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Former US President, Donald Trump, and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off in their first—and potentially only—presidential debate on Tuesday.
Moderated by ABC News, the debate took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and lasted one hour and 45 minutes.
The two political heavyweights clashed on key issues ranging from abortion rights to immigration, as both candidates sought to sway voters in a tightly contested race.
Harris adopted a strategy aimed at baiting Trump, while Trump repeatedly returned to conspiracy theories and false claims.
The debate underscored the sharp contrasts between their leadership styles and visions for the country.
PUNCH Online reported months ago that Trump was initially debating the sitting president, Joe Biden, who eventually had to step down for his deputy.
The debate served as a crucial moment in the 2024 US presidential election, allowing both candidates to present their policies, contrast their views, and engage directly with each other.
Harris adopted a strategy of baiting Trump, designed to throw him off balance. Trump, meanwhile, frequently engaged with Harris’ provocations, reiterating many conspiracy theories and false claims, including about the 2020 election and immigration, says CNN.
Harris meticulously prepared for the debate, consistently baiting Trump with remarks designed to provoke him. She called him “weak” and “wrong,” mocked his 2020 electoral defeat, and referred to him as a “disgrace” according to military leaders.
Harris portrayed Trump as a self-absorbed figure, contrasting her focus on middle-class Americans with his defense of billionaires and big corporations.
Trump responded to Harris with visible agitation, often deviating into rants and making numerous false claims. Among them, he repeated debunked conspiracy theories, such as migrants eating pets and Democrats supporting post-birth abortions.
Despite being fact-checked during the debate, Trump doubled down on his assertions, including his claim that the 2020 election was stolen, and he promoted a grim picture of the country’s state.
Abortion was a major issue discussed, with Harris attacking Trump for his role in overturning Roe v. Wade. She highlighted real-life consequences faced by women denied care.
Trump defended his actions, arguing that the issue of abortion was better left to individual states, but repeated false claims about Democratic support for infanticide.
Harris successfully steered the conversation on immigration to critique Trump’s failure on a bipartisan immigration bill. Trump, however, focused on bizarre and false narratives about migrants, deflecting from policy discussions.
Trump claimed crime was on the rise in the U.S., but this was contradicted by FBI data presented during the debate.
On global conflicts, neither candidate provided clear solutions for ending the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Harris highlighted Trump’s closeness to authoritarian leaders, while Trump argued he would have prevented these conflicts from occurring.
