Supporters of President Trump and former Vice President Biden faced off outside of Nashville’s Belmont University on Thursday as the two candidates met for their final presidential debate.
Tensions between the rival groups were high throughout the afternoon and into the evening, but a heavy police presence quashed the prospect of violence.
An army of Trump fans turned out in MAGA hats and items emblazoned with the American flag in order to show their support for the President.
‘Donald Trump is doing the right thing for the country. His heart is in the right place, and know that he is good for this country,’ supporter Joe Knight told WMC Action News.
Supporters of President Trump and Vice President Biden faced off outside of Nashville’s Belmont University on Thursday as the two candidates met for their final presidential debate
Tensions between the rival groups were high throughout the afternoon and into the evening, but a heavy police presence quashed the prospect of violence
An army of Trump fans turned out in MAGA hats and items emblazoned with the American flag in order to show their support for the President
Trump supporters and Biden fans stood in close proximity to each other as the debate kicked off on the Belmont University campus
Meanwhile, hundreds of Biden supporters and anti-Trump protesters also arrived brandishing banners and signs.
‘You Suck At Golf’ one handmade sign read, taunting the president about his favorite past time.
Other activists came with more professional-looking placards.
One member of the Defend Democracy group held up a banner which read ‘De-Escalate, De-Fund, De-Militarize, De-Police, Our Revolution’.
Throughout the afternoon, the rival groups stood in close proximity to one another. Several rivals even arrived at the site in the same car.
The Morris family drove down from Chicago. Mom Sheila supports President Trump, but her three children have divided.
‘Myself and my son are supporting Trump,’ she told WMC Action News, before adding that her other two kids are Biden fans.
‘We have to live under one roof and I want to show that we can all be here together,’ she stated.
Anti-Trump activists activists arrived with professional-looking placards
A Biden supporter is seen posing for a photograph with her handmade sign ahead of the final presidential debate
Stopping traffic! The two opposing groups tried to gain the attention of motorists who were passing by on a busy road outside the college campus
A group of activists converged outside the campus armed with megaphones and homemade signs
One woman showed her support for the Commander-in-chief with an eye-catching shirt and matching pants
Inside the theater at Belmont University, Trump and Biden sparred over issues including immigration, COVID-19, race relations and the economy.
While the debate was more civilized in tone than their first face-off last month, the pair became most heated when discussing Hunter Biden’s emails.
Biden dismissed the messages purportedly written by his son, which appear to show he leveraged his father’s political connections with foreign businesses.
‘We are in a situation where we have foreign countries trying to interfere in the outcome of our election,’ Biden stated.
He went on to claim that the emails may have been an attempt by Russia to smear his campaign.
‘His own national security adviser told him that what’s happening with this buddy – I shouldn’t, I will – his buddy Rudy Giuliani, he is being used a a Russian pawn.’
In turn, Trump claimed Biden had enriched himself with foreign dollars alongside his son.
‘I don’t make money from China, you do. I don’t make money from Ukraine, you do. I don’t make money from Russia, you do,’ Trump said.
The 90-minute debate was moderated by NBC’s Kristen Welker. The candidates sparred over immigration, the coronavirus, the economy and race relations