Last night, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump came together at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA for their first presidential debate against each other, hosted by ABC News. This was the first time they met each other in person, which was definitely memorable. Throughout the 90-minute timeframe, topics ranging from foreign policy to abortion were discussed. Here is a quick recap.
According to NBC News, both Harris and Trump spent the most time talking about each other’s character and qualifications for the job at 11 minutes 49 seconds and 8 minutes 35 seconds, respectively. After that, time-wise, came the economy and abortion.
The debate kicked off with the topic of the economy, introduced by Moderator David Muir. Harris expressed that she aspires to build an “opportunity economy” which consists of focusing on helping the middle class. Specifically, she states that small businesses are an important part of her plan, and aims to offer tax deductions to those start-ups. Trump, on the other hand, shifted the conversation to inflation and also touched on immigration. He circled back saying that his goal is to cut taxes significantly. He plans to implement tariffs on other countries that have been “ripping us [United States] off for years,” especially China which he says will face the higher prices of those tariffs.
Following that, Moderator Lindsey Davis brought up the topic of abortion. Trump highlighted that he did a “great service” in the overturning of Roe v. Wade which brought the issue to the prerogative of the states. Responding to a National Abortion Ban, he stated that it would never get to the point of him making that decision since people are happy with the rights being up to the states. Harris stated that she believes that the government “should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.” Continuing, she explained that if Congress were to pass a bill to reinstate the protections of Roe v. Wade, she would proudly back the bill and sign it into law. She stood firmly on her ideas that women who experience pregnancy and difficulties related to it, should be able to make a conscious decision on their own without fear of consequences.
On the issue of immigration, Harris voiced her support for the bill proposed by Congress which would have put 1,500 more border agents on the border, regulated the flow of fentanyl into the country, and helped prosecute more transnational criminal organizations for trafficking. Maintaining his 2016 and 2020 agenda, Trump stated that he wants to close the border because by allowing more people into the country the crime rate here has increased.
Energy policies were another area of disagreement. Harris pushed for diversified energy methods to ensure the country is not solely reliant on foreign oil. When asked about her changing ideas from her past attempt at running for president, she affirmed that her values have not changed and she remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable groups in the country. When asked about the January 6th insurrection, Trump denied being a part of it, saying that the group of people there was being blamed unnecessarily and that he was not responsible for anything that happened that day. He reiterated how elections in the US have become more and more fraudulent over the years and stated that illegal immigrants were voting in elections and skewing the results.
International wars were another key topic. Harris supported Israel’s right to always defend itself but also stated that too many Palestinians had been killed in the process. She hopes to work toward a two-state measure where there is security for both Israeli and Palestinian people and to rebuild. Similarly, she believes that Ukraine has the right to fight for a free and independent country and will continue to support them. She also agrees that taking troops out of Afghanistan was the correct decision, and continues to back Biden’s decision. Trump claimed that he would end both this war and the Ukrani-Russia war because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and negotiate peace. He stated that the war has to end to stop lives from being lost and wants to make a deal otherwise he believes this could lead to World War Three.
On healthcare, Trump stated that Obamacare was not proper, but his goal was to develop it and improve the system since the original plan was too expensive. He says that when he creates a plan that results in a cheaper system for the American people, then he will make changes to the current system. Meanwhile, Harris wants to maintain and grow the Affordable Care Act. She wants to continue reducing prices and continue to improve access to healthcare as she has done during her Vice Presidency. Harris states that she will continue to invest in clean energy and developing the American manufacturing system.
Both Harris and Trump have vocalized their opinions and will be counting down the days to November 5, 2024. Stay tuned for the 2024 Vice Presidential debate on October 1, 2024, between Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance, hosted by CBS Network. For all students who will be eligible to vote in this election, do not forget to register to vote and cast your ballot on election day.
