Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced each other for the first time in Philadelphia on Tuesday night on the presidential debate. They began by shaking hands, but they did not hit it off.
Over 90 minutes, Vice President Harris repeatedly targeted Trump with pointed personal attacks, throwing him off his message and raising the stakes in the highly-anticipated debate.
Throughout the debate, Harris frequently hit Trump on key issues, including the size of his rally crowds, his conduct during the Capitol riot, and criticism from former officials in his administration. These jabs often left Trump on the defensive, a dynamic that persisted throughout much of the night.
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Harris managed to provoke Trump into long-winded defenses of his past actions, and the former president was often seen raising his voice and shaking his head. During an early question on immigration, Harris suggested Americans attend a Trump rally, describing them as “illuminating.” She added, “People start leaving the rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”
The remark clearly unsettled Trump, who spent much of his response defending the size of his rally crowds and taking shots at Harris’s events, missing an opportunity to focus on immigration—a topic seen as one of his strengths. Trump then shifted to a tangent involving a debunked story about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
If debates are won by capitalizing on strengths and deflecting weaknesses, the night appeared to favor Harris, who early in the debate, effectively put Trump on the defensive on the economy and abortion, two issues where she faced potential vulnerabilities.
Although polls show dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s handling of inflation, Harris turned the conversation to Trump’s proposed tariffs, calling them a “Trump sales tax.” She also pointed to Project 2025, a controversial conservative plan for a future Republican administration. Trump distanced himself from the project, defending his tariff policies, but the exchange kept him from attacking Harris on inflation and consumer prices, key areas of concern for voters.
Another statement by Harris that caught the eye of many was her take on Trump’s position in the eyes of voters. The U.S. vice president said: “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people”.
Harris further questioned Trump’s integrity, citing his past efforts to upend the will of voters in a free and fair election as one to worry about, and further insisted that the former president has now become a ‘laughing stock’ in the eye of some leaders of other nations.
"Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. Clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that.”
— Complex (@Complex) September 11, 2024
Kamala Harris #Debate2024
pic.twitter.com/YXC9pfRjPU
On the issue of abortion, Trump defended his record, claiming broad support for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, despite polling to the contrary. His answer was disjointed, and he struggled to articulate a clear position. Harris then seized the moment, delivering an impassioned appeal on behalf of families facing severe pregnancy complications and denied care in states with what she referred to as “Trump abortion bans.”
“It’s insulting to the women of America,” Harris declared. Her remarks were part of a measured message on an issue where she holds a strong lead over Trump.
Throughout the evening, Harris repeatedly rattled Trump with sharp comments that he often felt compelled to address. In one exchange, she was questioned about her liberal positions during her 2019 presidential campaign, including her opposition to oil shale fracking, which she has since walked back. Instead of capitalizing on this potential weakness, Trump found himself defending the “tiny fraction” of money he received from his father after Harris remarked that she didn’t take handouts from her own wealthy father.
The same pattern emerged on the topic of Afghanistan. When pressed on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, Harris shifted the conversation to Trump’s negotiations with the Taliban and his controversial decision to invite them to Camp David.
Republicans, meanwhile, criticized ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, accusing them of bias in favor of Harris, noting multiple instances where they pushed back on Trump’s claims. However, the main story of the night was Trump’s eagerness to respond to Harris’s attacks, often taking the bait she laid out. This dynamic was evident in the candidates’ body language: Harris displayed bemusement or incredulity, while Trump often scowled.
Initially noncommittal about a second debate, the Harris campaign quickly called for another presidential debate before November, an indication of their confidence following Tuesday night’s performance.
