(PHILADELPHIA, PENN) – Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump squared off Tuesday night in the pair’s first – and possibly only – debate ahead of the November general election.
The debate, held in Philadelphia’s National Convention Center, focused on many of the issues important to voters in this year’s election cycle.
Economy
Kamala Harris says she will build an “opportunity economy.”
During Tuesday’s debate hosted by ABC News, Harris said she will expand child tax credits and other programs for working class Americans. Harris added that former President Donald Trump left her and President Biden a poor economy.
Trump said the last four years have been a disaster for the middle class. He then said illegal immigrants are taking American jobs and claimed he left Harris and Biden a great economy. Trump said he will send Harris a “MAGA” hat because she endorses his economic policies. Harris said Trump sent China American microchips and only cares about himself when it comes to an economy.
Abortion
Former President Trump says his administration was able to leave Roe v. Wade up to the states for the first time.
Trump claimed Democrats support abortion in the ninth month, while praising the six Supreme Court justices who had “great courage” in overturning Roe v. Wade. Trump refused to rule out signing a national abortion ban.
Harris said Trump hand-selected members of the Supreme Court with the intention they’d undo Roe v. Wade protections. She went on to say that the government and Trump should “not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”
Immigration
Harris says Congress is to blame for not addressing the border issue. Harris accused Trump of killing a bill in Congress in order to make it an election. Harris went on to list members of Trump’s staff that have criticized him and endorsed her.
Trump said Harris is destroying the border and added that immigrants are eating dogs in Ohio. He said he would start deporting illegal immigrants immediately if elected but could not answer how he plans to deport millions of people.
Policies
Vice President Harris says her values have not changed.
Harris said a perspective of lifting people up and not bringing people down or name calling is important. Harris also went on to say she will not ban fracking if elected.
Trump claimed that if Harris wins, fracking in Pennsylvania will end, saying that he got the oil business going “like nobody has before.” He then went on to claim Harris wants to give “transgender surgery to criminals.”
January 6
Former President Trump said he wanted a peaceful transition in 2020.
Trump said some of the people involved in the Capitol riots are being treated unfairly. He claimed he wanted the National Guard sent in, but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t allow it.
Harris said the U.S. would be moving backwards if Trump was re-elected. She said Trump doesn’t care about preserving the border.
2020 election
Trump said there was “so much proof” and that we need borders and good elections, claiming Democrats are allowing illegal immigrants to enter the country in order to vote.
Vice President Harris was asked about if Trump is trying to suppress the vote, and she said Trump is having a hard time dealing with “being fired by 81-million people.”
She added that world leaders are “laughing” at Trump and say he’s a disgrace.
Harris said his continuous denial, despite court cases showing others, shows the American people deserve better.
Rallies
Harris says people leave Trump rallies early because they’re exhausted and bored.
Harris said that’s because he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter.
Trump said no one goes to a Harris rally and claimed she buses people into the audience.
Hamas
Vice President Harris says Israel has the right to defend itself, and how it happens matters. She said that the war in Gaza “must end immediately,” and that the Biden administration will continue to work on a two-state solution.
Former President Trump said if he was president, the war would have “never even started” before discussing Russian President Putin and the Russia and Ukraine conflict. He said Harris “hates Israel and the Arab population” and that Israel will cease to exist in two years if she is elected. Trump said he will get the war settled, as well as get the Ukraine and Russia conflict fixed before he even enters office.
Ukraine
Trump says he wants the war in Ukraine to stop, but would not answer whether he wants Ukraine or Russia to win.
He said he knows the presidents of both Ukraine and Russia very well, and that they respect him and not President Biden. Trump said he would get the men together, and that the war would have never happened if he was still in office.
Harris said Trump would “give up” because of his friendship with Russian President Putin, and that Putin is a dictator who would “eat Trump for lunch.”
Exit from Afghanistan
Kamala Harris said she agreed with the Afghanistan exit plan.
Harris was asked if she bore any responsibility for the 13 service members killed during the chaotic pullout. Harris said she agreed with Biden’s decision to back out of the war, but they inherited a poor deal set up by former President Trump.
Trump said he had a great deal in place and the Biden/Harris administration didn’t follow through.
Race
Former President Trump said he does not care about the racial identity of Vice President Harris.
During Tuesday’s debate, Trump spoke on prior comments that he “did not know” Harris was Black, with Harris saying she felt it was a “tragedy” that someone who wants the office has used race to divide the American public.
She went on to say that Trump spread lies about the birthplace of Former President Obama as well.
Climate
Harris says that climate change is “very real.” She says that dealing with the issue is something young people care about, and that the Biden administration has invested in climate change and clean energy.
Trump never directly answered on the climate, instead saying that the Biden administration was losing thousands of manufacturing jobs.
