The first Trump-Clinton presidential debate transcript, annotated

Washington Post ^ | 9/26/2016

[iowamark]

The complete transcript of the debate is posted below. The Fix team has annotated it with context, analysis and other thoughts, using Genius.

To see an annotation, click or tap the highlighted words. If you would like to leave your own annotations, make sure you have a Genius account. Post staff annotations will appear by default; others are in a menu that you can see in the upper right when you click or tap on an annotation.

LESTER HOLT: Good evening from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. I'm Lester Holt, anchor of "NBC Nightly News." I want to welcome you to the first presidential debate.

The participants tonight are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This debate is sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. The commission drafted tonight's format, and the rules have been agreed to by the campaigns.

The 90-minute debate is divided into six segments, each 15 minutes long. We'll explore three topic areas tonight: Achieving prosperity; America's direction; and securing America. At the start of each segment, I will ask the same lead-off question to both candidates, and they will each have up to two minutes to respond. From that point until the end of the segment, we'll have an open discussion.

The questions are mine and have not been shared with the commission or the campaigns. The audience here in the room has agreed to remain silent so that we can focus on what the candidates are saying.

I will invite you to applaud, however, at this moment, as we welcome the candidates: Democratic nominee for president of the United States, Hillary Clinton, and Republican nominee for president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

[iowamark]

Please post links to other full transcripts.

[iowamark]

NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/27/us/politics/transcript-debate.html?_r=0

Fortune:

http://fortune.com/2016/09/26/presidential-debate-transcript

Vox:

http://www.vox.com/2016/9/26/13065174/first-presidential-debate-live-transcript-clinton-trump

[Helicondelta]

[bakeneko]

Wow.

I almost made it past the “Dat Stigga” and other rap bullshit on that site until I asked:

“Why am I spending any time on a site that has to call itself Genius?”

I’m sure one could find Obama’s speeches in full there if one were so inclined.

[Jack Hammer]

Once through hillary’s spiel - information.

Twice through hillary’s spiel - masochism.

[Daffynition]

[Bubba Gump Shrimp]

[Fresh Wind]

Like Bush was blamed for everything?

[HokieMom]

Starks2016 ‏@TXConsvMama 11m11 minutes ago
Funniest moment was when Hillary, who can't even turn on a computer per FBI documents, was trying to talk "cyber security". #trumpwon

[publiusF27]

In addition to links to full transcripts, I'd be interested in a translation.

Shortly after Hillary said this:

...we finally need to pass a prohibition on anyone who's on the terrorist watch list from being able to buy a gun in our country. If you're too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy a gun. So there are things we can do, and we ought to do it in a bipartisan way.

Trump said this:

First of all, I agree, and a lot of people even within my own party want to give certain rights to people on watch lists and no- fly lists. I agree with you. When a person is on a watch list or a no-fly list, and I have the endorsement of the NRA, which I'm very proud of. These are very, very good people, and they're protecting the Second Amendment.

But I think we have to look very strongly at no-fly lists and watch lists. And when people are on there, even if they shouldn't be on there, we'll help them, we'll help them legally, we'll help them get off. But I tend to agree with that quite strongly.

Can anyone tell me what he's agreeing with quite strongly?

[sarasota]

#TrumpWon has a line graph showing Twitter Trend during debate.

[generally]

I think it was easier to understand in context.

What I thought he was saying (unclearly) was that terrorists should be prevented from buying guns. I.e., if you’re too dangerous to be allowed on an airplane, then you’re too dangerous to be allowed to buy a gun.

What I think he SHOULD have said was that if you’re on a no-fly list, you should not be allowed in the country. If you’re a foreigner on the no-fly list, you should be deported immediately. Why is that not done? No foreigner has a “right” to be here.

[publiusF27]

He was a bit clearer in his interview with the NRA's Chris Cox:

CWC: After the recent tragedy in Orlando, President Obama, Hillary Clinton and their allies tried to distract attention away from their failed terrorism policies by calling for more gun control. In addition to calling for a new ban on semi-automatic rifles and expanded background checks, they pushed for a proposal to ban people on secret government lists from purchasing firearms. What’s your position on that issue?

DJT: Terrorists should not be able to buy guns, legally or illegally. Period. We must make sure that doesn’t happen, and we all agree on that goal. At the same time, we have to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans. These are not mutually exclusive ideas—we can do both.

I couldn't disagree more. The very nature of a secret list precludes due process protections. We can't do both.