The only scheduled meeting between presidential nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump was initially cordial, but it quickly transformed into a gritty battle on the night of Sept. 10.
Several critical issues in the upcoming election, including the economy, the war in Gaza, Ukraine, immigration and abortion were discussed.
ABC hosted the debate with moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, who introduced the candidates. As it was the first time the two candidates had met, Harris walked to Trump and introduced herself with a handshake.
Both candidates agreed to ABC’s rule of muted microphones while the opponent had their turn to speak, a rule the Harris campaign initially wanted removed.
The first topic was the economy. Both candidates gave their pitches on how they would approach the issue, which is continually high on America’s list of priorities. While the annual inflation rate is at its lowest since 2021, prices for education, housing and groceries have stayed high.
Harris said she would support families who struggle with housing costs by implementing a $6,000 child tax credit. Although this tax cut may seem helpful, housing costs will likely continue to stay high due to restrictive zoning and a lack of new homes being built.
Trump framed inflation as a problem caused by the Biden administration’s poor economic planning. He also discussed his plan to substantially raise tariffs to fight against trade competitors like China, whose cheap steel and aluminum have recently hurt American firms.
Harris also wants to raise tariffs, but not as much as Trump. Harris criticized Trump’s tariff plan for going too far. His plan calls for a 10 to 20 percent tariff on all foreign goods and a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods. Some critics warn that such an extreme approach could backfire and hurt American consumers. For this reason, Harris mockingly called Trump’s approach to tariffs a “Trump Sales Tax.”
Another issue on the ballot for this November is abortion. During the debate, Trump boasted about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the lawsuit that set the precedent for constitutional protection for abortion. Abortion is now almost entirely illegal in 13 US states without exceptions for rape or incest.
Harris said that Trump would sign a national abortion ban if elected, but when pressured, Trump did not give a clear answer.
On the issue of border security, Harris accused Trump of torpedoing a recent border bill that would have given border agents $20 billion in new funding.
At that point in the debate, Harris seemed to purposely bait Trump by casually mentioning that supporters were leaving the former president’s rallies early. Her plan seemed to work when the former president, who is known for putting importance on rally sizes, spent the first half of his rebuttal talking about rallies instead of attacking Harris on policy.
Trump, after regaining composure, repeated false claims that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio. After the claim, Muir fact-checked Trump, saying that ABC had contacted the city’s manager and confirmed the event was only a rumor. That same debunked claim recently sparked a bomb threat at the Springfield City Hall and pushed the city’s mayor to call for a stop to the lie.
Trump was also asked about his plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants using the National Guard and local police, although he did not provide specifics.
The candidates also sparred on Trump’s legal battles, which Harris brought up and Trump characterized as partisan political attacks. Trump expressed confidence that a recent Supreme Court decision granting former presidents certain criminal immunities would bring him success in court. Harris expressed fear that Trump would use his newfound immunity to avoid responsibility, attack his opponents and dismiss the legal cases against him if elected.
In their closing statements, Harris tried to paint her campaign as focusing on the future and Trump’s as a gripe on the past. Trump tried to tie Harris to the Biden administration, which he claims has failed in terms of foreign policy, the economy and immigration.
Last Thursday, at a rally in Arizona, Trump told the crowd there was no need for another debate because he had already “won” the one with Harris. The Harris campaign has taken the opportunity to label Trump as scared of another debate with the vice president. Although Trump has been known to change his mind before, it’s unlikely another debate will be scheduled before voting starts in November.
