In a heated 1 hour and 45-minute debate, Kamala Harris baited Donald Trump with precision, causing the former president to repeatedly take the bait. The vice president, well-prepared, laced her responses with provocations that kept Trump on the defensive.
Harris labeled Trump “weak” and “wrong,” even going as far as to say world leaders were laughing at him and military leaders called him a “disgrace.” She pointed out his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden, saying, “Clearly, he’s having a very difficult time processing that.” Trump, visibly agitated, responded by insisting on a series of falsehoods, including claims of widespread election fraud, conspiracy theories about immigrants, and inaccurate statements about abortion laws. As the debate came to a close, Harris received an unexpected endorsement from pop culture icon Taylor Swift, further energizing her campaign.
Key Moments:
Harris Pokes at Trump’s Rally Sizes
One turning point came when Harris jabbed Trump over the size of his rally crowds. Trump, predictably, took the bait, steering the conversation away from policy issues to defend the entertainment value of his events. This tangent diverted attention from key debate topics like immigration, with Trump bizarrely doubling down on a false claim that immigrants were eating Americans’ pets
Conspiracy Theories on Display
Throughout the night, Trump stuck to his playbook of conspiracy theories. He reiterated a baseless claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets, which ABC moderator David Muir debunked in real-time. Trump brushed aside the moderator’s correction, responding with a vague, “We’ll find out.” He later repeated unfounded claims about the FBI, crime rates, and elections, sticking to his usual rhetoric that painted government institutions as corrupt.
Abortion: A Key Battleground
The stark differences between Harris and Trump became especially apparent when discussing abortion. Trump defended his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, boasting about returning the issue to the states, despite resistance from many voters. Harris hit back, highlighting the real-world consequences of abortion restrictions and refuting Trump’s inaccurate claims about post-birth abortions. “Pregnant women who suffer miscarriages are being denied care, bleeding out in their cars because providers are afraid of going to jail,” she said, driving home the impact of these policies.
Trump vs. Harris on the Economy
Harris made a point to cast Trump as out for himself, contrasting her middle-class roots with Trump’s focus on billionaires. “He actually has no plan for you,” Harris said, appealing directly to voters. Trump, however, focused on defending his tax cuts for corporations, leaving Harris to frame herself as the candidate who would prioritize everyday Americans.
Global Issues and Trump’s Soft Spot for Dictators
The debate’s foreign policy section saw little substance from either candidate, particularly when discussing the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Harris offered her support for a two-state solution in Israel but emphasized that peace was still far off. Trump, meanwhile, insisted the conflicts would never have started under his leadership and claimed he could end them quickly. Harris countered by accusing Trump of being manipulated by dictators, referencing his well-documented admiration for strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban.
