Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump went on the offensive from the start of their first presidential debate Tuesday, each seeking a campaign-altering moment in their closely fought election.
VP Harris attacked Trump’s intention to impose high tariffs on foreign goods — a proposal she compared to a sales tax on the middle class —while bragging about her plan to offer tax benefits to small businesses and families.
“Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression,” said Harris, referring to his years as president from 2017-2021. Unemployment peaked at 14.8% in April 2020 and at 6.4% when he left office. It was far higher in the Great Depression.
Former President Trump criticized Harris for the lingering persistent inflation during the Biden administration’s term, though he exaggerated the level of price increases. He pivoted rapidly to his top issues of immigration and emphasized immigrants from “insane asylums” are crossing the southern U.S. border with Mexico.
He said inflation “has been a disaster for people, for the middle class, for every class.”
The debate began with a surprise handshake between the two opponents, who had never met. VP Harris approached Trump at his podium in the first handshake at a presidential debate since 2016.
With only eight weeks left before the November 5 election and days until early voting begins in some states, the debate — so far the only one scheduled — presented both candidates the opportunity as well as the risk for each candidate to present their positions in front of tens of millions of voters.
The face-off was crucial for VP Harris, with opinion polls showing that over a quarter of likely voters feel they don’t know enough about her. Harris only entered the race seven weeks ago after President Joe Biden’s forced exit.
VP Harris delivered an extended attack on abortion limits, focusing on victims of incest unable to terminate their pregnancies because of statewide bans since the elimination of Roe v. Wade in 2022, sending the issue to the states and women denied emergency care. Harris also claimed the former president would support a nationwide ban — an assertion Trump called a lie.
The vice president also sought to tie Trump to Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that proposes the elimination of environmental regulations, making it illegal to send abortion pills across state lines, and the expansion of executive power, among other goals.
Trump responded by saying he had “nothing to do” with Project 2025.
Presidential debates don’t usually change the minds of voters
Presidential debates don’t necessarily change the minds of voters, but they can transform the race’s dynamics. President Biden’s poor performance against Trump in June led him to drop out of the campaign on July 21.
Even a small public opinion shift could alter the outcome of a contest that could come down to tens of thousands of votes in a few battleground states. According to polling averages compiled by the New York Times, the two candidates are effectively tied in the seven states likely to determine the election results.
The debate, hosted by ABC News, took place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. As the campaigns agreed, candidates’ microphones were muted when it wasn’t their turn to speak, and there was no live audience.
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, declared victory for Trump Tuesday evening following the debate. She additionally criticized the moderators as partisan after they made several fact-checks of Trump’s statements.
“President Trump delivered a powerful America First message directly to the American people focusing on reining in inflation and strengthening our economy, securing our border, and peace through strength foreign policy,” said Stefanik in a statement just as the debate came to a close.
“The ABC moderators were not journalists; they were pro-Kamala activists who baselessly attacked President Trump, leading to a 3 1 debate, while allowing Kamala to lie repeatedly. President Trump won overwhelmingly and will win again on Election Day,” said Stefanik.
Stefanik is the No. 4 House GOP leader and a top Trump ally in Congress.
