Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Joe Biden what it would say about the country if he lost to Trump next month. “It could say that I’m a lousy candidate and I didn’t do a good job,” Biden joked. But the Democratic nominee emphasized he would not want his loss to be read as a sign that the country is embracing divisiveness. “I hope that it doesn’t say that we are as racially, ethnically and religiously at odds with one another as it appears, as the president wants us to be,” Biden said. - Joan E Greve A town hall attendee with a transgender daughter asked Joe Biden what he would do to protect the rights of transgender Americans. “I will flat out just change the law,” Biden said, pledging to reverse Trump’s executive orders on the issue, such as the president’s ban on transgender people from serving in the US military. “There should be zero discrimination,” Biden said. He added, “And what’s happening is, too many transgender women of color are being murdered.” In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Moments ago, Joe Biden was asked about the Green New Deal, which his campaign website describes as a “crucial framework” for climate policy. “My deal is a crucial framework but not the New Green Deal,” Biden said, mispronouncing the name of the progressive plan. Here’s what Biden’s campaign website says: “Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face.” FBI is examining claims made in New York Post article While the Trump town hall aired on its network, NBC broke the news that federal investigators are examining whether emails that Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani claims to have found on a laptop at a computer repair shop incriminate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The FBI has seized the laptop, NBC reports. The Post, a conservative tabloid, implicated Joe Biden in connection with his son Hunter’s business with a Ukrainian energy company Burisma and was headlined: “Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad.” Both Bidens have said no such meeting was offered, and none took place. US intelligence agencies reportedly warned the White House last year that Giuliani was the target of a Russian influence operation. A woman sitting just behind Trump has garnered fans on the right after nodding continuously and enthusiastically – and even giving a thumbs up while he spoke during tonight’s town hall: A town hall attendee asked Joe Biden if Trump deserved credit for creating peace through his foreign policy agenda. Biden said Trump might deserve “a little” credit but not much because the country has never been more isolated than it is now. Trump has reportedly considered delivering a major foreign policy speech on withdrawing more troops from Afghanistan before election day. Joe Biden reiterated his opposition to banning fracking, a crucial issue for voters in Pennsylvania, where his town hall is taking place. Biden reiterated he did not support banning fracking, but he emphasized that fracking must be handled safely. Anchor George Stephanopoulos told Biden: “Not everyone buys your denial” on a fracking ban. Trump has consistently said Biden would ban fracking, and the Democratic nominee has offered numerous denials of that. In what could be one of the biggest scheduling clashes of any election cycle, keener viewers have had to flip between the two dueling town halls, or choose one and catch up on the other later. Although some seem to be doing both, somehow: Meanwhile, the split screen between Trump and Biden has led many viewers and pundits to draw sharp contrasts between the two events: Trump town hall ends Donald Trump received a thorough grilling tonight. Guthrie’s final question on behalf of voters: why should they give him a second chance? “Because I’ve done a great job,” he said. “You’re so handsome when you smile,” a voter named Paulette told Trump. He dodged her question about whether he would cut the Daca program. “We’re going to take care of Daca,” Trump told the voter, who said she was an immigrant from Russia. Trump’s efforts to kill the Daca program, which grants some immigrants who came to the US as children without papers to get reprieve from deportation and become eligible to work, were defeated by the supreme court. While discussing court-packing, Joe Biden also criticized Amy Coney Barrett’s performance before the Senate judiciary committee this week. “My reading online – what the judge said was, she didn’t answer very many questions at all,” Biden said of the supreme court nominee. Barrett repeatedly dodged questions from judiciary committee members by arguing it would be inappropriate for her to offer her personal opinions on major past cases, such as Roe v Wade, before joining the supreme court. NBC host Savannah Guthrie is commanding this Trump town hall in a way that we have rarely seen a moderator or interviewer do with the president over the last four years. After the spectacle of the first debate, when Trump made over 100 interruptions by some counts, it’s been a breath of fresh air for many viewers: Meanwhile, not everyone on the right is happy with Guthrie’s grilling of Trump: Trump dodged a direct question about whether he wants to see Roe v Wade overturned. This shouldn’t be a tough question for Trump to answer. Guthrie pressed, “You are running as a pro-life Republican. Most pro-life Republicans would like to see Roe v Wade overturned and abortion banned.” “I am telling you I don’t want to do anything to influence anything,” he said, reiterating that he has not spoken to Amy Coney Barrett about it. Biden: "I have not been a fan of court-packing" George Stephanopoulos grilled Joe Biden on court-packing, an issue where the Democratic nominee has been somewhat evasive in recent days. “I have not been a fan of court-packing,” Biden said, echoing his other recent comments. But the Democratic nominee added that his opinion on the matter would be determined by how Republicans handle the confirmation of supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Senate Republicans are currently on track to confirm Barrett just days before the presidential election. The Senate judiciary committee concluded Barrett’s nomination hearings today. Biden said that, if Barrett is confirmed before the election, “I’m open to considering what happens from that point on.” Biden also flat-out acknowledged that he was hesitant to offer an unequivocal opinion on court-packing because he worried it would take media attention away from other issues, such as the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic nominee committed to offering a clear position on court-packing before election day. Guthrie is now grilling Trump on the New York Times investigation that revealed Trump owns a $421m debt. “Who do you owe $421 million to?” she asks. The president dodged the question, insisting the number is “all wrong”. Vaguely, he agreed he “probably” owes money to a foreign entity. “No, I don’t owe Russia money,” he said, adding, besides, “it’s a tiny percentage of the worth”, before trying to shift the conversation to unsubstantiated claims about Hillary Clinton. He said he wouldn’t release his tax returns because of “common sense” and added, “If they have my tax returns, as you know, they have to go to jail.” It’s not that Trump is telling us anything unexpected, or substantial here – but it sure is satisfying to watch an interview where Trump – who most often sticks to friendly Fox News – be challenged and fact-checked live. Biden says supporting the 1994 crime bill was a mistake A town hall attendee asked Joe Biden about the 1994 crime bill that he helped write, which has attracted widespread criticism in the years since it was passed. The town hall questioner pressed Biden on what he now thought of the bill given that it “showed prejudice against minorities.” The Democratic presidential nominee said the country has changed “drastically” since 1994, noting that many African American lawmakers supported the legislation. Biden argued there were many provisions in the bill that “turned out to be both bad and good”. He cited the assault weapons ban as a positive aspect of the law. When asked by George Stephanopoulos whether it was a mistake to support the bill, Biden said, “Yes, it was.” “Always ... We will protect people with pre-existing conditions,” Trump said, in response to a voter question about healthcare, promising a replacement for Obamacare. Guthrie pushed back. “You’ve been in office for almost four years - you had both houses of Congress – Senate and House – in Republican hands, and there is not a replacement yet.” Trump glibly repeated: “We’re going to have new healthcare, much better and much less expensive,” Trump said. Trump has long promised and has yet to present his own version of a healthcare plan. His administration is currently seeking to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in the supreme court. Joe Biden was pressed on why young African Americans should vote for him when many of them have serious reservations about the Democrat’s record. A town hall attendee asked, “Besides ‘you ain’t black,’ what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continuously fails to protect them?” Biden said of undecided black voters back in May, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” In response to the question, Biden emphasized that young African Americans have the ability to determine the outcome of the presidential election. The Democratic nominee cited his stances on criminal justice reform and the racial wealth gap as areas where he considered himself to be clearly superior to Trump.