood what it means, it means World War III. It means starting World War III," Rubio warned.

GOP @SenRubioPress tells @gstephanopoulos implementing a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine means "World War III."\n\n"I think there are a lot of things we can do to help Ukraine protect itself... but i think people need to understand what a no-fly zone means." https://abcn.ws/3tvMCr7\u00a0pic.twitter.com/l9EuTazsvv
— This Week (@This Week) 1646577070

During a video conference with members of the U.S. House and Senate on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy essentially asked for a no-fly zone to stop Russia's bombardment of his country.

NATO has refused thus far to establish a no-fly zone over fears that doing so would escalate the war, just as Rubio predicts it would.

"The only way to implement a no-fly zone is to send NATO fighter planes into Ukrainian airspace, and then impose that no-fly zone by shooting down Russian planes," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. "We understand the desperation, but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said over the weekend that imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be viewed by the Kremlin as participation in the war.

Dr. Fauci admits CDC may once again update COVID isolation guidelines after receiving 'pushback'



Dr. Anthony Fauci explained Sunday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering amending revised COVID-19 isolation guidelines after pushback from critics who said the updated recommendations were not sufficient.

The CDC updated quarantine guidelines last week for people who test positive for COVID. If asymptomatic, the updated guidelines recommend isolating only five days, while wearing a face mask when around other people for an additional five days. Previously, the agency's guidelines recommended 10 days of isolation.

The amended guidelines applied to all asymptomatic people, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

What did Fauci say?

During two separate interviews on Sunday, Fauci admitted the CDC is considering updating the new guidelines to include a testing requirement after receiving pushback.

"You're right there has been some concern about why we don't ask people at that five-day period to get tested," Fauci told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC News' "This Week."

"That is something that is now under consideration," Fauci explained. "The CDC is very well aware that there has been some pushback about that. Looking at it again, there may be an option in that, that testing could be a part of that, and I think we're going to be hearing more about that in the next day or so from the CDC."

Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @GStephanopoulos that the CDC is considering amending the isolation guidance for asymptomatic patients to include testing. \n\n\u201cThe CDC is very well aware that there has been some pushback about that.\u201d https://abcn.ws/3EGwRkM\u00a0pic.twitter.com/P1WkSNrdFS
— This Week (@This Week) 1641134737

During another interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Fauci made nearly identical remarks.

"I myself feel that that's a reasonable thing to do," he said. "I believe that the CDC soon will be coming out with more clarification of that, since it obviously has generated a number of questions about, at that five-day period, should you or should you not be testing people?"

Anything else?

Fauci's remarks suggesting that a testing requirement makes good sense seemingly contradicts what CDC Director Rochelle Walenksy said just last week when defending the absence of a testing requirement in the updated guidelines.

At a press conference, Walensky explained that PCR tests can remain positive for up to 12 weeks after infection.

"Many are asking why do we not require a test at the end of the five days of isolation for those who are infected. We know that PCR testing would not be helpful in this setting, as people can remain PCR positive for up to 12 weeks after infection and long after they are transmissible and infectious," Walensky said.

"We also don’t know that antigen tests give a good indication of transmissibility at this stage of infection. On the other hand, we know that after five days, people are much less likely to transmit the virus and that masking further reduces that risk. And this is why people need to mask for five days after their five days of isolation," she continued.

Biden signals he may break Trump's deal to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1



President Joe Biden said Monday that it will be "tough" to meet a deadline to withdraw the remaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan by a deadline agreed to by the Trump administration.

In an interview with ABC host George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," Biden was asked if the U.S. will keep its commitment to withdraw U.S. troops by May 1. Biden said he is "in the process" of determining when the troops will come home.

"The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president — the former president — worked out. And so we're in consultation with our allies as well as the government, and that decision's going to be — it's in process now," Biden said.

EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Biden tells @GStephanopoulos it would be "tough" to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan… https://t.co/1PsDOaRo9A
— Good Morning America (@Good Morning America)1615981144.0

Last year, former President Donald Trump negotiated a peace deal with the Taliban to end the 19-year U.S. war in Afghanistan. Trump agreed to pull U.S. forces from the region in exchange for commitments on peace talks.

When the deal was struck, the U.S. had more than 12,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan. Over the course of last year, President Trump began withdrawing troops. Today, about 2,500 troops were thought to remain in the country, but the New York Times reported on Sunday that there are also 1,000 special operations forces stationed there.

When asked how much longer the troops will stay, Biden said, "I don't think a lot longer," adding that the May 1 deadline "could happen, but it is tough."

The president laid blame for the delay on the previous administration. "The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency ... has cost me time and consequences," he said.

The agreement Trump reached with the Taliban did not include the Afghani government, and U.S. intelligence later reported that the Taliban had "no intention of abiding by their agreement."

U.S. commanders are opposed to withdrawing now, warning that the Taliban could retake key cities, including the capital, Kabul, should American forces leave the Afghanistan Army to fight alone.

If Biden reneges on the U.S. promise to withdraw, American forces may remain in Afghanistan indefinitely as the U.S. tries to broker a peace agreement between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban.

Acknowledging that the Taliban may not keep their promises, Trump told reporters after announcing the deal that Afghanistan would have to "take care of themselves" and that the United States should not be present there for another 20 years.

"You can only hold somebody's hand for so long. We have to get back to running our country, too," Trump said.

Biden says Cuomo should resign if allegations are proven true — and he should face prosecution



President Joe Biden (D) said that the embattled governor of New York should resign if the sexual harassment allegations against him are proven true, and added that he would likely face prosecution as well.

Biden made the comments in an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News. A snippet of the interview was released on Tuesday evening.

"I know you said you want the investigation to continue," Stephanopoulos said. "If the investigation confirms the claims of the women, should he resign?"

"Yes," Biden responded. "I think he'll probably end up being prosecuted, too."

The president had been under pressure for not taking a hard stance against Gov. Andrew Cuomo after speaking out so forcefully about the "Me Too" movement. He had previously been non-committal about the subject, saying, "I think the investigation is under way and we should see what it brings us."

Stephanopoulos pressed him on the issue by pointing out that both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) had already called for him to resign.

"How about right now?" asked Stephanopoulos. "You said that you want the investigation to continue, you saw Chuck Schumer, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand, the majority of the congressional delegation, don't believe he can be an effective governor. Right now, can he serve effectively?"

"Well that's a judgement for them to make about their state whether he can be effective. Here's my position, it's been my position since I wrote the Violence Against Women Act," responded Biden.

"A woman should be presumed to be telling the truth, and should not be scapegoated and become victimized by her coming forward. Number one. But there should be an investigation to determine whether what she says is true, that's what's going on now," he explained.

"And by the way, it may very well be, there could be a criminal prosecution that is attached to it," he concluded. "I just don't know."

A report in December said Cuomo had been a strong contender for U.S. attorney general.

Here's the video of Biden's comments:

EXCLUSIVE: @GStephanopoulos on Gov. Andrew Cuomo: "If the investigation confirms the claims of the women, should he… https://t.co/omeaQv1fzN
— ABC News (@ABC News)1615939570.0

Fauci claims schools 'need' Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill to reopen. But here's what he said in Nov.



Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, claimed Sunday that Biden's massive $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package should be passed before schools can safely reopen.

Fauci's comments came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance last week that declared, "It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services."

The guidance, however, did not mandate vaccines for teachers, despite teacher unions nationwide opposing a return to in-person instruction until teachers receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

What did Fauci say?

Speaking on ABC's "This Week," Fauci claimed schools do not have the necessary resources to abide by the CDC's guidelines — and said that is exactly why lawmakers should pass Biden's bill.

"I think that the schools really do need more resources. And that's the reason why the national relief act that we're talking about getting passed, we need that," Fauci explained. "The schools need more resources."

"The things we didn't have before, there wasn't anything that was put down solidly on paper on saying, these are the kinds of things that you should consider, these are the kind of things that you should follow," Fauci went on to say. "I think it can be done. I mean, obviously, it's not a perfect situation. But it's really important to get the children back to school in as safe a way as possible, safe for the children, but also safe for the teachers and the other educators."

Dr. Fauci tells @gstephanopoulos "schools need more resources" to combat COVID-19 effectively, adding "it can be do… https://t.co/ujCctaZ3Oz
— This Week (@This Week)1613315683.0

What did Fauci say before?

Just three months ago, Fauci declared that it was generally safe to reopen schools.

"Close the bars and keep the schools open," Fauci said in an ABC "This Week" interview on Nov. 29.

"If you look at the data, the spread among children and from children is not really very big at all, not like one would have suspected," he added.

What does Biden's plan include?

In addition to $1,400 stimulus checks, an extension of federal unemployment benefits, and numerous other COVID-related items, Biden's bill also seeks to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

"We need to tackle the public health and economic crises we're facing head-on. That's why today, I'm announcing my American Rescue Plan. Together we'll change the course of the pandemic, build a bridge toward economic recovery, and invest in racial justice," Biden said on Twitter when he announced the plan.

Chris Christie slams Trump's legal team, says they're a 'national embarrassment': 'Outrageous conduct'



Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who has been a loyal ally to President Donald Trump, eviscerated the president's legal team on Sunday, telling ABC "This Week" that Trump's lawyers are a "national embarrassment."

Christie's comments came after the Trump campaign lost another lawsuit in federal court late Saturday in which they asked that millions of Pennsylvania votes be invalidated. U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew Brann rejected the request, saying, "It is not in the power of this Court to violate the Constitution."

What did Christie say?

When show host George Stephanopoulos asked Christie whether it is "finally time for this to end," noting Trump's legal team has lost 34 court cases, Christie responded in the affirmative.

"Yes, and here's the reason why. The president has had an opportunity to access the courts... if you've got the evidence of fraud, present it," Christie said.

"What's happened here is, quite frankly, the content that the president's legal team has been a national embarrassment. Sidney Powell accusing Gov Brian Kemp of a crime on television, yet being unwilling to go on TV and defend and lay out the evidence that she supposedly has," Christie added.

The former Republican governor went on to explain that Trump's lawyers only make accusations of voter fraud outside the courtroom, where it doesn't actually matter.

"This is outrageous conduct by any lawyer," Christie said. "And notice, George, they won't do it inside the courtroom. They allege fraud outside the courtroom, but when they go inside the courtroom, they don't plead fraud and they don't argue fraud."

Christie continued:

Listen, I've been a supporter of the president's. I voted for him twice. But elections have consequences, and we cannot continue to act as if something happened here that didn't happen. You have an obligation to present the evidence. The evidence has not been presented. And you must conclude, as Tucker Carlson even concluded the other night, that if you're unwilling to come forward and present the evidence, it must mean the evidence doesn't exist. That's what I was concerned about starting on election night, and I remain concerned today. I think it's wrong. I think what you've heard lots of Republicans starting to say this; I said it on election night; and I hope more say it going forward. Because the country is what has to matter the most. As much as I'm a strong Republican and I love my party, it's the country that has to come first.
“Yes,” Chris Christie tells @GStephanopoulos when asked if it’s time for President Trump to stop challenging the 20… https://t.co/QS7YELHQME
— This Week (@This Week)1606059390.0

What are other Republicans saying?

As TheBlaze reported, patience is wearing thin among top Republican lawmakers.

On Friday, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the number three House Republican and House Republican Conference chairwoman, called on Trump's legal team to present "genuine evidence" of their voter fraud allegations "immediately."

"If the president cannot prove these claims or demonstrate that they would change the election result, he should fulfill his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States by respecting the sanctity of our electoral process," Cheney said.

Media roundup: Most commentators think the first presidential debate was a 's**t show'



The emerging mainstream media consensus is, predictably, that Democratic nominee former Vice President Joe Biden won the first presidential debate of the 2020 campaign. The commentators and pundits also seem to agree that the debate was, to quote CNN's Dana Bash, a "s**t show."

Headlines reported by CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy describe the debate as "pure chaos" and "mayhem."

President Donald Trump's performance in particular is under fire, variously being characterized as "monstrous," "abusive," "horrific," and a "disgrace."

Leading a panel discussion after the debate, CNN's Jake Tapper called it "a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside of a train wreck."

"That was the worst debate I have ever seen. It wasn't even a debate. It was a disgrace," Tapper said. "And it's primarily because of President Trump, who spent the entire time interrupting, not abiding by the rules he agreed to, lying, maliciously attacking the son of the vice president. When asked to condemn white supremacists, he brought up the name of a neo-fascist far right group and said stand back and stand by."

"The American people lost tonight, because that was horrific," he added.

Dana Bash went further, calling the debate a "s**t show."

'Dumpster fire': See Jake Tapper and Dana Bash's blunt reaction to debateyoutu.be

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos also said this debate was "the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my life."

.@GStephanopoulos: "I have to speak personally here...that was the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my… https://t.co/hYHDt6j4Lo
— ABC News (@ABC News)1601434004.0

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said the debate was "unlike anything that has ever happened on a presidential debate stage ever before." She slammed the president for accusing Democrats of engaging in electoral fraud and criticizing mail-in ballots.

.@maddow: "What happened on that debate stage is unlike anything that has ever happened on a presidential debate stage ever before."
— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin)1601434001.0
.@maddow: "He is not participating in a re-election campaign. He is arguing that he should stay in office and the e… https://t.co/vSP5oV4KRJ
— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin)1601434207.0

In her telling, Trump delivered a "monstrous cavalcade of increasingly wild and obscene lies."

>> @Maddow: "There's something beyond fact-checking that needs to happen."Trump delivered a "monstrous cavalcade… https://t.co/wM4MUYmQ6G
— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter)1601434037.0

MSNBC commentator Nicole Wallace said Trump acted as an "abuser."

"Chris Wallace did not act as a moderator. Donald Trump did not act as a debater," Wallace said. "Donald Trump was the abuser, and Chris Wallace was among the abused.

Wallace said Biden was also "among the abused" and said Trump was "cheating" by continually interrupting his opponent and speaking during his allotted time.

"I think women might have appreciated that this didn't descend into pure violence ... this felt like an assault," Wallace said.

Nicolle Wallace: Trump's Debate Performance Felt Like 'An Assault' On American Politics | MSNBCwww.youtube.com

It's not just liberals in the media saying the debate was bad.

"This debate was a train wreck," said former press secretary for President George W. Bush Ari Fleischer. "A mess that isn't good for our country." He criticized Trump for interrupting too much and Biden for responding in kind.

Townhall's Guy Benson said Biden succeeded tonight because he presented himself as a viable alternative to people tired of President Trump.

Well, that was bad. Hard to organize thoughts after that chaos, but bottom line: Biden’s overall goal was to look l… https://t.co/mfcN6EUxWu
— Guy Benson (@Guy Benson)1601433867.0

Former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who helped Trump prepare for the debates, said the president was "too aggressive" but added "that potentially can be fixed."

On ABC, Chris Christie says that debate did not plan out as he had prepped Trump for. He called him out for having… https://t.co/7sxwdNOdbZ
— Curtis Houck (@Curtis Houck)1601437681.0

Many conservative commentators expressed irritation with moderator Chris Wallace, who frequently fought with Trump and tried to get the president to refrain from interrupting Biden.

Chris Wallace is the most irritating person on this broadcast, which is saying something.
— Michael Knowles (@Michael Knowles)1601432106.0
Never allow Chris Wallace to moderate another debate again. This was an absolute shit show. The viewer wasn’t even a secondary concern.
— Dana Loesch (@Dana Loesch)1601433614.0

Wallace came under fire for letting Biden assert that Trump said there were "very fine people" on both sides at the 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. That is a false narrative, as President Trump was not talking about the neo-Nazis, he was referring to individuals on both sides of the Confederate monument debate. Wallace's refusal to push back on Biden made him a target for criticism.

Tonight, “Moderator” Chris Wallace allowed Joe Biden to repeat the Charlottesville “Very Fine People” Lie unchallen… https://t.co/FgxToEdvkG
— Benny (@Benny)1601439392.0
Ok, I don’t generally nitpick moderators, but Chris Wallace asking Joe Biden about the “very fine people” thing wit… https://t.co/uDKvHaKFCD
— Jesse Kelly (@Jesse Kelly)1601430941.0

Wallace was also criticized for appearing to take Biden's side on the issues.

Chris Wallace, over the course of the night, has moved from moderator to debater.
— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro)1601432459.0
And Chris Wallace did not ask Biden to denounce Antifa - journalistic malpractice https://t.co/Qcj0tfg4vq
— Benny (@Benny)1601438459.0
Biden claimed tonight, after helpful prompting from Chris Wallace, that he does not support the Green New Deal.Bi… https://t.co/i0o2macDgg
— Sean Davis (@Sean Davis)1601438428.0
Just FYI, critical race theory is NOT “racial-sensitivity training,” contra Chris Wallace’s ill-informed framing.… https://t.co/lSmaziTVmq
— Sohrab Ahmari (@Sohrab Ahmari)1601438326.0

According to a snap poll taken by CBS News, most viewers thought Biden edged out Trump, with 48% saying the Democratic nominee won, 41% saying the president won, and 10% saying it was a tie.

CBS NEWS BATTLEGROUND TRACKERInstant poll of debate watchers: more say Joe Biden won tonight’s debate https://t.co/dHZqV95wqB
— CBS News Poll (@CBS News Poll)1601434691.0

A CNN poll found 60% of respondents said Biden defeated Trump.

Interestingly, Spanish-speaking viewers on Telemundo had a different opinion, saying by a wide margin that Trump won the debate.

Spanish speaking viewers of Telemundo expressed their preference of who won tonight’s presidential debate: 66% Trum… https://t.co/HAcpy1cEUS
— Daniel Garza (@Daniel Garza)1601435002.0

BlazeTV host Steve Deace may have had the best summary, offering that if you liked either candidate coming into the debate, you probably didn't change your mind.

If you liked these two candidates coming in, you probably like this cranky and personally spiteful debate. If you w… https://t.co/14Zslvox2L
— Steve Deace (@Steve Deace)1601431464.0

The second presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled for Oct. 15. It will be moderated by Steve Scully, a senior executive producer and political editor for C-SPAN .