Kamala Harris and Donald Trump participated in a presidential debate Tuesday night, hosted by ABC news and moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis. Topics ranged from abortion to the economy to immigration.
Anticipation was high for this debate following the June presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden. That debate was the nail in the coffin for President Biden’s campaign, with only 31% of viewers having a favorable view of him following the debate, according to a CNN Flash Poll. A new poll shows that Tuesday’s debate was much more successful for Democrats, with 63% of viewers saying that Harris performed better than Trump.
Economic policies
The first topic of the debate was the economy and how candidates plan to address the rising cost of living in the United States. Harris listed aspects of her economic plan, such as providing a $50 thousand tax deduction to small businesses and a $6 thousand child tax credit. She contrasted this with a description of Trump’s plan, including what she called “The Trump Sales Tax,” a 20% tax on all goods. She discussed how Trump would cut taxes for the wealthy and the harmful impact that would have on the middle class.
In Trump’s response, he claimed that he had “no inflation” during his presidency and that the economy under his administration was “one of the greatest economies in the history of the country.” Trump was critical of inflation levels during Biden’s administration and claimed that illegal immigrants were coming and taking American jobs. He said that these immigrants were criminals coming from prisons and insane asylums.
The two traded remarks about tariffs, unemployment and the trade deficit. Harris mentioned how several economic experts from institutions such as Goldman Sachs and the Wharton School of Business, as well as several nobel laureates, have said that Trump’s economic policies will harm the American economy. Trump’s response was to call Harris a Marxist and suggest that Harris hates her country.
Abortion
After discussing economic policies, the candidates engaged in a heated debate over abortion. Trump spoke first, saying that Harris and other Democrats support abortion as far as the ninth month of pregnancy or even after birth. He touted how Roe v. Wade was overturned under his administration and applauded the six Supreme Court Justices who voted to overturn it. Harris spoke on how she supports a woman’s right to choose and will work to reinstate Roe v. Wade if elected. When asked, Trump refused to say whether he would sign a national abortion ban, dodging the question by saying the issue had been passed back to the states.
“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.
The Ukraine and Gaza wars
Harris took a relatively neutral stance on the issue of the Gaza war, saying that Israel had the right to defend itself after the attacks on Oct. 7, but that they must be sure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not harmed. Trump claimed that if he had been president, neither the Gaza war nor the Ukraine war would have happened.
“She hates Israel. She wouldn’t meet with Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a speech, she wanted to go to a party. She hates Israel. If she is president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now,” Trump said in regards to Harris’s attitudes towards Israel.
Harris responded by saying that she has always supported Israel and claimed that Trump dreams of being a dictator.
“It’s well known he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one, according to himself,” Harris said.
Other notable moments
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is a law that provides healthcare coverage for free or reduced rates to those who meet certain criteria. This was passed under the Obama administration in 2010. Trump has frequently expressed disdain for the ACA, though when asked at the debate what his alternative proposal would be, he could not name a specific plan.
Project 2025 was mentioned at least four times during the debate. Project 2025 is a list of conservative policies from the Heritage Foundation. While the group is not officially affiliated with Trump, many of his policies align with Project 2025. During the debate, Trump claimed to have not read Project 2025 in an attempt to distance himself from the controversial policies.
Closing statements
Before the debate, Trump won the coin toss and chose to give the final closing statement of the night. In Harris’s statement, she discussed how her campaign intends to move America forward, saying that Trump will only take us back. Trump ended the night by saying that if Harris hasn’t accomplished what she’s promising as vice president, she won’t do anything as president.
After the debate
On Tuesday night, Taylor Swift announced her official endorsement of Harris via Instagram. Swift signed the post, “Childless Cat Lady,” a jab at past comments made by Trump’s running mate, JD Vance.
Swift wasn’t the only one to make an announcement following the debate. Harris’s campaign announced that she is open to a second presidential debate. Trump’s campaign has not been as quick to commit, as the former president squabbles over the treatment he received during the debate. Trump is upset over how the moderators fact checked some of his statements in real time and thinks that the debate was rigged against him.
While it’s uncertain if Trump and Harris will take to the debate stage again this year, there will be a vice presidential debate in the coming weeks. CBS will host the debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz on Oct. 1.
