Mute buttons and more: The 2020 debate moderators on what worked, what didn’t

From the point of view of moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News, the first 2020 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden seemed promising — at least for the first few moments.

"My initial reaction was, ‘This is great — they’re going to engage with each other!’" Wallace said. "Not long after, you began to feel, ‘This is getting out of control.’"

Trump’s constant interruptions of Biden with contradictions and put-downs ultimately made the debate impossible for viewers to follow. Goaded by frustration, Biden hit back, calling Trump "a clown" and telling him to "shut up."

At one point, Wallace said, the producer in his earpiece told him, "Stop Trump from interrupting Biden!" Wallace said he thought to himself, "What does he expect me to do, hit a trap door on the president of the United States? There’s not much you can do in that situation."