
Just a few weeks ago, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off in their first, and most likely last, official presidential debate. The two candidates have been very close in the polls, with neither having a decisive edge over the other. However, the debate allowed Harris to pull ahead, with polls showing her up 47% to Trump’s 42% (Reuters).
Most debate watchers also agreed that Harris won the debate, or at least outperformed her opponent. During the debate, Harris came across as more collected and calm than Trump, who spent a significant portion of the debate telling outlandish and untrue stories, such as repeating an already-disproved claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating their neighbors' housepets, or explaining that the Democrats’ abortion policy allowed terminating pregnancy in the ninth month or even abortion post-birth, both untrue.
Abortion continues to be one of, if not the most important issue in this election. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, when the constitutional right to abortion ended, (giving states the rights to dictate the matter), the country has watched as the more conservative-leaning states become increasingly intolerant of abortion and regulations have ramped up, like Florida’s six-week abortion ban, a particularly extreme example. Trump has tried to emphasize that returning the issue to the states was all he did, and this will result in more fair policies in the long run, but this façade becomes increasingly obvious and many fear that if he were elected, he would be more than willing to sign a national abortion ban when Republican leaders bring it to the table.
Harris, on the other hand, used the abortion issue to draw more support to her campaign. Abortion has been a helpful issue for Democrats, as their position, mainly to go back to the abortion rights outlined by Roe v Wade, is popular, whereas anti-choice positions have hindered Republican popularity. In fact, 52% believe Harris would be a better leader when it comes to abortion, whereas 31% believe Trump would (CNN). Harris often used this in her attacks on Trump to highlight his and her stances in her favor. As he’s done before, Trump attempted to distance himself from the extreme, going so far as to say Florida’s six-week abortion ban is too short. However, this sway towards the moderate was met with some disdain by the hard-line conservatives that support him, so Trump has to try and walk the tightrope to bring in both the extreme and moderate conservatives to his cause.
The issue of democracy is on the table in this election. Both sides, but particularly Democrats, have painted this election as a battle for democracy, where a Trump presidency would begin a descent into authoritarianism. 49% of US voters believe that Harris would do a better job protecting democracy, whereas 40% believe Trump would (CNN). Project 2025, the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation’s plan for the first year of the Trump presidency if he were elected, details some of the most extreme aspects of the conservative agenda, such as draconian abortion restrictions, drastic cuts in government spending, and a significant reduction in the size of the government. Democrats, like Harris, raise this issue to Trump, but he has repeatedly distanced himself from it, saying “I have nothing to do with Project 2025. I haven’t even read it.” This is most likely inaccurate, as Trump is probably just trying to maintain his moderate voter base.
One important objective for Harris was to tell the American people more about who she is and what she stands for. Many Americans do not know much about her besides the fact she is the Vice President. Many of her political leanings have shifted from that of a typical California Progressive to a more moderate liberal in the style of President Joe Biden or former President Barack Obama. For example, in 2019, her first presidential run, she promised to ban fracking, a method of oil and natural gas extraction, but in the debate she completely flipped, saying “I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. In fact, I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which opened new leases for fracking." Harris also explained that she is a gun owner, just like her vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, and does not plan on taking anyone’s guns away. This may seem arbitrary, though it reflects the Democratic attempt to shut down the anti-American accusations that often come from the right-leaning side of politics.
Overall, the debate had a wide range of effects. While many may assert that Harris ‘won,’ that does not guarantee at all that she will win the election, and Trump is still close behind. Trump had a few moments where he had the upper hand, such as when he pointed out Harris’ switch up when it came to policy on fracking. This was meant to assert that Harris has no real agenda. The debate highlighted the key issues dividing America, such as abortion, democracy, climate change, and immigration, and each candidate went on the offensive to try and catch the other off guard. The American people learned a lot more about Harris and mostly heard what they already knew about Trump. To conclude, the debate was an intriguing view into the inner workings of modern US politics, and the impacts will be felt all the way up to election day.
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