In the first and only scheduled debate between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, 59, and Republican rival Donald Trump, 78, Harris aggressively attacked Trump’s fitness for office, his legal troubles, and his stance on abortion, Reuters reports.
Harris, a former prosecutor, controlled much of the debate, repeatedly provoking Trump into defensive, often false responses. The two clashed over issues like immigration, the economy, and foreign policy, with Trump making exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims, such as immigrants eating pets.
Harris criticized Trump on his criminal convictions and, legal cases, and handling of race issues, while Trump reiterated his election fraud claims about the 2020 election and immigration. Harris attacked Trump’s stance on abortion rights, accusing him of supporting a national ban. Trump denied the claim, instead accusing Harris and Democrats of supporting infanticide. Harris challenged Trump on his economic tariffs, while Trump criticized inflation under the Biden administration. Both exchanged accusations on the Israel-Gaza conflict and the war in Ukraine, with Harris accusing Trump of wanting to abandon Ukraine and Trump falsely claiming Harris “hates” Israel.
Trump claimed he won the debate, but some Republicans noted he missed opportunities to focus on key issues like the economy and immigration, instead getting sidetracked by personal attacks and claims. In a surprising move, Harris’ campaign called for a second debate, capitalizing on her strong performance.
