Kamala Harris puts Donald Trump on defensive in fiery debate
In a tense presidential debate on Tuesday, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris put Republican Donald Trump on the defensive with a barrage of critiques targeting his abortion policies, his suitability for office, and his numerous legal troubles. Both candidates were contesting for a game-changing moment in their competitive race.
Harris, 59, a former prosecutor, repeatedly irritated Trump, 78, leading to a visibly agitated response from the former president, who responded with several inaccurate statements. At one point, Harris criticized Trump’s campaign rallies, suggesting that attendees often leave early due to “exhaustion and boredom.”
In response, Trump, boasted about the unprecedented size of his rallies. He then made an unfounded claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, supposedly “eating the pets” of local residents.
“Talk about extreme,” Harris said with a laugh.
The debate covered topics like immigration, foreign policy, and healthcare, but lacked in-depth policy details.
Harris’ assertive performance shifted the spotlight onto Trump, leaving her supporters pleased and some Republicans recognizing Trump’s difficulties.
“Trump missed a chance to focus on critiquing the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the economy and border issues, instead getting sidetracked by topics like election denialism and unsubstantiated claims about immigrants,” said Marc Short, former chief of staff to Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence.
The debate appeared to impact the odds in the Predict It’s 2024 presidential election market, with Trump’s chances of winning dropping from 52% to 47%, while Harris’ chances increased from 53% to 55%.
In a show of confidence, Harris’ campaign immediately challenged Trump to a second debate.
During the debate, Trump, who had previously levelled personal attacks against Harris, including racist and sexist remarks, largely refrained from these comments initially but soon became visibly agitated by Harris’ approach.
When questioned about a remark he made at a July event with Black journalists, where he said Harris had “recently become a Black person,” Trump responded, “I couldn’t care less. Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.”
Harris, who has both Black and South Asian heritage, replied, “It’s a tragedy that someone aspiring to the presidency consistently uses race to divide the American people.”
Harris also criticized Trump over his criminal convictions related to hush money payments and other legal issues, as well as his false claims of election fraud, accusations of Marxism, and baseless assertions about migrant-related crime.
The candidates also clashed over the Israel-Gaza conflict and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but neither provided detailed plans for resolving these issues.
With the election just eight weeks away and early voting beginning in some states soon, this single scheduled debate offered both candidates a crucial opportunity to sway a large television audience.
