The Republican presidential nominee, former United States President Donald Trump, and the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, met for the first time on an ABC stage this week. The presidential debate started with a polite handshake but soon descended into the now-familiar pattern of recent American political discourse: the candidates dodged most of the difficult questions and instead attacked each other while promoting their own agenda.
Trump seemed determined to stick to his favorite talking points. He repeatedly alleged that countries around the world are "emptying their prisons" by sending "millions of criminals" into the US vie the southern border. His claim that immigrants are "eating cats and dogs" earned him incredulous looks from Harris and an immediate rebuttal from the moderators. He also repeated that the Biden administration "weaponized" the Department of Justice against him, referring to his several criminal cases and one conviction. He attacked Harris on her record as vice president, especially in his closing statement, mocked her foreign affairs skills, and pointed out her policy shifts, painting her as untrustworthy. However, as a result, he arguably failed to make a case for why undecided voters should pick him. He portrayed the US as a "failing nation," overrun with crime and struggling to contain inflation but he did not offer a clear alternative. At one point, he even conceded that he only has "concepts of a plan" for healthcare reform less than two months before the election. He refused to take responsibility for the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and once again declined to admit that he lost the 2020 election, alleging he has "facts and statistics" to support his claim. Finally, Harris was able to provoke Trump on several occasions, including ridiculing his rallies, prompting the GOP candidate to give an unplanned speech about crowd sizes.
Harris had a shaky start as she answered her very first question about the state of the economy under the current administration, blaming Trump's legacy and talking about her future policy aims. However, she quickly recovered and scored points over Trump with her strong remarks on abortion, which she followed up with a jab about Trump's "same old tired playbook." She also forcefully challenged Trump on foreign policy, alleging that world leaders are "laughing" at Trump and saying he is a "disgrace." She turned Trump's previous comments about his "good relationship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin against him, saying that Trump is susceptible to "flattery and favors," that he "admires dictators" and that Putin would "eat [him] for lunch." Throughout the debate, she often turned to Trump while he was speaking, displaying facial expressions ranging from amusement to disbelief. In her closing statement, Harris chose not to focus on attacking Trump but instead spoke about her plan to "chart a new way forward." While she seemed more in control than her opponent overall, Harris, too, may not have succeeded in presenting herself and her policies clearly enough to sway a large number of undecided voters.
A poll from the Morning Consult following the debate showed Harris extended her lead over Trump to 5 points, with 50% of respondents saying they would vote for her. Among independents, she led Trump 46% to 40%. Harris may have hoped for a rematch or two, which could have helped cement her lead but Trump has refused to debate her again. Considering the extreme polarization of the US electorate, one 90-minute debate is unlikely to sway the course of the presidential race.
