By In a fiery presidential debate on Tuesday, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris relentlessly challenged Republican Donald Trump, targeting his stance on abortion restrictions, his overall fitness for office, and his numerous legal issues. Both candidates were looking for a game-changing moment in their tight race.
Harris, 59, leveraged her background as a former prosecutor to consistently put Trump, 78, on the defensive. Her incisive attacks provoked a visibly irritated Trump, who responded with a series of misleading statements.
During the debate, Harris criticized Trump’s campaign rallies, suggesting that attendees often leave early due to “exhaustion and boredom.” Trump, who has expressed frustration over the size of Harris’ events, countered by claiming his rallies are “the biggest and most incredible in political history.”
Trump also introduced a baseless claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly “eating the pets” of locals. The debate covered various topics, including immigration, foreign policy, and healthcare, but lacked specific policy details. Harris’ aggressive approach shifted the spotlight onto Trump, leading her supporters to celebrate and some Republicans to acknowledge Trump’s difficulties.
Marc Short, former chief of staff to Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, noted that Trump missed a chance to focus on economic and border issues, instead being drawn into discussions on election denialism and other distractions.
PredictIt’s 2024 presidential general election market reflected a decline in Trump’s chances, dropping from 52% to 47%, while Harris’ odds increased from 53% to 55%.
Confident in her performance, Harris’ campaign immediately challenged Trump to a second debate. Although Trump has previously targeted Harris with personal attacks, including racist and sexist remarks, he refrained from such rhetoric during the debate’s early moments but became visibly agitated as Harris pressed her points.
When questioned about his past comments suggesting Harris had “recently become a Black person,” Trump responded indifferently, saying he was fine with whatever Harris chose to be. Harris, who has both Black and South Asian heritage, criticized Trump for attempting to use race to divide Americans.
Harris also aimed Trump’s criminal convictions related to hush money payments and other indictments, as well as a civil judgment for sexual assault. Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, accused Harris and Democrats of fabricating these cases. He repeated his false claim of election fraud in 2020, labeled Harris a “Marxist,” and inaccurately claimed that migrants are responsible for a surge in violent crime.
With the election just eight weeks away and early voting starting soon in some states, the debate—being the only scheduled one—was crucial for both candidates. Harris, who entered the race just seven weeks ago after President Joe Biden’s exit, used the debate to highlight her positions on abortion limits. She spoke passionately about the impact of statewide abortion bans. She suggested that Trump would support a national ban, which Trump denied but avoided explicitly stating he would veto such a law.
Trump, often struggling with abortion messaging, falsely accused Harris and Democrats of supporting infanticide, which is illegal in every state. Harris also linked Trump to Project 2025, a conservative policy plan aiming to expand executive power and restrict abortion access. Trump denied involvement with Project 2025, despite some of his advisers being associated with its creation.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean acknowledged that Trump “didn’t do himself any favors” during the debate, but it remains uncertain whether Harris’ performance will alter the race dynamics, as polls indicate that most voters have already made their decisions, leaving a small number of undecided voters as the primary focus.
