pressed a forceful case against on Tuesday in their first and perhaps only debate before the presidential election, repeatedly goading him in an event that showcased their for the country on abortion, immigration and American democracy.
The Democratic vice president provoked Trump with reminders about the 2020 election loss that he still denies, delivered derisive asides at his false claims and sought to underscore the Republican former presidentB次元官网网址檚 role in the Supreme CourtB次元官网网址檚 overturning of a national right to abortion two years ago. Trump tore into Harris as too liberal and a continuation of BidenB次元官网网址檚 unpopular administration, as he launched into the sort of freewheeling personal attacks and digressions from which his advisers and supporters have tried to steer him away.
Less than two months from Election Day and hours before the first early ballots will begin to be mailed Wednesday in Alabama, the debate offered the clearest look yet at a presidential race that has been repeatedly upended.
HarrisB次元官网网址� performance by nearly every measure seemed to be the opposite of President in June, with sharp, focused answers designed to showcase the contrast between her and Trump, whereas Biden at times was . Harris used her body language and facial expressions to confront Trump and express that she found his answers ridiculous, amusing or both B次元官网网址� a pronounced change from BidenB次元官网网址檚 slack-jawed expression when Trump attacked him.
Harris appeared intent on casting herself as a relief for voters seeking a break from TrumpB次元官网网址檚 acerbic politics B次元官网网址� a contrast highlighted as Trump appeared to be set on his back foot by her needling.
In one moment, Harris turned to Trump and said that as vice president, she had spoken to foreign leaders who B次元官网网址渁re laughing at Donald Trump,B次元官网网址� and said she had spoken to military leaders, B次元官网网址渁nd they say youB次元官网网址檙e a disgrace.B次元官网网址�
As Trump, 78, again questioned her racial identity, the 59-year-old Harris, the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president, pointedly gestured to Trump and responded, B次元官网网址淚 think the American people want better than that, want better than this.B次元官网网址�
Trump in turn tried to link Harris to the still-unpopular Biden, questioning why she hadnB次元官网网址檛 acted on her proposed ideas while serving as vice president. Trump also focused his attacks on Harris over her assignment by Biden to deal with the root causes of illegal migration.
B次元官网网址淲hy hasnB次元官网网址檛 she done it? SheB次元官网网址檚 been there for three and a half years,B次元官网网址� he said.
Harris promised tax cuts aimed at the middle class and said she would push to restore a federally guaranteed right to abortion overturned by the Supreme Court two years ago. Trump said his proposed tariffs would help the U.S. stop being cheated by allies on trade and said he would work to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine war B次元官网网址� though he twice refused to say he believed it was in AmericaB次元官网网址檚 interest for Ukraine, which bipartisan majorities in Congress have backed, to win the war.
Trump again denied that he lost to Biden four years ago, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to stop the certification of his loss based on false or unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. He tried to reverse the question of threats to American democracy and suggested criticism of him could be linked to the assassination attempt he survived in July.
B次元官网网址淚 probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey talk about democracy, IB次元官网网址檓 a threat to democracy. TheyB次元官网网址檙e the threat to democracy.B次元官网网址�
Trump has in recent days ramped up his threats of retribution if he returns to the White House, saying he would prosecute lawyers, donors, and other officials whom he deems to B次元官网网址渃heatB次元官网网址� in the election.
B次元官网网址淒onald Trump was fired by 81 million people,B次元官网网址� Harris said, B次元官网网址淪o letB次元官网网址檚 be clear about that. And clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that.B次元官网网址�
Her campaign ended the debate by expressing openness to another meeting in October B次元官网网址� and welcomed an from megastar , who labeled herself a B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� in a dig at TrumpB次元官网网址檚 running mate, Ohio Sen. , as she encouraged her fans to vote.
Harris defends shifts to the center, puts abortion front and center
Harris sought to defend her shifts away from liberal causes to more moderate stances on fracking, expanding Medicare for all and mandatory gun buyback programs B次元官网网址� and even backing away from her position that plastic straws should be banned B次元官网网址� as pragmatism.
Asked about her changing positions on a number of issues, she twice repeated a phrase she has used to try to explain it away, saying, B次元官网网址淢y values have not changed.B次元官网网址�
Trump, meanwhile, quickly went after Harris for abandoning some of her past liberal positions and said: B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat.B次元官网网址� Harris smiled broadly and laughed.
Harris, in zeroing in on one of TrumpB次元官网网址檚 biggest electoral vulnerabilities, laid the end of a federally guaranteed right to at TrumpB次元官网网址檚 feet for his role in appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving more than 20 states in the country with what she called B次元官网网址淭rump abortion bans.B次元官网网址�
Harris gave one of her as she described the ways women have been denied abortion care and other emergency care since that ruling, and said Trump would sign a national abortion ban if he wins.
Trump declared it B次元官网网址渁 lie,B次元官网网址� and said, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not signing a ban and thereB次元官网网址檚 no reason to sign a ban.B次元官网网址�
The Republican has said he wants the issue left to the states.
Trump, who is trying to paint the vice president as an out-of-touch liberal while trying to win over voters skeptical he should return to the White House, continued to call Harris a B次元官网网址淢arxistB次元官网网址� and said, B次元官网网址淓veryone knows sheB次元官网网址檚 a Marxist.B次元官网网址�
HarrisB次元官网网址� eyebrows shot up and she made an amused face, bringing her hand to her chin and staring at him.
Trump leaned on familiar falsehoods and signaled a shift on Ukraine
Trump attacked Harris for the seen under the Biden-Harris administration, a major liability for the vice president. He quickly turned his answer to warning about immigrants coming into the country B次元官网网址� one of the subjects heB次元官网网址檚 focused on most heavily in his campaign.
He called his proposed tariffs a straightforward way to make other countries pay up for what he has long argued is an imbalance that hurts the U.S. Harris called the tariffs an effective national sales tax. Trump reacted swiftly and called that B次元官网网址渁n incorrect statement.B次元官网网址�
Throughout his campaign, Trump has leaned on illegal , an issue that has bedeviled Biden and Harris with rising numbers of illegal border crossings and the arrivals of thousands of people needing shelter in Democratic-led cities. He accused Democrats of abetting large numbers of unauthorized crossings B次元官网网址� though they have dropped in recent months in part due to new asylum restrictions by the Biden administration.
But as he often does in his rallies and on his social media account, Trump reeled off a series of falsehoods or unproven claims about migrants. One of those claims was a that Trump and his allies have spread online in recent days, alleging Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town are hunting and eating pets. Officials in Springfield, Ohio, say they have no evidence of that happening.
B次元官网网址淭alk about extreme,B次元官网网址� Harris said after Trump talked about dogs and cats being eaten.
HarrisB次元官网网址� expressions filled their split-screen
As the debate opened, Harris walked up to TrumpB次元官网网址檚 lectern to introduce herself, marking the first time the two had ever met, since Trump skipped her 2021 inauguration. B次元官网网址淜amala Harris,B次元官网网址� she said, extending her hand to Trump, who received it in a handshake B次元官网网址� the first presidential debate handshake since the 2016 campaign.
Trump has at times resorted to invoking racial and gender stereotypes and falsely claiming that Harris, who attended a historically Black university, hid her race during her career.
B次元官网网址淚 read where she was not Black,B次元官网网址� Trump said when asked about comments questioning HarrisB次元官网网址� race, adding a minute later, B次元官网网址渁nd then I read that she was Black.B次元官网网址� He seemed to suggest her race was a choice, saying twice, B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 up to her.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently over the course of his career attempted to use race to divide the American people,B次元官网网址� Harris responded.
While TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 meeting might be the last time the candidates cross paths on the debate stage, they may cross paths again Wednesday when they both mark the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Harris, Trump and Biden plan to all be at ground zero in lower Manhattan and the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. Harris and Biden will also visit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, later in the day for a ceremony there.
Trump at one point launched into an attack on Biden, questioning his mental acuity by making the claim that Biden B次元官网网址渄oesnB次元官网网址檛 even know heB次元官网网址檚 alive.B次元官网网址�
Harris quickly tried to turn it around to make Trump look less than sharp.
B次元官网网址淔irst of all, I think itB次元官网网址檚 important to remind the former president, youB次元官网网址檙e not running against Joe Biden. YouB次元官网网址檙e running against me,B次元官网网址� she said.
