Presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met for their highly anticipated first debate on Sept. 10, where they tackled abortion, border security and economics.
Kicking off the debate, m oderator David Muir questioned Harris on the state of the American economy. Harris emphasized her middle class upbringing and potential tax cuts for startup businesses and new parents. She attacked Trump’s “sales tax,” which she claimed would raise taxes on everyday goods by 20%.
Trump denied those claims. There have been no official tax plans from Trump, but he has mentioned potential tax cuts and tariffs of up to 10% on foreign imports on his platform website.
Harris claimed Trump was associated with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a far right conservative plan that includes abortion bans and the elimination of the Department of Education. A CNN review found that at least 140 former Trump employees have worked on Project 2025.
“I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” Trump said. “That’s out there. I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely. I’m not going to read it.”
The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court and the following abortion bans were a point of contention between the presidential candidates.
Harris promised that she would sign into law a potential bill passed by Congress to reverse the overturning of the court’s decision. She claimed that Trump will sign an abortion ban.
Trump stood by Roe v. Wade’s reversal, which allowed states to make decisions regarding reproductive healthcare.
“It’s the vote of the people now,” Trump said. “It’s not tied up in the federal government. I did a great service in doing it.”
When asked if he would sign a national abortion ban, Trump didn’t provide an answer.
Trump referenced a statement from a former Virginia governor, Ralph Northam, as evidence for his claim that Democrats were allowing infanticide. In the statement, Northam was referencing infants born with severe deformities or a nonviable fetus. Moderator Linsey Davis interjected with a now viral fact check.
“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,” Davis said.
Border security has been prevalent in Trump’s campaign since 2016.
Trump faulted President Joe Biden and Harris for high immigration rates. In towns like Springfield, Ohio, Trump claimed he saw reports of immigrants eating cats and dogs on television. Muir intervened, citing the Springfield city manager who has no viable claims of immigrants eating others’ pets.
Harris claimed that a bill she had previously co-sponsored to increase border security was never passed due to Trump’s interference.
“But you know what happened to that bill?” Harris said. “Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said ‘kill the bill.’”
Muir asked Trump if Harris’ claims were true, which Trump didn’t answer.
The deportation of at least 11 million immigrants has been a pillar of the Trump campaign. Though Trump believes the number is higher, he has said he intends to utilize the U.S. National Guard, military and local police to assist in deportations.
Trump believes immigrants have driven up crime rates in a new category: migrant crime.
In response, Muir cited a Federal Bureau of Investigation report that violent crime has been down in their most recent data. Trump claimed these reports were fraudulent.
In response to Trump’s anti-crime stance, Harris brought up Trump’s 34 felony convictions.
“This is coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, has been found liable for sexual assault and his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing,” Harris said.
One of Trump’s upcoming trials is due to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6, 2020 capitol riots.
“I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech,” Trump said.
Harris recalled Trump’s past relations with crowds, specifically a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina.
“Let’s remember Charlottesville, where there was a mob of people carrying tiki torches, spewing antisemitic hate, and what did the president then at the time say?” Harris said. “‘There were fine people on each side.’”
In his 2017 statement, Trump then renounced the neo-nazis present, which he called a “perfect” statement during the debate.
The debate turned to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, and how each candidate would respond as commander in chief.
Harris said she would continue to work towards a ceasefire, continue sending Israel ammunition and attempt to end the killing of Palestinian civilians.
Trump claimed the war would have never started if he was in office, as well as the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Trump went on to say that Harris hated Israel and Israelis, claiming that under a Harris presidency, Israel would cease to exist in two years.
Harris said she has supported Israel throughout her career.
“He’s trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy,” Harris said.
In her closing statement, Harris emphasized building up the middle class. Her campaign slogan, “we will not go back,” made an appearance.
“I’ve only had one client,” Harris said. “The people. And I’ll tell you, as a prosecutor I never asked a victim or a witness ‘are you a Republican or a Democrat?’ The only thing I ever asked them, ‘Are you okay?’”
Trump’s closing statement focused on his dissatisfaction with the Biden administration, the United States’ reputation and the potential for future conflicts.
“We can’t sacrifice our country for the sake of bad vision,” Trump said.
Harris expressed interest in another debate, however Trump has declined.