Debate watch parties across D.C. are as much about scene as substance (2024)

In Washington, the Democratic Party is the home team. The city has never supported a GOP presidential candidate since its first presidential vote in 1964. In 2020, according to 270toWin, for each vote that Donald Trump received from the District, Joe Biden received about 17.

Many of the watch parties this year have taken on an apprehensive tone, perhaps indicative of the “double haters” who have expressed dismay at having to choose between Biden and Trump again. Despite the boisterous atmosphere and drink deals, debate watchers tuned in with serious topics weighing on their minds including the economy, threats to U.S. democracy, crime, racism, abortion and gun control.

An hour before the debate began, Shaw’s Tavern was standing room only. Every table in the two-story tavern had been reserved before seating even opened at 7:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. debate.

As clusters of people gathered around the bar, they passed around bingo cards with squares reading “gun control,” “reproductive rights” and “climate change.” The pub has built a reputation as a go-to hub for political entertainment, opening early for congressional testimony and confirmation hearings.

“I’m here in this city for this monumental moment in American history,” said Cal Curran, who moved to D.C. about a year ago. “Why not do it the D.C. way?”

As 9 p.m. drew nearer and the crowd swelled, the 23-year-old said he hoped CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash would grill Trump on his health-care policies but said that ultimately, policy would not determine the winner of the debate.

“I think it is much more a test of Joe Biden’s vitality,” Curran said. “To me, it’s about their personalities more than any other debate there has ever been.”

Mark Hunter, 56, said he already felt informed about each candidate’s stances but viewed engaging with both the debate and the upcoming election as critical in preserving U.S. democracy.

“It’s about saving the work my grandparents did and instilling the importance of voting in future generations,” Hunter said. “It’s not even about issues for me; it’s about saving America.”

The most somber moment of the night came as soon as CNN moderators mentioned the Israel-Gaza war. The room hushed, and one viewer tapped a fork against their glass to call for utter silence.

Angry yells directed at Trump and Biden alike erupted during the abortion discussion.

“I believe in exceptions for rape and incest and the life of a mother,” Trump said.

“Liar,” a woman yelled in response.

Moments later, as Biden denounced restrictions on abortion access, another woman yelled: “Put it in law then, coward.”

The charged atmosphere attracted some attendees who seemed just as interested in the crowd reaction as the debate itself.

“We came here to see someone flip a table,” said Sam Kole, 26.

For others, watching a live political event with more than 100 strangers proved both thrilling and nerve-racking.

“This is stressful,” Charlotte Jibilian, 22, said. “I need a beta blocker for this environment.”

Busboys and Poets in Brookland hosted a watch party advertised by the D.C. Democratic Party.

Fred and Charlena Carney last watched a presidential debate at a Busboys and Poets in 2008, when Barack Obama ran against John McCain. The self-described “political junkies” decided that after over 15 years, they wanted to see this debate in public, too.

“It was a lot more exciting,” Fred said of the atmosphere in 2008. “There were more people … spirits were high.” This year, he said, the mood feels “kind of melancholy. People are not excited or engaged. Even though it’s an important election, they’re not excited.”

The Carneys, who are supporting Biden, said Trump was relying on “pure conjecture” in the debate. Charlena added that they were “disappointed” with the debate moderators.

Emily Ezratty and Matt Crane sat with their friends at a large table of college students. Ezratty, 21, and Crane, 19, will be voting in the presidential election for the first time.

“All of my political memory is watching these guys throw jabs at each other,” Crane said. But that didn’t dissuade him from coming to the watch party, which Ezratty saw advertised on Instagram.

Ezratty and Crane both said they plan to vote for Biden. They weren’t moved much by the debate, which Crane called “more of a spectacle than a learning experience.” But to both of them, Trump appeared to present himself better on the stage.

“Which is unfortunate,” Ezratty said.

Capitol Hill’s Union Pub had a challenge for its patrons. The bar, which bills itself as a watering hole for Washington’s politicos, posted on its social media accounts about a drinking game customers could play while watching the debate. It included instructions like drinking every time a candidate was muted and chugging drinks whenever the word “felon” was mentioned.

The bar also advertised drinks representative of the Republican and Democratic parties: a blue drink consisting of a mix of vodka, Sprite and blue curaçao; a red drink consisting of a co*cktail of vodka, Sprite and grenadine, or a Dirty Shirley.

Congressional staffers and out-of-towners came to Union Pub hours ahead of the debate to get a seat. The line to get into the bar stretched down the sidewalk beside it, at times wrapping around the corner. Inside, nearly every television was streaming CNN. Outside, the pub displayed debate coverage on two projectors.

Moments before the debate began, a few inside the bar were chanting “USA! USA!” As the camera panned to both candidates walking onstage, each received cheers and boos.

Come November, Alicia Rivera said she will likely vote for Trump, citing his promises to strengthen the American economy. Rivera, a first-generation Mexican American, described herself as a political moderate.

“I’m here for the drama more than anything,” she said.

Richard Unger, who was visiting Washington from Schenectady, N.Y., said he knew he needed to watch the debate, whether it was in his hotel room or at a watch party. The 73-year-old, who used to work in city planning and follows politics closely, watched the TV screens intently listening for questions on issues including abortion, gun control and the First Amendment.

Unger was curious to hear the candidates’ responses, though he said the debate didn’t sway which way he would cast his ballot in November.

“It’s going to be a close vote,” he said. “Am I nervous? Am I scared? Yes.”

But Unger said he had remained “optimistic” about the future generations being able to bridge the political and social divides that he feels are growing in the 2024 election season.

“Probably not in my lifetime,” he said. “But maybe in my grandchildren’s lifetime.”