Pictured on the left, is Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. Pictured on the right, is Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
This September 10th, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris met for the first time and debated on ABC’s Philadelphia stage. The ever-changing political climate over this election year had set high expectations for the campaigns of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and with that, the presidential debate. There was a 31% increase of viewers this time around from the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden according to the Guardian.
Vocalized topics throughout the night included the economy, foreign policy, climate change, immigration and border security, healthcare specifically abortion rights, crime, and taxes.
Satisfied was the last word Americans used to describe the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump which drastically raised concern for the future of the United States government.
However, labeled as an exceptional public speaker, confidence and hope were instilled within the democratic party after President Joe Biden endorsed Harris as the new democratic candidate.
In an interview with Ramapo’s history teacher Mr. Vander Molen, he said that watching Kamala Harris debate in comparison to Joe Biden’s performance back in July did not change his perspective on the state of the country’s government. He stated, “Though concerns may arise about the performance of specific leaders, such as President Biden during the debate in June, the strength of our democracy lies in the collective power of its institutions and the people. America’s government is much more than one individual, and it is designed to endure challenges and adapt over time.”
The candidates opened the night with a fiery debate about the economy. Donald Trump labeled the economy throughout Biden’s presidency a disaster and the current situation, terrible.
“I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people, and that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy,” said Harris during the debate on ABC. Harris disagreed with Trump’s agenda of offering tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations as the foundation of her campaign is to offer financial aid and support as well as to grow the middle class. Trump focused on the negative effects of inflation and labeled it “a country buster.”
Harris also highlighted the value of abortion for women’s healthcare and the fight against the overturning of Roe V. Wade. She touched more aggressively on this topic than Biden did in the previous debate.
Trump has stated he is pro-life as he fought hard to overturn Roe V. Wade in the Supreme Court in 2020. From a debate clip on CNBC, he stated, “Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. … Now states are voting on it. … Each individual state is voting. It’s the vote of the people. Now it’s not tied up in the federal government.” Attempting to appeal to a larger audience Trump voiced his support for exceptions in certain pregnancy cases if the situations include unprecedented circumstances.
Former First Lady, Melania Trump recently vocalized her support for abortion rights in her memoir sparking controversy. In it she states, “It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”
In response to Harris’s bold remarks about Trump’s election loss in 2020 which provoked the events of January 6th, Trump called Harris too liberal and a continuation of Biden’s unpopular administration. He launched into his trending use of personal attacks and digressions although his advisers and supporters have tried to steer him away from that tactic.
During the topic of immigration and border control, ABC’s David Muir asked Kamala Harris why the Biden administration waited six months before the election to act on the issue of illegal immigration and asked if Harris would have done anything differently.
On the topic, Muir asked an additional question as to why Trump killed Biden’s bill that would have put thousands of additional agents and officers on the border, arguably what Trump’s presidency and campaign has been based on.
Ramapo Junior Bella Levison states, “I watched a part of the debate and I think that Harris was a good speaker but neither candidate really answered the questions asked. I was hoping to see more direct answers and more explanations about what they are both promoting in their candidacy.”
Without directly answering the question, Trump stated, “Our country is being lost and we are a failing nation…… you’re gonna end up in World War III just to go into another subject about what they have done to our country by allowing these millions of millions of people into our country….. In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats they’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Immediately after this statement made by Trump, David Muir fact-checked his claim stating that Springfield’s City Manager reported no credible or accurate claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by members of the immigrant community.
This claim Trump made at the presidential debate was by far one of the most memorable moments leading to the creation of viral internet memes on social media and conversation about the inaccuracy of his claim.
“What stood out most to me was the inability of both candidates to answer some of the questions. Politicians have a knack for dodging questions and unfortunately, both Harris and Trump did so during the debate” said Mr. VanderMolen.
Politicians and the American people overall, were pleasantly surprised and confident about Harris’s performance at the presidential debate.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stated in a televised interview with CBS News, “As a former prosecutor, I know an easy target when I see one,” Shapiro said in the interview. “He’s focused on himself, he’s not focused on the future of trying to help the American people.” He praised Harris for her performance and said that she did a great job.