In their first TV debate, US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump gave each other no quarter. And at the end, Harris is predicting another exchange of blows.
The two US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump attacked each other sharply in their first TV debate. They accused each other of having run the country into the ground, of having no plan for the pressing problems and of spreading lies. Trump repeatedly referred to Harris as a “radical leftist” and a “Marxist”. The Democrat, in turn, said several times that her opponent did not care about the needs of the citizens and was only interested in putting others down.
It was the first time that Harris and Trump had ever met face to face – and it was probably the most important showdown between the two before the election on November 5th. For 90 minutes, the Democratic Vice President and the Republican ex-President debated the top issues of the election campaign, such as economic and migration policy, abortion and foreign policy. While Harris tried to spread a hopeful message of a reunited country in the debate, Trump painted a picture of the decline of the USA and a “failed state”.
When they first met on stage, the two shook hands. The Democrat approached the Republican and introduced herself as “Kamala Harris” in the Philadelphia venue. After that, both immediately went into attack mode.
The USA in a disastrous state – and who is to blame?
Harris lamented that Trump left the country in a disastrous state in 2021 – with the highest unemployment since the Great Depression, the worst health epidemic in a century and the worst attack on American democracy since the Civil War. “And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess.”
Trump, in turn, complained that Harris and US President Joe Biden had plunged the country into the abyss during their time in office. “We have a nation that is dying,” he said. During various questions, the Republican brought up the topic of migration and accused the Biden and Harris administration of allowing millions upon millions of migrants and criminals into the country unchecked. “They have destroyed the structure of our country.” Trump even accused migrants of eating pets. “In Springfield, they eat the dogs – the people who came here – they eat the cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there,” he claimed without any evidence.
Who is lying to whom here?
Harris accused Trump of wanting tax cuts for the rich and not caring about ordinary Americans. She appealed to citizens to see for themselves at one of his campaign appearances. “I’m going to do something really unusual and call on you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies,” the Democrat said to the audience. Trump spreads absurd claims there, such as that windmills cause cancer. “The only thing you won’t hear him talk about is you.” Trump has no plan for the people of the country. Trump responded, offended, that people don’t go to Harris’ campaign events in the first place.
Trump accused his opponent of not having a plan for economic policy and of being a Marxist. “She has destroyed our country with policies that are insane,” said the former US president. The two also accused each other of lying on several occasions. Harris complained that Trump was using the same old hackneyed script and spreading a “bunch of lies, complaints and insults.” Americans are tired of this. She repeatedly called on the country to turn a new leaf, look forward and address the needs of the American people.
Harris also said she traveled the world as vice president and world leaders laughed at Trump. She also spoke to senior military officials, some of whom worked with the Republican. “And they say: You are a disgrace.”
Test for Kamala Harris
The broadcast was from a studio without an audience in Philadelphia, the largest city in the politically contested state of Pennsylvania. The two politicians were on their own on stage: cheat sheets were not allowed, nor was contact with their respective teams. During the debate, the microphone of the candidate who was not speaking at the time was muted.
The duel, which was hosted by ABC, was a real test for Harris in particular. The 59-year-old had only replaced President Biden as the Democratic candidate a few weeks ago and had so far mainly appeared in strictly choreographed campaign appearances in which her team had everything under control. In the debate against Trump, she now had to prove herself without a script.
Trump, on the other hand, has already taken part in various television debates, including in his previous election campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The 78-year-old emerged as the clear winner from his most recent TV duel at the end of June. At the time, he was still running against Biden, who withdrew from the presidential race after his disastrous performance and left the field to Harris.
Head-to-head race
Harris and Trump are roughly neck and neck in polls. Both are trying to win over undecided voters in particular. In a recent poll, 28 percent of respondents said they did not know enough about Harris – for Trump, the figure was 9 percent. While most people in the US know what to expect from the Republican, Harris and her positions are unknown to far more people. During the debate, she tried to explain her substantive goals – including her signature issue of abortion.
“The government and certainly Donald Trump should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” said Harris, promising that if she wins the election she would enshrine the right to abortion in law. To do this, however, Harris would need a corresponding majority in Congress.
Various foreign policy issues – the Middle East, Ukraine, China, Afghanistan – were also discussed. Here, the two mainly repeated well-known positions.
Is there more to come?
There had been a long wrangling about the date for the TV debate beforehand. Immediately after the end of the TV duel, the Democrat’s campaign team called on the Republican opponent to hold a second debate. US citizens would have been able to see on Tuesday evening what choice they will face in November – and should have another opportunity to do so in October, explained the Harris team.
“Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is it Donald Trump?” the statement said.
However, no date has yet been set for another duel. Next up are the vice-candidates: Tim Walz and JD Vance will meet on October 1st to face off.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
