In their debate last night, Vice President Kamala Harris put former President Donald Trump on the defensive, according to the New York Times. The first presidential debate between these candidates was hosted by ABC News from Philadelphia, PA.
The 90-minute showdown between Harris and Trump was high-stakes, as they are virtually tied in the polls.
Rather than focusing on specific policies, Harris presented herself as a confident leader who could “turn the page and move forward” in American politics. She also spent time discussing her opponent, commenting on the crowd sizes at Trump’s rallies, his reputation among world leaders and his election loss.
Harris still laid out some policies during the debate, citing her plans to uplift the middle class through an “opportunity economy.” She mentioned her proposals for tax cuts for young families and small businesses.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed vexation towards Harris’ statements about him and spent much time on immigration. He repeatedly said immigrants were “destroying our country” and criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s policies. He also brought up a debunked story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
While impressing some Republicans as he spoke on foreign policy, Trump also remained unclear on some of his positions, such as whether he wanted Ukraine to prevail in the war against Russia and how he could improve the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” He said he had “concepts of a plan” for the latter but did not specify with more details, claiming that he could not do so given that he was “not president right now”. In response to Trump’s performance, many Republicans said that Trump was not only battling Harris, but ABC News’ moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis who “challenged him throughout the debate,” according to Fox News.
Harris also took some heat during the night when questioned about her policy shifts. Harris made it clear she supported fracking, which the moderators and Trump said deviated from her past opinions. Harris was also questioned about her past policies like defunding the police, immigration and private versus government-run health care systems. When Trump connected her policies to Biden, she emphasized their differences and tied the conversation back to her own values.
“Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump. What I offer is a new generation of leadership for our country,” Harris said. “One who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people.”
Abortion became a hot topic issue of the night. Trump said he supported IVF during the debate, while taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade and refusing to state whether he would veto a national abortion ban, as some pro-choice Republicans have hoped for him to commit to.
“Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,” Trump said and later added that: “Each individual state is voting. It’s the vote of the people. Now it’s not tied up in the federal government.”
On the other hand, Harris remained firm and defended her position on reproductive rights and the reinstitution of Roe v. Wade.
“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” Harris said.
Since Biden dropped out of the race, many news outlets and reports have scrutinized Trump’s rally speeches and debate performance. Last night, Harris took the same approach, calling into question his coherency and long rallies.
Many in the Democratic Party believe that Harris has proved herself through her performance, including music artist Taylor Swift, who endorsed Harris directly after the debate on her Instagram to over 280 million followers. What some news sources are chalking up as a “win” comes as a relief to some Democrats, especially in light of the party’s initial apprehension of Harris’ candidacy. Some undecided Americans were impressed by Harris’ performance, and have either given her their vote or have become less opposed to her as president.
“After last night, I think I’ll vote for Kamala Harris. I don’t know if I’ll be very enthusiastic about it but I will probably be voting for her,” Independent Mat Sokol said to BBC.
However, the polls still retain their slim margin. Students and faculty have expressed agreement, particularly Head of Debate Adam Torson, who led a Presidential Debate recap session earlier today at Marlborough.
“The election is razor thin,” Torson said. “Every little [margin] matters.”
