Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off on Tuesday for the first (and perhaps only) presidential debate between them. The debate was the first time the two had ever met, and neither wasted any time in getting stuck into the 90-minute slugfest.
Harris’ minimal debate experience was noted early on, with the Vice President focusing on rehearsed talking points in what.
ABC’s second topic of discussion was abortion – an issue which resonates strongly among liberal women. Although an advantageous issue for Harris, her comment that “the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body should not be made by the government” raised eyebrows given vaccine mandates under the Biden-Harris administration.
The debate itself featured controversial on-the-fly fact-checking by ABC’s moderators. However, while eager to dispute the claim regarding the consumption of pets in Springfield, OH, David Muir and Linsey Davis were silent following Harris’ attempts to connect the former president to Project 2025 and other issues.
There was also no fact-checking on the Vice President’s claims over Trump’s “bloodbath” comments, which the liberal media deliberately took out of context.
Despite claiming her values “haven’t changed,” Harris struggled to answer questions where she had reversed policy decisions such as scrapping private healthcare.
Trump’s strongest moments came in the second half when he disputed the Democrat’s “threat to democracy” claim by pointing out that she herself had not been selected by the party’s voters.
The deposition of Joe Biden was a recurring theme in the latter stages, with the former president arguing that his ex-rival was thrown “out of a campaign like a dog.”
Another weakness for the Vice President was her lack of action despite being in office for nearly four years.
Harris’ pledges to fix the country and bring “a new way forward” concluded her contribution to the debate.
Nevertheless, Trump capitalized and asked, “Why hasn’t she done it?” in reference to her policy pledges and tenure in office.
