From abortions to wars to the economy to the housing crisis, US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris battled it out at their first presidential debate hosted by ABC news today. Eight weeks to go before the United States votes, the Republican candidate and the Democrat opponent met on the debate stage. At the start of the debate, Harris and Trump shook hands after they were introduced, ending an eight-year streak of no handshakes on the presidential debate stage.
Interestingly, this is also the first time the two leaders met, and Ms Harris made a point to introduce herself to Mr Trump.
Asked to respond to a question on the economy and the cost of living, an issue high on voters' minds, Ms Harris spoke of her middle-class background and her plans to support families and small businesses if elected to the top post. Targeting Trump, she said he would provide tax cuts to "billionaires and big corporations" and also reminded the viewers of the condition he left the economy in when Joe Biden took over. At one point, Ms Harris said, "Donald Trump has no plan for you."
As the debate heated up, Trump started targeting Harris on the Biden administration's record on immigration, she responded, "You're going to hear from the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling."
"Let's talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us worst unemployment since the great depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess," she said.
At one point, Trump switched to a personal attack. "She is a Marxist. Her father was a Marxist." Harris was seen smiling throughout. The former President complained that he did not get enough credit for the "great job" during the Covid pandemic. "We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic," he said.
Moving to the key subject of abortion, Harris warned that Donald Trump will ban abortions if he returns as President. "She is lying," he replied. Trump appeared to be stumped by a question on whether he would veto a national abortion ban. He said such a law won't pass the Congress.
As the focus shifted to immigration, Harris said Trump would be talking about this subject a lot. She invited people to attend Trump's rallies because it's "a really interesting thing to watch". She said at the former President's rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter and that people start leaving his rallies because they are bored.
A livid Trump responded that no one goes to Harris' rallies. Trump then started talking about a social media conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating dogs in Ohio. "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating - they're eating the pets of the people that live there." This got a laugh out of Harris as she shook her head.
As Trump attacked the Joe Biden administration's record on crime control, Harris responded that the remarks were "so rich" coming from someone criminally charged multiple times. Trump said the cases against them were an example of the weaponisation of the Department of Justice to target a political opponent. He then brought up the July 13 assassination attempt, saying "I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things" they (Democrats) have said about him. "They talk about democracy, I'm a threat to democracy. They're the threat to democracy," he said.
"I have travelled the world as Vice-President of the United States. World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. They say you are a disgrace," Harris said, drawing a rant from the former President.
On the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Harris batted for a two-state solution. Trump said the situation would have never reached this point if he was President. He said Harris hates Israel as well as the Arab population in the region. The vice president responded that Trump's claims were not true and stressed her support for Israel.
During an exchange on the Ukraine war, Harris said Russian President Vladimir Putin would be in Kyiv if Trump was president. Harris said Trump would "give up" in the face of pressure from Putin. "Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland. How quickly you would give up for the sake of favour and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch."
To a question on whether he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russia, Trump did not have a direct answer but said he wants the war to stop. "I think it's in the US' best interest to get this war finished."
As Trump constantly brought up the Biden administration's failures, trying to tie Harris to them, the vice president responded, "You are not running against Biden."
Asked why he had questioned Harris's racial identity, Trump replied, "I don't care what she is." He said he had read that she was not Black. Harris calls it a "tragedy" that Trump tries to use racial identity to divide Americans. She said she is neither Biden nor Trump and represents a new generation of leadership. Trump responded that the current administration is "divisive".
