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By Veronica Mackey
More than 57 million political pundits, Democrats, Republicans, and undecided voters tuned in Tuesday night to the “Olympics of Politics,” known as the 2024 Presidential Debate. ABC News Anchors Linsey Davis and David Muir moderated the near 2-hour debate live from Philadelphia. The rules were clear: The microphone was only on for the speaker. It was on mute unless it was time for the speaker to speak. Notes were not allowed.
Presidential Candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris set the tone for the debate. Her body language spoke volumes. After candidates were announced, Trump walked to his podium while Harris walked past hers to extend her hand and said “Kamala Harris.” It was clear that Trump had not intended to meet her halfway nor shake her hand.
Throughout the debate, Kamala looked directly at Trump, while he looked ahead. At times, he seemed visibly angered and scowled. Harris made faces at some of his remarks, but never lost her cool. “Harris looked like she belonged on the stage,” noted political commentator Jonathan Karl.
Early in the debate, Harris warned viewers that they were going to hear many lies from Trump and he would bring up immigration several times, even when it was not related to questions being asked.
Economy
Muir asked Harris why the Biden Administration left Trump’s China tariffs in place. Harris sidestepped the question and talked about Donald Trump “selling out” America by selling American made computer chips to improve China’s technology. She criticized Trump for cozying up to a man who was deceitful about the origins of Covid-19.
NPR.org called out Trump for making this false statement about the economy during his presidency:
Trump: “I had no inflation, virtually no inflation. They (Biden-Harris) had the highest inflation, perhaps in the history of our country, because I’ve never seen a worse period of time. People can’t go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else.”
NPR: Inflation soared to a four-decade high of 9.1% in 2022 (during Trump’s presidency), according to the consumer price index. While inflation has since fallen to 2.9% (as of July), prices — particularly food prices—are still higher than many Americans would like.
NPR also debunked Harris’ claims about inflation during Trump’s time in office:
Harris: “Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.”
NPR: At the height of the Great Depression in 1933, the national unemployment rate was near 25%, according to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library. At the start of the COVID pandemic, the unemployment rate peaked at 14.8% in April 2020, a level not seen since 1948, according to the Congressional Research Service. But by the time Trump left office, unemployment had fallen to a lower, but still elevated, level. The January 2021 unemployment rate was 6.3%.
January 6
Trump: Noting the insurrection at the nation’s capitol after Trump urged supporters to go and protest him losing the election, the former president told ABC, “I had nothing to do with that, other than they asked me to make a speech. I showed up for a speech…No one on the other side was killed.”
Fact: Capitol police lost their lives on January 6. Harris, who was Vice-President Elect and a member of the U.S. Senate at the time, said. “144 capitol police were injured and some died. The former president has been indicted and impeached for that reason.”
Immigration
Trump had a lot to say about immigration. In fact, it came up several times regardless of what question was asked. He accused the Biden-Harris Administration of letting in millions of undocumented people cross the U.S. border without restriction. Harris defended her record of being tough on immigration as Attorney General of California. But it wasn’t clear what she actually did in her role of Vice President for the past 3+ years.
Harris: “I prosecuted trafficking of guns, drugs and human beings,” she said before turning the table on Trump (alluding to Trump’s 34 convictions). She noted the former president has been “Prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, and sexual assault… His next big court appearance is in November for his own criminal sentencing.”
But what got Trump in deep, hot water was his assertion that migrants are eating pets of Ohio residents for food. At this point, Muir stepped in to fact-check this assertion:
Muir: “I just want to clarify here. You bring up Springfield, Ohio. 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.”
Trump: “Well, I’ve seen people on television,” Trump argued. “The people on television say my dog was taken and used for food. So maybe he said that and maybe that’s a good thing to say for a city manager.”
Muir: “I’m not taking this from television. I’m taking this from the city manager.”
Abortion
A hot button for sure, Trump’s current stance on abortion comes after a series of flip-flops influenced, no doubt, by his dwindling support from women voters. Around the time he appointed several Supreme Court justices to rule against federally mandated Roe vs. Wade Decision, insuring women the right to have abortions. He said women who have abortions need to be punished, but left it up to each state whether to uphold the new law or leave Roe vs Wade in place. Now, he’s back pedaling, saying pregnant women should have more than 6 weeks to decide. But what raised the most eyebrows was the narrative that Democrats are on board with a woman who goes to term—even having a child and then opting for an abortion—even saying if a woman has a child before it is aborted that it will be executed.
Trump: “Her vice-presidential pick (Tim Walz) says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says, ‘execution after birth’ — execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born — is okay.”
Washington Post: This is false. Walz has not said this, and “execution after birth” is illegal in all states.
This is a common Republican talking point — that Democrats support nationwide abortion on demand up until the moment of birth. The implication is that late-term abortions are common — and that they are routinely accepted by Democrats.
About two-thirds of abortions occur at eight weeks of pregnancy or earlier, and nearly 90 percent take place in the first 12 weeks, or within most definitions of the first trimester, according to estimates by the Guttmacher Institute, which favors abortion rights.
Davis: “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”
Healthcare
Trump evaded questions about his healthcare plan, primarily because he has flip-flopped so much on the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama Trump tried and failed several times during his presidency to repeal the healthcare legislation, and now seems content to let it go.
Trump: “We’re looking at different plans. We will change it if we come up with something better… I had “concepts of a plan. I’m not president right now.”
Harris pointed to the Biden administration capping insulin prices at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries. She also highlighted the Biden administration establishing a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, which is slated to take effect for Medicare enrollees in 2025.
Harris: When I am President, we will do that for all people.Access to healthcare should be a right, and not just a privilege…The plan has to be to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.”
Climate Change
This topic was disappointing on both sides, echoing either a lack of information or a lack of care. Harris focused on the importance of fighting climate change. She talked about her work with the Biden Administration, but did not mention how she will improve climate change in the future. She did mention that she has the endorsement of auto makers.
Trump went off the rails altogether and began talking about Hunter Biden (President Joe Biden’s son) being convicted on various tax charges.
In a post-debate segment, ABC News panelists, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, Rachel Scott and Mary Bruce chimed in on the candidate’s performances. “Almost everything Kamala Harris said got under Donald Trump’ skin,” Bruce said.
Harris’ running mate Tim Walz said, “We saw Donald Trump, angry and unhinged, talking about things that are deeply concerning. It reminds you of an old man yelling at the clouds, ‘Get off my yard!’”
Voters Will Decide
As expected, Harris supporters said she nailed the debate, while Trump supporters his performance was far superior to hers. According to a CNN poll, Harris won 63% to Trump’s 37%. Polls can only tell part of the story, however. What will ultimately matter is what happens inside the voting booth.
“It’s very Important to see what the voters think.” Raddatz said. The Harris camp wants a second debate in October. No word yet from the Trump camp.
