Local reaction to Presidential debate

KIMT talks to local Republicans and DFL supporters

Continues./// thank you for joining us for kimt news 3 at 10?

"* i'm katie lange.

And i'm george mallet.

First tonight ?

"* we start our newscast on the heels of a heated debate between president donald trump and democratic nominee former vice president joe biden.

The two squared off in a debate this evening touching on hot topics including the president's handling of the coronavirus pandemic... the economy and the supreme court.

Kimt news 3's isabella basco hit the streets of southern minnesota to find out what voters are thinking on this important night.

Katie and george... you'll see in the city of albert lea... residents are just as polarized politically as the presidential candidates are in cleveland.

Just as biden and president trump squared off in tonight's debate... a repubican and democrat also squared off with me to make their respective cases.

"president: don't ever use the word smart with me.

Don't ever use that word.

Joe biden: oh give me a break.

President: there's nothing smart about you joe, 47 years you've done nothing... " joe biden: "let's have this debate on stage."

Tension running high tonight as two presidential candidates made their bid for the white house.

I spoke with members of of both the freeborn county gop and the dfl about how they viewed the debate.

"it's like a nightmare, every day you wake up, and there's a new bad thing going on.

One thing that's great is we haven't gotten into a war yet."

"i was a democrat in a past life and became a republican supporting president trump mainly because i'm a business man."

The topic of the president's failure to release his tax returns surfaced early.

The discussion followed a new york times investigation revealing the commander in chief has paid very little federal income tax for years.

"he paid 750 dollars and several years ago, i paid 15,000.

So is that fair?

No."

"i don't honestly think a candidate's candidacy or a candidate's service necessarily has to be reflected by their tax returns."

Freeborn county gop vice chair robert hoffman hosted a watch party in his albert lea office.

Hoffman says he's gotten physically and verbally attacked because he backs president trump.

"i know how they feel and mine was just from having a trump shirt or sticker on, it's a divide that needs to end from each side."

Freeborn county dfl leader julie ackland says the political polarization is likely to last as long as the trump while the freeborn county gop held a watch party at hoffman's office this evening... dfl chairman julie ackland told me her party had no plans to get together in?

"* person.

Instead ?

"* they opted to watch the debate via zoom.

Thank you isabella.

The next presidential debate happens in miami