As the Presidential election approaches, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off in their first, and possibly only, debate on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia.
Presidential debates have a large potential to influence undecided voters, and many decided voters watch to confirm or reinforce existing opinions of the candidates. The initial debate of the 2024 election cycle was held on June 27 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, prior to either candidate being officially nominated by their party. Almost a month after the debate, Biden withdrew from the election and endorsed Harris. His poor performance in the debate was a large reason his party called for him to step down, demonstrating the impact this event can have.
The September debate hosted by ABC News adhered to the same rules and format as the previous one, which was the first in decades without an in-person audience. The candidates were prohibited from using notes or props, weren’t allowed to ask each other questions, had their microphones muted when not speaking and had two minutes for rebuttals, according to a Sept. 10 New York Times article.
Following the debate, both candidates were criticized for not providing detailed answers on key topics such as the economy and U.S. military support for Israel. The debate covered a range of issues including gun control, immigration, climate change, abortion, democracy, healthcare and foreign policy. As the candidates argued back and forth, their polarizing views became evident to voters. Both Trump and Harris directly criticized each other, with Harris reportedly spending around 46 percent of her speaking time attacking Trump, while Trump spent around 29 percent of his time attacking Harris, according to a Sept. 10 New York Times article.
Viewers and fact-checkers noted several inaccuracies in the candidates statements. One notable instance that has become a meme all over social media was Trump’s claim about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, allegedly eating pets. Debate moderator David Muir refuted the statement with information from Springfield officials, but it has nonetheless resulted in a tense situation for the local Haitian community, according to a Sept. 14 New York Times article. Additionally, Harris made an incorrect statement about the presence of U.S. military members in combat zones. Reports confirming active duty troops in regions such as Iraq and Syria contradicted her statement, according to a Sept. 11 NBC News article.
Both sides were criticized in the debate for focusing on personal attacks and inaccuracies, rather than having substantial policy discussions. Despite this, some news outlets have described the debate as favorable to the Democratic Party.
Looking ahead to November, Trump and Harris are not scheduled to participate in another debate. However, voters will await the Oct. 1 Vice Presidential debate between nominees Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Photo credits: “Kamala Harris” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0). “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)
