The Circus

October Surprise (5x16)

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The Circus covers the fiery first debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Jen Palmieri explores Trump's aggressive debate strategy, swapping war stories with Philippe Reines, a member of the Clinton 2016 debate prep team. John Heilemann spends debate night with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon are on the ground in Cleveland gauging public reactions to the debate, as all the hosts react to the seismic news that President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19.