Trump v Harris debate: Kamala Harris showed she’s up to the task of being President of the United States
With polls showing the US election is too close to call, Democrat candidate Kamala Harris used her first and possibly only debate with Republican Donald Trump to convince an uncertain electorate that she has the authority, charisma and eloquence to unite their country and lead the Western world.
Harris tried to discredit her opponent while offering herself as the candidate who will allow America to put aside the bitter and often personal partisanship that has defined US politics since Trump emerged as the Republican leader almost eight years ago.
“Clearly, I’m not Joe Biden,” the 59-year-old Harris said towards the end of the 90-minute faceoff in Philadelphia.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country. One who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people. Let’s turn the page and look forward.”
Trump, 78, focused on the performance of the Biden-Harris administration, which he said had wrecked the US economy and allowed wars to break out in Europe and the Middle East.
Even by Trump standards, the ex-president’s claims were extreme.
He predicted the war in Ukraine could lead to World War Three and Israel would cease to exist within two years of Harris being elected. He said illegal immigrants had swarmed American cities, where they are killing and eating domestic pets, and that Harris, a former public prosecutor from San Francisco, is a Marxist.
“Our country is being lost,” Trump said. “We are a failing nation.”
Several times during the debate moderators from the American ABC network contradicted Trump, including a claim that abortions are taking place at nine months in the womb or after birth. They didn’t do the same to Harris, triggering complaints of bias from Trump supporters.
“The ABC moderators were not journalists, they were pro-Kamala activists who baselessly attacked President Trump leading to a three-on-one debate, while allowing Kamala to lie repeatedly,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who had been considered an outside chance to be Trump’s vice president candidate until JD Vance was chosen.
Democrats were thrilled at their candidate’s performance against Trump, who she portrayed as leader who didn’t respect American institutions and was manipulated by foreign dictators through flattery.
She said a Republican administration would cost average American families $US4000 ($6000) a year through a “Trump sales tax”. Trump said his plan wasn’t a tax but tariffs that would rebalance international trade after 60 years of lopsided commerce.
Veteran US television host Chris Wallace said the debate was as devastating to Trump as an earlier one in June which led to President Biden’s withdrawal from the election.
“She shut Trump down on abortion,” Wallace told CNN. “She shut Trump down on January 6 and democracy. She shut him down on national security and turned to the former president and said: ‘The military leaders who served with you think that you’re a disgrace.’”
After struggling to establish herself as a strong vice president, Harris entered the campaign seven weeks ago either behind or level in several swing states, including Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina. Polls show Harris had failed to win over, before the debate, young voters, black men, Latinos, and men without university degrees.
She avoided media interviews, and any unscripted public appearances, while Trump held rallies across the US where he would speak without notes, sometimes for more than an hour.
As a result, many voters became used to Trump’s wild assertions. Her approach raised questions about how Harris, who has a history of unusual public comments, would perform on a stage against her opponent.
Her avoidance of any mistakes on Wednesday may reassure some wavering voters in states such as Pennsylvania, where the debate was held, that she can be trusted with the powers of the presidency, including Republicans who voted for other candidates during the primaries.
“Kamala Harris clearly won the debate,” said Bruce Wolpe, an American-Australia political analyst an author of Trump’s Australia. “She showed she was fit to be president. That she was up to the task. She looked presidential. Talked presidential.”
The election remains on a knife edge. The latest aggregation of polls by The New York Times has both parties on 48 per cent.
Polls in coming days will show what impact, if any, the debate had on the election.
