Harris Puts Trump on the Defensive in Combative Debate
Democratic candidate Kamala Harris put Republican rival Donald Trump on the defensive in a fiery presidential debate on Tuesday, delivering a series of attacks on his fitness for office, support for abortion restrictions, and his numerous legal issues.
A former prosecutor, Harris, 59, controlled the debate from the outset, repeatedly provoking Trump, 78, who responded with a series of falsehoods. At one point, Harris mocked the former president by suggesting that people often leave his rallies “out of exhaustion and boredom.” A visibly irritated Trump responded, “My rallies, we have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.” He then pivoted to a widely debunked claim about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, which has circulated on social media and was amplified by his running mate, Senator JD Vance. “They’re eating the dogs!” Trump declared, as Harris laughed in disbelief. “They’re eating the cats! They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” Harris responded, “Talk about extreme.”
With eight weeks left until the election and days before early voting starts in some states, the debate — the only one scheduled — was a crucial moment for both candidates to sway a television audience of tens of millions of voters. The candidates clashed on immigration, foreign policy, and healthcare, but the debate was light on specific policy details, leaving Wall Street on edge as it provided little clarity on key issues.
Harris’s forceful approach succeeded in putting the focus on Trump, leaving her allies jubilant and some Republicans acknowledging Trump’s struggles. Trump repeated his false claim that his 2020 election defeat was due to fraud, called Harris a “Marxist,” and falsely asserted that migrants had caused a violent crime spree. Marc Short, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, noted that “Trump missed an opportunity to stay focused on prosecuting the case against Biden-Harris on the economy and border, and instead took her bait and chased down rabbit holes on election denialism and immigrants eating our pets.”
In a significant endorsement boost for Harris, pop megastar Taylor Swift announced to her 283 million Instagram followers immediately following the debate that she would support Vice President Harris and her running mate Tim Walz in the November 5 election, signing off as “childless cat lady” in a nod to controversial remarks made by Vance.
Online prediction market PredictIt showed Trump’s chances of victory declining during the debate, from 52% to 47%, while Harris’s odds rose from 53% to 55%. In a display of confidence, Harris’s campaign challenged Trump to a second debate in October.
Trump took the unusual step of entering the “spin room,” where he told reporters, “This was my best debate.” Asked about Harris’s call for a second debate, Trump told Fox News, “She wants it because she lost. Why should I do another debate?”
The debate saw Trump avoiding some of his usual personal attacks, although he became agitated under Harris’s sustained offensive. When asked by moderators about a past racially charged comment, Trump replied dismissively, “I couldn’t care less,” while Harris criticized him for using race to divide Americans. She also attacked Trump over his criminal conviction for covering up hush money payments and other legal troubles, which Trump dismissed as politically motivated.
The debate began with a surprise handshake between the two candidates, marking the first such gesture in a presidential debate since 2016. For Harris, it was an important moment to introduce herself to voters, with polls showing that more than a quarter of likely voters felt they did not know enough about her.
Harris delivered a passionate critique of abortion restrictions, highlighting cases of women denied emergency care and victims of incest unable to terminate pregnancies due to statewide bans. Trump denied supporting a national abortion ban but did not explicitly state he would veto such legislation.
The candidates also sparred over economic policies, with Harris attacking Trump’s proposed tariffs and touting her plan for tax benefits for families and small businesses. Trump criticized the Biden administration for inflation, although he overstated the extent of price increases. They also clashed over foreign policy issues, with Harris accusing Trump of willing to abandon Ukraine to curry favor with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, while Trump falsely claimed that Harris “hates” Israel.
With the election approaching, the debate could have a significant impact in battleground states where the candidates are closely matched, and even a small shift in public opinion could prove decisive.
