Washington.- Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off on the debate stage Tuesday night for the first and possibly last time.
Harris, the Democratic vice president who is a former court prosecutor, was eager to indict Trump’s glaring weaknesses. But she also had the task of reintroducing herself to voters who are still getting to know her as the party’s presidential nominee.
Trump, a Republican in his third presidential election, sought to portray Harris as an out-of-touch liberal. He also sought to win over skeptical suburban voters — many of them women — who are turned off by Trump’s brash leadership style and penchant for personal insults.
The 90-minute debate was held at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there was no live audience and the candidates’ microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak.
From the initial handshake, Harris stood up to Trump in a way Biden could not.
The vice president walked across the stage and introduced herself, “Kamala Harris,” before reaching out to Trump in the opening moments.
In her first response, Harris said Trump’s trade tariffs would effectively create a middle-class sales tax. She quickly accused Trump of presiding over the worst attack on American democracy since the Civil War — the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. And she accused the former president of telling women what they could do with their bodies.
But Harris may have gotten more into Trump’s skin when she went for his performance at his rallies, noting that many people tend to leave early.
Trump appeared calm as he defended himself against each of the accusations, but he was irritated by Harris’ comment about his rallies. He insisted that his events were bigger than hers and appeared to grow angrier as the debate progressed.
Harris frequently shifted her message away from Trump and toward the American people.
“You’re not going to hear him talk about your needs and your dreams and your wants and your desires,” Harris said of Trump’s rallies. “And I will tell you that I think you deserve a president who really puts you first.”
A first skirmish over the economy
The debate began with an unexpected exchange on the economy: Harris confronted Trump over his plan to impose sweeping tariffs and the trade deficit he ran as president; Trump criticized Harris for inflation that he incorrectly said was the worst in the country’s history.
The exchange ended with some of Trump’s traditional bluster. He called Harris a “Marxist” even though she had just cited positive reviews of his economic plans from Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. But Harris’s effort to turn the tables on Trump was especially notable.
Trump noted that people fondly remember the economy of his presidency. “I’ve created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country,” he said. Harris told viewers flatly: “Donald Trump has no plan for you.”
Americans are slightly more likely to trust Trump than Harris when it comes to managing the economy, according to an August Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll.
Both candidates delve deeper into abortion
Harris came out in defense of abortion rights, perhaps the strongest issue for Democrats since Trump’s nominees built a majority on the Supreme Court to strike down the constitutional right to abortion. Her pointed arguments contrasted sharply with President Joe Biden’s rambling comments on the issue during his June debate with Trump.
“The government, and Donald Trump, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” Harris said. She painted a vivid picture of women facing medical complications, heartbreaking decisions and having to travel out of state for an abortion.
Trump was equally fierce in his defense, claiming to be sending the issue back to the states — an outcome he said many Americans wanted. But he struggled with accuracy, repeating the false claim that Democrats support abortion even after babies are born. He stuck to that claim even after being corrected by moderator Lynsey Davis.
“I did a great service in doing it. It took courage to do it,” Trump said of overturning Roe v. Wade and its constitutional protections for abortion. “And the Supreme Court had great courage in doing it. And I give tremendous credit to those six justices.”
Polls have shown significant opposition to overturning Roe, and voters have punished Republicans in recent elections for it.
Trump declined to say whether he would veto a bill banning abortion nationwide, saying such legislation would never get through Congress and reach the president. He also broke with his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, suggesting Vance spoke out of turn when he said Trump would veto a national abortion ban.
“I haven’t discussed it with JD,” Trump said.
Who’s speaking now?
Trump objected when Harris interrupted him, an interjection he could hear but viewers could not because his microphone was muted under debate rules.
“Wait a minute, it’s my turn,” Trump said. He was putting his spin on a line she famously used against Mike Pence in the 2020 vice presidential debate.
“Does this sound familiar?” Trump added.
Four years ago, Harris rebuked Pence for interrupting, saying, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”
#Harris #takes #Trump #ways #Biden #couldnt