The presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Kamala Harris went head to head on Tuesday night in their first – and potentially only – debate before voters head to the polls on 5 November. The candidates went into the event virtually tied in the polls with just weeks to convince a small but mighty minority of unsure voters on how to cast their ballot.
After weeks of arguments over the format and rules, the debate aired live on ABC from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a key swing state, with no audience in attendance and each candidate’s microphone muted while their opponent spoke.
This was the second presidential debate this year for Trump, who also went up against Joe Biden in June. The latter’s devastating performance triggered an upheaval within the Democratic party that would ultimately push Biden to step down and position Harris to head the ticket, an outcome Trump both takes credit for and complains about at his rallies.
With just 55 days until votes are tallied, Harris strived to highlight that she has a plan, and clearly responded to criticisms that she hasn’t shared enough details with voters about her platform and priorities. With focused rhetoric on planning for the future, building the middle class, and reframing her record on everything from immigration to climate, Harris was able to show voters how she hopes to lead.
Analysts, meanwhile, were watching Trump’s demeanor and clarity. The former president repeated frequent rhetoric from his rallies – including widely disputed claims about abortion, crime, and his belief that he won the 2020 election – but shared little about how he would address key problems Americans are facing.
Beyond their differences in policy positions, the candidates also displayed diverging visions of the country. Trump promised his base to restore what he sees as the glory of the past, and Harris heralded the hope of a brighter future.
Here are the highlights:
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1. Trump repeatedly spewed misinformation
Throughout the debate Trump spread misinformation to make his points, repeating already debunked rhetoric on everything from the results of the 2020 election to his involvement in Project 2025 – a conservative-backed plan to change the US government from the inside out. The former president distanced himself from the January 6 attack on the Capitol, saying he was there only to make a speech, and blamed then House majority leader Nancy Pelosi for not beefing up security. He also incorrectly said crime rates had risen in the US when they have in fact fallen.
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2. … and was frequently fact-checked by the moderators
ABC’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, were largely praised for delivering a strong performance. They effectively rerouted discussions back to the questions they had asked on key topics including the economy, immigration, abortion rights and the peaceful transfer of power, and made important clarifying fact-check statements when they were warranted.
Muir and Davis are veteran journalists who have collectively spent decades helping the American public navigate presidential positions. Feedback for their performance stands in contrast to the CNN debate in June, when moderators frequently missed opportunities to fact check Trump and Joe Biden.
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3. Harris powerfully defended Democrats’ position on reproductive rights
When challenged on his changing take on access to abortion care, Trump made some alarming – and easily refuted – claims that Democrats supported executing babies after they are born. He also took credit for overturning of Roe v Wade, a decision made by the supreme court after he appointed three members to make a conservative majority, that was unpopular with the majority of Americans. Trump did clarify his position though, that he believes in exceptions for rape, incest and threats to the mother’s life.
Harris called his stances “insulting to the women of America”, and countered his statements that he delivered on a promise to bring the issue back to the states by saying “the people of American have voted for freedom”. She highlighted the difficult realities faced by women in states with abortion bans and would-be mothers who would struggle to access IVF care.
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4. The candidates both touted their work to improve the economy
Harris was quick to tout her “opportunity economy”, a plan that includes tax reductions for those starting small businesses, relief for new parents and first-time homebuyers, and a crackdown on corporate price-gouging. “I am the only person on this stage that is about lifting up the middle class,” Harris said, noting her upbringing in a middle-class household.
Trump, meanwhile, claimed that he oversaw the “best economy”, even with the downturn caused by the Covid pandemic, and accused his opponent of increasing costs on American families. “People can’t go out and buy cereal, or bacon, or anything else,” he said.
Inflation did spike under the Biden-Harris administration, but it has fallen just as quickly. As of August, the US inflation rate settled at 2.9%, below the nearly 3.3% average.
Trump also touted his stance on tariffs, which he plans to prioritize if he regains the White House.
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5. Trump spouted salacious and sometimes racist claims about immigrants
Throughout the debate, Trump pivoted his talking points to immigration, spouting salacious claims about criminals being welcomed into the country and towns where pets are eaten by incoming immigrants.
While debate moderators attempted to counter the claims, challenging Trump on the validity and also on how he would execute the deportation of millions as he’s promised to do, Harris took the offensive. Highlighting her record as “the only person on the stage who has prosecuted transnational organizations”, she also accused her opponent of calling on the GOP to oppose legislation to bolster the border.
“He preferred to run on a problem rather than fixing a problem,” she said.
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6. The candidates sparred over Ukraine and how they would handle the war
Harris said that if Trump were currently in office, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, would have taken Kyiv, saying Putin would “eat you for lunch”.
“I believe the reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up,” Harris also said.
When Trump was asked by Muir how he would end the war – and specifically if he wanted Ukraine to win – the former president didnot offer a clear answer.
“I want the war to stop. I want to save lives that are being uselessly. People being killed by the millions,” he said. When pressed again on if it is in the US best interest for Ukraine to win he doubled down. “I think it’s the US best interest to get this war finished and just get it done, all right, negotiate a deal, because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.”
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7. Harris baited Trump by attacking him where it hurts
As moderators pushed Harris to respond to criticisms she and Biden have faced over border policy, the vice-president expertly derailed her opponent’s rhetoric on what is perhaps his favorite issue to discuss by deriding his performances at rallies.
She invited voters to view the speeches for themselves, saying that attenders can be seen leaving out of exhaustion and boredom, and characterized the events as a platform for Trump’s complaints and not plans that put the American people first.
The jab landed well. An offended and flustered Trump jumped on the chance to defend attendance at his rallies, claiming Harris pays attendees at her own campaign events, and then pivoted to insults that failed to hit their mark. He accused Harris of planning to turn the country into “Venezuela on steroids”, and called the US a “failing nation”, before resurfacing false claims that immigrants were eating people’s pets.
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