Harris and Trump's Only Debate: The Moments that Mattered
As it now seems certain that there will not be another debate between the 2024 Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, the fiery 90 minutes that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris shared on stage merits renewed analysis. On September 10th, former President Donald Trump took to the debate stage with Vice President Kamala Harris for the first time. This event was expected to shape voters’ perceptions of the candidates following President Biden’s exit from the race on July 21. The debate presented a valuable opportunity for Kamala Harris to lay out her policy goals in front of a national audience, while Trump had the chance to clarify how he intends to implement his well-known positions.
Aided by an endorsement by President Biden, Vice President Harris quickly solidified support and secured the majority of Democratic delegates by July 23. Her nomination was made official at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, setting the scene for Vice President Harris to replace Biden at the second presidential debate.
This significant change impacted the Republican ticket, as Mr. Trump now had to come up with a new game plan. A principal strategy for Trump was to shift blame from the current administration to Harris for the uptick in undocumented migrants crossing the southern border during the Biden presidency. The former President brought ample volume to the issue, repeatedly circling back to the talking point. In fact, one of the more-discussed sound bites from the debate came from Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants are eating pets: "They're eating the dogs; the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there.” With inflammatory comments like this, Trump sought to instill a sense of urgency in the electorate, using fear of a threat to pets to bring the issue into the people’s homes. Without a doubt, he elevated his signature issue, which has found traction within his reelection campaign. However, Mr. Trump still left many voters wondering about how he planned to carry out his proposed mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants, leading many viewers to feel that Trump failed to land on his primary talking point of the night.
On the economy, Trump did gain some ground on his opponent, with Harris unable to provide an answer as to why the current administration has kept many of Trump’s tariffs in place. Harris was unable to clearly describe her plan to tackle inflation, one of the most pressing concerns for voters in this election cycle, but Trump failed to capitalize on Harris’s susceptibilities with the economy; his responses often strayed from the subject matter presented by the moderators. Notably, Trump labeled the Democratic nominee’s economic policies as “Marxist,” an attack that may have seemed too extreme to some voters and missed legitimate criticisms that Trump could have leveled.
Trump found his greatest traction in painting Harris as inconsistent in her policy stances, though he would have benefited more if he had managed to make it the essence of the debate. What Trump alluded to is a strategy often employed by candidates to secure votes from undecided voters. By calling Harris out for these behaviors, Trump hoped that he could convince viewers of her inconsistency in her policy positions. Specific shifts that he targeted included a departure from her previous progressive positions on fracking, Medicare, and gun buyback programs. He made references to these shifts, adding another memorable sound bite to the mix: “She’s going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat.” Harris deflected Trump’s argument, saying this shift was pragmatic and that “her values remain the same.” Her defense was not entirely convincing, with some undecided voters questioning her ability to be a unifier and others voicing uncertainty about how her positions might change were she elected. While this was Trump’s strongest segment of the debate, failing to make it the focal point of the night may have limited its impact.
Ironically, Harris’ most compelling strategy of the evening had little to do with politics. She recognized the value in remaining calm, using her demeanor to destabilize Trump’s formidable debate presence. From the very start, she seized the spotlight by crossing the stage to shake hands with her opponent, setting a confident tone. She pulled from Trump’s playbook, levying personal attacks and labeling him as “weak” on foreign policy. Unlike his previous debate with President Biden, Donald Trump had to play defense, responding to Harris’ attacks rather than making his own. Trump bristled at her jibes, wasting crucial time defending his rally attendance and his reputation as a businessman, playing right into Harris’ strategy. While this tactic allowed Harris to set the agenda throughout the night, it prevented her from fully tapping into her own policy goals, forcing her to settle for general ideas rather than detailed specifics on topics like fracking and inflation. All things considered, her lack of detail was outweighed by her ability to stay one step ahead of her opponent, as many viewers felt disenchanted with Trump’s erratic performance.
In terms of policy strategy, Harris took the initiative to focus on abortion access, an issue that 32% of respondents said would define their vote in a Gallup poll. Abortion has been a particularly uncomfortable issue for Republicans, since the party hastily adopted a more tolerant stance toward reproductive rights in light of their lackluster performance in the 2022 midterm elections. Harris reminded viewers that Trump’s judicial appointment led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and opened the door for what she called “Trump abortion bans” in 20 states. Trump looked to cushion the blow, stating that he would support exceptions for abortion in cases of rape and incest, adding that he believes Florida’s six-week ban is too early. Given Trump’s impact on the issue during his presidency, Americans may see this adjustment as too little and too late, with many believing that he would sign a national abortion ban should he get the chance.
Finally, Vice President Harris appeared poised for an obvious line of questioning for her role in the controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan, which experts viewed as hastily done and subjected the country to Taliban control. She effectively defended the Biden administration’s troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by clarifying how Trump’s handling of the situation had limited available options. Trump was quick to blame Harris for her role, adding that he could have pulled off the operation quicker and would have done so without losing any US service members. He went further, arguing that the operation had made America look weak and left Russia feel comfortable escalating the war in Ukraine. Harris parried, noting that the withdrawal from Afghanistan took a lot of courage, and that the current administration was the one that delivered on the promise where its four predecessors had failed. She then condemned Trump for negotiating with the Taliban rather than the Afghan government itself, and that the Trump administration had forced the United States’ hand on the matter. Kamala Harris’ ability to pin the blame in part on Trump allowed her to save face in part, while the former president was hoping to attribute the withdrawal entirely to her administration. Entering the debate with Afghanistan as a susceptibility, Harris was able to articulate the administration’s rationale, while also pinning blame on Trump.
The much-anticipated debate between Donald Trump and the recently-nominated Kamala Harris was dramatic. The Vice President flipped the script of a traditional Trump debate, keeping him on his toes while largely deflecting the impact of his typical talking points, specifically on immigration and the economy. This gave the Democratic nominee increased familiarity with voters and added to a wave of momentum she has enjoyed following her nomination.
While Harris appeared to be the consensus winner on the debate stage, it is more difficult to determine whether the performance has significantly swayed voters. A Washington Post survey of 25 swing-state voters indicated a shift of three more voters who were leaning to vote for Harris, bringing the total to 15 voters. However, this contrasts with an Associated Press survey of debate-watchers, of which the vast majority stated that their perceptions of the candidates, and their votes, remain unchanged. All things considered, this clash of the two candidates was impactful, as it appears that it was the only chance for Harris and Trump to directly pit their platforms against one another. It may be the defining moment in the minds of some as they cast their ballots in November, with no other meeting of the two agreed upon for either to make good on the lessons they learned in the first debate.