On September 10, 2024, the first presidential debate of the year involving Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump was held in the renowned city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Throughout the night, both candidates addressed many trending issues such as abortion and immigration.
After a brief handshake and interaction between the opponents, the debate began with the first subject—the economy. The debate moderators from ABC News, David Muir and Linsey Davis, interrogated Harris, asking whether she believed that the economy was better off now than it was four years ago. In response, the vice president expressed her interest in building a strong foundation for the middle class, which would help the nation’s economy thrive. She argued that Trump’s plan would hurt the middle class and protect billionaires, resulting in a loss of five trillion dollars from the economy. The former president, on the other hand, shifted the argument to tariffs, stating that his idea of increased tariffs to countries like China would generate billions of dollars. Trump explained the significance of this revenue, while Harris remarked that Americans would have to pay higher prices on goods and services as a result of his tax decisions. Both candidates also accused each other of causing inflation, which has significantly increased in the recent decade—rising to a 9.1% rate during the summer of 2022.
The next issue brought up by the moderators was abortion. Trump claimed that Democrats such as Tim Walz, Harris’ vice president pick, approved of abortion during the ninth month, and that it would not be allowed if he were to be president. The former president also addressed this topic by explaining that with the power and minds of the Supreme Court justices, he would be able to eliminate the possibility of what he calls, “execution”. Davis then commented, informing them that there was no state in the US where abortion was legal after the baby was born. Harris responded by explaining that Donald Trump purposefully chose three justices during his time in office with the hopes of banning abortion. She claimed that due to Trump’s decisions, “a survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next.” As of right now, there are fourteen states in the US where abortion is illegal.
Another pressing subject in the debate was immigration and security. Illegal border crossing from Central America peaked throughout the times of the Biden administration, and Harris addressed this issue by describing that a security bill involving the placement of 1,500 border security agents was proposed in Congress, but eliminated by Trump because, she said, “the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.” Trump answered by saying that the country was a nation that was failing as a result of the millions of immigrants pouring into the country. He also stated, “In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats.” It was said that this was referring to Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Muir then remarked that there were no incidents found of pets being harmed or injured by individuals within the immigrant community.
Among the many issues, the Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine-Russia war were brought to the forefront of the discussion. The moderators asked each candidate how they would approach these issues when in office. Speaking of Israel-Hamas, Harris announced that a ceasefire should be called immediately to end the war and send back the hostages. Trump responded by saying that no war would have started if he were president. He also claimed that he would get it settled if he were to be elected, and that Harris did not support Israel. The vice president answered him by describing that throughout her whole life, she has supported the Israeli people. Referencing the Ukraine-Russia war, Trump similarly stated that the war would have never unfolded under his watch, and that Joe Biden never knew how to talk to Putin or how to stop the war, leading to millions of deaths and a potential World War III. Harris responded, explaining that Donald Trump tells the media the war would be settled in less than a day, but he would just give up on the task. She also confronted him, questioning, “Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch?”
After ninety minutes of fierce debate, the discussion concluded. In less than fifty days, election day will take place, and CA faculty and eligible students will be able to vote for who they think should lead the nation for the next four years.