The 2024 presidential race is underway, as election day on Nov. 5 looms near. CNN reporter Harry Enten indicates that this is one of the closest cycles in decades: neither candidate has pulled ahead at least 5 points in the polls for over three weeks. This trend is the first to occur in 60 years.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off in their first debate of the election season on Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. EST at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. For 90 minutes, the candidates discussed issues ranging from the economy to immigration.
The debate was moderated by Linsey Davis and David Muir of ABC News, and broadcasted from the station. Although this is the second face-to-face encounter involving candidates from the Democratic and Republican Parties, it is Harris’ first appearance as a presidential candidate following current President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
Economy
The economy has been a major issue in the presidential race, 81% of voters list it as their top issue for this year. High prices for everyday objects, housing and cars all play a major role in how voters view the economy.
When asked whether she believes that Americans are better off than they were four years ago, Harris appealed to viewers with her middle-class background., “I was raised as a middle class kid. I am the only person on this stage that has a plan about lifting up the middle class and working people of America. I believe in the ambition, aspirations and the dreams of the American people … that’s why I have a plan to build an opportunity economy. We know that we have a shortage of housing and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people.”
More information on her economic policy can be found at her campaign website.
Trump, in response, discussed the impact of inflation on the prices of goods. “I have no sales tax that is an incorrect statement … We are doing tariffs on other countries … I took in billions and billions of dollars as you know from China … We have had a terrible economy as inflation has, which is known as a country buster. It breaks up countries, we have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in the nation’s history … inflation has been a disaster for people not only for the middle class but for every class.”
Information on Trump’s economic plan can be found on his website.
Climate change
An issue particularly relevant among younger voters is climate change and a green economy transition. Harris highlighted the importance of reducing reliance on foreign oil and supporting a “clean energy economy.” “The former president has said that climate change is a hoax … I am very proud that as vice president over the last four years we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy. While we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels. We have created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs.”
President Trump contrasted her perspective, instead proposing tariffs in order to drive domestic production. “[The Democrats] have lost 10,000 manufacturing jobs this last month. They are all leaving ,they’re building big auto plants in Mexico … we will put tariffs on the cars that come in to the country through these plants. What they’ve done to business and manufacturing in this country is terrible.”
Abortion
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, restrictions on abortion in states are on the uptick. In North Carolina, for instance, abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy is illegal as of 2023, with exceptions for cases of rape and incest. During President Trump’s term in office, he appointed three justices – all of which sided with the majority in Dobbs v. Jackson that resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
During his comments on the issue, Trump chose to criticize Democratic policies, some of which are proven to be false. “The [West Virginia] governor before said that the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words they would execute the baby … the Democrats are radical on that, her vice presidential pick– which I think was a horrible pick by the way for our country because he’s really out of it.”
Moderator Davis followed his remarks, fact-checking the statement Trump made. “[I]n no state in the country is it legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”
When asked about her response to President Trump’s claims, Harris rebuked Trump and affirmed her support for abortion rights. “In over 20 states, there are Trump abortion bans which make it illegal for a doctor or nurse to provide healthcare. In one state it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that don’t even make exceptions for rape and incest. One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held belief to agree that the government and Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her own body.”
Harris also pledged that she would if Congress were to sign a bill into law restoring Roe v. Wade’s protections then she would sign into law.
Immigration
For questions on immigration, Harris mentioned her experience as former California State Attorney General. When asked why, under the Biden Administration, stricter asylum restrictions weren’t implemented until June 2024 as illegal border crossings reached record highs, she mentioned her time prosecuting for the state of California.
“I’m the only person on this stage that has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations. For the trafficking of drugs, guns and human beings. Let me say that the United States congress – including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate – came up with a border security bill.”
Trump responded with criticism toward the Biden Administration’s actions. “Our country is being lost, we are a falling nation and it happened three and a half years ago. You’re going to end up in World War III, what they have done by allowing these millions and millions of people to come in to this country and look what is happening in towns all over America.”
He then alleged that immigrants in Springfield, Illinois were “eating the pets of the people that live there.” An executive director for the county said that there has been no evidence of reports of people eating pets.
Weaponization of the Justice Department
Trump made history in May, when he was the first president convicted with felonies for falsifying business records.
However, he claimed that the Department of Justice was weaponized against him. “Every one of those cases was started by them against their political opponent and I’m winning most of them and I will win the rest of them on appeal … they say I’m a criminal but they’re the ones that made them go after me.”
Harris responded to the notion of the weaponization of the Department of Justice. “Let’s talk about extremes and understand the context in which this election in 2024 is taking place. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president is essentially immune if he were to enter the White House again. This is someone who has said that he would terminate the constitution of the United States. That he would weaponize the Department of Justice to go after his political enemies.”
Closing statements
In her closing statement, Harris highlighted the differences between Trump’s plan and her own vision for the country. “[Trump is making] an attempt to take us backwards, but we’re not going back. I do believe that the American people know that we all have so much more in common than what separates us. We can chart a new way forward. A vision of that includes having a plan understanding the aspirations, the dreams, the hope and the ambition of the American people. Which is why I intend to create an opportunity economy.”
Trump started by alleging Harris’ lack of action on her promises. “She just started by saying she’s going to do this and she’s going to do that. She’s going to do all these wonderful things. Why hasn’t she done it yet. She’s been there for three and a half years. They’ve had three and a half years to fix the border, create jobs. All the things we talked about why hasn’t she done it … we are a failing nation, a nation in serious decline, we are being laughed at all over the world .. the worst president and the worst vice president in the history of our country.”
The vice presidential debate is expected to be held on Oct. 1 2024 in New York City. Anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell of “CBS Evening News” and CBS News foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan will moderate the debate. Harris calls for another debate in the next month.
A full transcript of the debate can be found on The University of California, Santa Barbara’s The American Presidency Project here.
