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Presidential Debate: Kirstie Alley says 'great job Trump', Alyssa Milano replies 'he was disgusting'

Trump and Biden locked horns on the debate stage where they addressed pressing issues such as race and healthcare

As millions of voters tuned in to watch President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden square off one last time before Election Day, celebrities were quick to declare who they thought was the clear winner yesterday night. Opinions were more or less divided. Megyn Kelly and Kirstie Alley were among those who applauded Trump's composed demeanor, while Alyssa Milano and Mark Ruffalo praised Biden for "standing his ground," the Daily Mail reported.

Trump and Biden locked horns on the debate stage on October 22 night at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where they addressed pressing issues such as race and healthcare. The president used the opportunity to prod his challenger about his son Hunter Biden's 'laptop from hell', while the former vice president demanded the incumbent release his tax returns. At one point, Trump declared he was the "least racist person in the room," prompting a reaction from 'Avengers' star Mark Ruffalo.

Actress Kirstie Alley was one of few celebrities to declare Trump the winner of the debate. "GREAT DEBATE!! Good moderator... GREAT JOB TRUMP!!! Presidential PRESIDENT!!" she tweeted. Meanwhile, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly called Trump "substantive, on-point, well-tempered" and said Biden "wasn't a force at all."

That said, Trump's claim that he's the "least racist person in the room" did not sit well with a number of celebrities. "Can we take a second to acknowledge that Trump said to Kristen Welker... A BLACK WOMAN... that he's the least racist person in the room," actress Yara Shahidi tweeted. "He can’t help it. Racism oozes from every cell. #TrumpIsARacist," 'Will & Grace' actress Debra Messing wrote while retweeting CNN's Jim Acosta.

Biden attempted to hold Trump to the fire for apparently telling the 'Proud Boys' to "stand back and stand by," but he accidentally referred to them as the 'Poor Boys.' "Whether he called the “Proud Boys” the “Poor Boys” accidentally or on purpose, he was right," Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Rubbin tweeted. "I wish Trump would stand back and stand by," 'Scrubs' actor Zach Braff chimed in. Trump accused the Biden family of being corrupt as he honed in on Hunter Biden's controversial overseas business dealings, prompting a reaction from #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano. "Trump can't attack Biden so he attacks Biden's family. It's disgusting," she tweeted.

Trump pounced on the opportunity to bring up Hunter Biden's laptop, which allegedly contains a trove of emails implicating his presidential hopeful father in his questionable business deals.  While Biden denied the allegations, some pro-Trump celebrities like singer Joy Villa declared him "100000% corrupt." Others noted how Trump had significantly improved his style since the chaotic September debate and how he remained composed throughout the event. A&E Networks correspondent Elizabeth Vargas tweeted, "so far President Trump is far more disciplined than he was in the first debate."

Anti-Trumpers, however, criticized Trump's performance nonetheless. "This debate is a much easier watch than the last one, but still not easy," former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang tweeted. "Man. There are political differences and then there is the grotesquerie that is Donald Trump. He is racist, ableist, classist, and terrible. If you don’t vote for Biden on 11/3 really never talk to me again," author Roxane Gay wrote.