On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris held their first debate of the American presidential election campaign.
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris held their first debate of the American presidential election campaign.
At first they shook hands, but the friendly atmosphere ended there.
In a heated 90 minutes, Harris took the former president seriously with personal attacks that distracted him and raised the temperature of this highly anticipated clash.
His provocations about the size of the crowds at his rallies, his behavior during the invasion of the Capitol in Washington, and criticism of his campaign by former members of his administration have left Trump on the defensive.
The pattern observed in the debate was for Harris to provoke her Republican rival into lengthy defenses of her past behavior and comments. He complied, raising his voice and shaking his head.
Americans should go to a Trump rally, Harris said in response to a question about immigration, because the events are enlightening. “People start leaving early out of exhaustion and boredom,” she said.
This provocation clearly rattled the former president, who spent much of his response – to a question that should have been one of his strong points with the electorate – defending the scope of his demonstrations and playing down her events.
Trump later engaged in a lengthy response to a debunked report that Haitian immigrants in the Ohio city of Springfield were stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets.
If they say that debates are won or lost by the candidate who makes the most of the issues on which he is strong—and defends or avoids the issues on which he is weak—then Tuesday night’s debate favored the vice president.
A CNN poll of debate viewers showed Harris outperforming. The bookmakers showed it, too.
This portrayal may be temporary, but Harris’s tactic of putting Trump on the defensive became clear early in the debate, on issues of the economy and abortion.
Opinion polls suggest that Americans are dissatisfied with the way Joe Biden’s government – of which Harris is a member – has handled inflation and the economy.
But Harris turned the tables and discussed Trump’s proposals for across-the-board tariff increases, which she dubbed “the Trump sales tax,” and talked about Project 2025, a controversial, independent conservative plan for a future Republican administration.
Trump again distanced himself from the project and defended his tariff plan, noting that the Biden administration has retained many of the tariffs inherited from Trump. The former president’s remarks were valid, but they prevented Trump from attacking Harris on issues such as inflation and consumer prices.
On abortion, Trump defended his record on the issue, saying Americans across the political spectrum wanted the landmark Roe v Wade decision protecting abortion rights overturned — something opinion polls don’t support. He struggled to clarify his position, and his response was at times confusing.
Harris took the opportunity to make an emotional and personal appeal to families dealing with complicated pregnancies who have been unable to receive abortions and care in states where it has been banned — states with “Trump abortion bans,” in her words.
“It’s an insult to the women of America,” she said.
It was a carefully crafted message on an issue where Harris has a wide lead over Trump.
On several occasions throughout the night, Harris put Trump on the defensive with barbs and provocations that he could have ignored but appeared to feel compelled to respond to.
At one point, Harris was asked about her liberal views, such as fracking, which she championed in her failed 2019 Democratic primary campaign and eventually abandoned. She continued to be questioned and eventually said she didn’t get handouts from her wealthy father.
Once again, the former president fell for it. Instead of continuing to attack the vice president for her change of heart—a clear weakness—he began his response by talking about the “small fraction” of money she received from her father.
On the withdrawal from Afghanistan, another of Harris’ weak points, the vice president shifted the subject to Trump’s negotiations with Taliban officials and his invitation to Camp David. This pattern repeated itself throughout the night, and it worked.
Republicans are already complaining about what they say is the favoritism of the debate moderators — ABC reporters David Muir and Linsey Davis — toward the vice president. Both have portrayed Trump as fact-checking during the debate.
But at the end of the night, it was Trump’s responses and his willingness to take every bait Harris threw at him that defined the debate.
And it was visible on the faces of both candidates. Every time her rival spoke, Harris had an expression of bewilderment or disbelief. Trump was already frowning.
So far, the Harris campaign has been hesitant to agree to another debate. But after this debate, they almost immediately called for another debate before November.
This alone shows how much Democrats thought this was Harris’ night.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
