On Tuesday, September 10, the candidates for the 2024 presidential election met in The Constitution Center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the first debate before November. The night began at 9 p.m. EST with Vice President Kamala Harris crossing the stage to shake hands with former President Donald Trump.
“Kamala Harris,” she said, introducing herself as the candidates met for the first time ever. “Let’s have a good debate.”
“Nice to see you. Have fun,” the former Republican president responded.
The first topic of debate was the state of the economy, VP Harris immediately focused on the middle class. “I was raised as a middle class kid,” she said. “I’m actually the only person on this stage that has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America.”
Harris continued with a plan for what she calls an Opportunity Economy with heavy emphasis on affordable housing, a $6,000 family tax cut, and investment in small business which the Vice President described as “the backbone of our economy.”
Harris went on to attack Trump’s potential repetition of his previous policy of tax liens for major corporations “which will result in $5 trillion to America’s deficit,” she said. Harris also mentioned what she called “‘Trump’s sales tax’, which would be 20% tax on everyday goods that (Americans) rely on to get through the month.”
Although Trump has suggested a general 10-20% tariff on all US imports, he has not explicitly suggested a sales tax. Economists from Goldman Sachs agree that Trump’s tariff plan would result in higher costs for consumers. By contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic policy proposals would grow the economy.
Former President Trump began his statement on the economy with a denial of a potential sales tax. “First of all, I have no sales tax. That’s a false statement, she knows that,” he said. Trump then switched focus to tariffs, “We’re doing tariffs on other countries. Other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we’ve done for the world,” he said.
The former President made a point to mention inflation, “I had tariffs and yet, I had no inflation. Look, we’ve had a terrible economy…We have inflation like we’ve never seen before,” he said. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, inflation sits at 2.9% as of July of this year, the lowest it has been in three years.
One moment of the debate was when VP Harris mentioned Project 2025, a 900-page policy outline for the next Republican president drafted by a conservative think-tank called The Heritage Foundation. “What you’re going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former President plans on implementing if he were elected again,” she said.
Former President Trump went on to deny involvement in Project 2025. “As you know and as she knows better than anyone else, I have nothing to do with Project 2025…I haven’t read it, I don’t want to read it purposely,” he said. According to a CNN review, 140 former Trump staffers are known to have contributed to the project, including his running mate JD Vance.
When the debate turned to the issue of abortion, President Trump was the first to speak. “They have abortions in the ninth month,” he said. Trump went on to state that babies are being carried to term and then “executed.” This statement was later fact checked as false by one of the moderators.
Trump’s main talking point on abortion was his success in overturning the federal protections of Roe v. Wade and leaving it in the hands of individual states to decide.
VP Harris immediately began her response by pointing out the former president’s decision to hand-select three justices with the intention of overturning Roe v. Wade. “They did exactly as he intended and now in over 20 states there are Trump abortion bans,” she said. There are currently 14 states with bans that criminalize abortions outright.
When asked about a national abortion ban, President Trump was quick to claim that it was a non-issue since it has been put in the hands of the states.
The moderators then addressed immigration, and Harris was quick to point out her experience as a district attorney handling transnational crime cases. “I’m the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings,” she said.
She also shared her efforts regarding border security as a member of the Senate. “Let me say that the United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, came up with a border security bill which I supported,” she said.
Former President Trump’s comments regarding Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio have taken the internet by storm in the hours following the debate.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said.
“ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” clarified the moderators.
The debate also included polarizing topics such as the environment, the Israel-Hamas war, and the January 6th US capitol attacks before moving to the candidates closing statements.
“So I think you’ve heard tonight two very different visions for our country. One that is focused on the future and the other that is focused on the past,” Vice President Harris began .
Harris continued by addressing the division felt throughout the nation. “I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us and we can chart a new way forward.”
She went on to reaffirm her earlier talking points regarding topics of the debate before giving her final statement. “I intend to be a president for all Americans and focus on what we can do over the next 10 and 20 years to build back up our country by investing right now in you the American people.”
Former President Trump began his closing remarks with a different approach. “So, she just started by saying she’s going to do this, she’s going to do that, she’s going to do all these wonderful things. Why hasn’t she done it? She’s been there for 3 1/2 years.”
He continued with a much different view of the country. “We’re a failing nation. We’re a nation that’s in serious decline. We’re being laughed at all over the world. All over the world, they laugh, I know the leaders very well.”
Trump concluded with a final dig at his opponent. “What these people have done to our country, and maybe toughest of all is allowing millions of people to come into our country, many of them are criminals, and they’re destroying our country. The worst president, the worst vice president in the history of our country,” he said.
It is not clear whether there will be another debate as both candidates seem to disagree about a rematch.
“We’ll look at it, but they want a second debate because they lost,” Trump told reporters after the debate.
“Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement after the debate. “That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”
The election will be Tuesday, November 5. Voting registration information can be found at Illinois Board of Elections website, elections.il.gov.