Key Moments from Trump and Harris Presidential Debate: Abortion Rights, Immigration, and More
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris participated in their first—and possibly final—presidential debate. Moderated by ABC News, the one-hour and forty-five-minute event took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and featured both candidates squabbling over significant issues like immigration and abortion rights, as they both attempted to win over voters in a fiercely competitive race. Harris used a strategy intended to provoke Trump, while Trump frequently turned to conspiracy theories and false claims. The debate brought to light the stark contrasts in their leadership styles and visions for the nation.
Important lessons learned:
Harris’s Plan: Harris was well-prepared and used his bold comments to make Trump uncomfortable. She called him “weak,” denounced his loss in the 2020 election, and said that military chiefs considered him to be a “disgrace.” Harris drew a comparison between Trump’s support of billionaires and large corporations and her emphasis on middle-class Americans.
Trump’s Reactions and False Claims: Trump responded to Harris with evident annoyance, frequently launching into tirades and making a number of untrue statements. He repeated disproved conspiracy theories, such as the ludicrous accusations regardAbortion: This topic became quite important. Harris emphasized the impact on women who are denied care in real life and attacked Trump’s role in repealing Roe v. Wade. Trump maintained his position by saying that states should control abortion, but he kept making untrue statements about Democratic views on infanticide.
Abortion: This topic became quite important. Harris emphasized the impact on women who are denied care in real life and attacked Trump’s role in repealing Roe v. Wade. Trump maintained his position by saying that states should control abortion, but he kept making untrue statements about Democratic views on infanticide.
Immigration and Crime: Harris criticized Trump for his inability to get a bipartisan immigration plan passed while he distorted immigration laws and diverted attention from debates about actual policies. FBI statistics shown during the discussion refuted his allegation that crime rates were growing.
International Issues: Both candidates failed to provide definitive answers to the ongoing hostilities in Gaza and Ukraine. Harris brought up Trump’s ties to autocrats, but Trump maintained that he had the power to have avoided these confrontations.
Race and Identity: Trump was questioned over remarks he has made in the past regarding Harris’ race. Harris took advantage of the chance to confront Trump’s history of racial prejudice, including his involvement in the Central Park Five case and the birther movement against Obama, although he rejected the topic.
Personal jabs: Harris seemed offended when he made fun of Trump’s rally attendees. In spite of attempts by moderators to redirect the conversation back to policy, Trump defended his rally numbers.
Impact of Polling: Before the debate, Trump and Harris had almost equal support, with Trump at 48% and Harris at 49%, according to CNN’s Poll of Polls.
Overall, the debate highlighted the different strategies used by the two candidates: Harris skillfully provoked Trump into unpredictable and defensive reactions by bringing up important topics like economic disparity and abortion. In the meantime, Trump struggled to successfully address substantive issues and instead concentrated on spreading conspiracy theories and portraying a negative picture of the United States under Democratic administration.
