Trump appeared rattled as he hit back at Kamala Harris (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump and Kamala Harries tore into each other’s records as they furiously clashed in their first TV debate of the 2024 US election campaign.
The Democratic vice president tried to get under the skin of the former Republican president, provoking him with reminders about the 2020 election loss that he still denies.
Trump at one point launched into a rant about illegal immigrants allegedly kidnapping and eating pet cats – a claim debunked by US police. At times Trump brutally hit back and even snapped “I’m talking!” as Harris interrupted him.
The clash marked the latest chaotic twist in a turbulent summer in American politics that saw Biden’s debate disaster back in June, followed by the assassination attempt on Trump, then Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
During the debate on US cable TV network ABC, the pair outlined sharply opposite visions of where the nation is and where they intend to take it if elected.
Harris promised tax cuts aimed at the middle class and said she would push to restore a federally guaranteed right to abortion overturned by the Supreme Court two years ago.
Trump said his proposed tariffs would help the US stop being cheated by allies on trade and said he would work to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine war, even if it meant Ukraine didn’t achieve victory on the battlefield.
Harris gave Trump incredulous looks as he spoke (Image: Getty)
Harris at times shook her head derisively as Trump spoke, occasionally staring at him with a hand on her chin, while Trump seemed to avoid looking toward the Democrat.
In one moment, Harris turned to Trump and said that as vice president she had spoken to foreign leaders who “say you (Trump) are a disgrace.”
Trump again denied his loss to Biden four years ago, when his efforts to overturn the result inspired the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
“Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people,” Harris said, “So let’s be clear about that. And clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that.”
Trump in turn tried to link Harris to Biden, questioning why she hadn’t acted on her proposed ideas while serving as vice president. “Why hasn’t she done it?” he said. Trump also focused his attacks on Harris over her assignment by Biden to deal with the root causes of illegal migration.
The Republican pledged anew to deport millions of people in the U.S. illegally and warned that Harris was “worse than Biden” and her policies would turn the U.S. into Venezuela.
He repeatedly dismissed her and Biden as weak, and cited the praise of Hungary’s nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban to show that he is a widely respected by leaders around the world, saying Orban calls him the “most feared person.”
Saying it’s “time to turn the page,” Harris delivered an appeal to Republicans and independents turned off by Trump’s style and his efforts four years ago to overturn the 2020 presidential election, saying there’s a place in her campaign for them “to stand for country, to stand for our democracy, to stand for rule of law and to end the chaos.”
Trump twice declined to say that it was in the best interest of the US for Ukraine to win its war against Russia. Harris said it was an example of why America’s NATO allies were thankful he was no longer in office, as she and Biden have sent tens of billions of dollars to help Kyiv fend off Russia’s invasion.
As the former president made a series of claims about migrants, Harris seemed to smirk as he said that migrants are “taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics.”
“Talk about extreme,” Harris responded, when Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims that immigrants in Ohio are eating their neighbours’ dogs and cats.
The duo traded blows over policies for 90 minutes (Image: Getty)
The candidates met in a small, blue-lit amphitheater converted into a television studio, with no live audience, meaning there was no rowdy applause, cheers or jeers. The intimate setting – with the candidates’ lecterns positioned less than 10 feet from each other – belied the contentious debate to follow.
As Harris seemed to try to interject during one of his responses, Trump replied, “I’m talking now, sound familiar?” harkening back to a moment when shut down an interruption from then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Harris sharply criticized Trump for the state of the economy and democracy when he left office, as the pandemic ravaged the nation and after his supporters stormed the Capitol in January 2021, in a bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“What we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess,” Harris said. She opened her answer by saying she expects voters to hear “a bunch of lies, grievances and name calling” from her GOP opponent during their 90-minute debate.
Trump, meanwhile, quickly went after Harris for abandoning some of her past liberal positions and said: “She’s going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat.”
The debate marked the first time the two have ever met in person (Image: Getty)
As the debate opened, Harris walked up to Trump’s lectern to introduce herself, marking the first time the two had ever met. “Kamala Harris,” she said, extending her hand to Trump, who received it in a handshake – the first presidential debate handshake since the 2016 campaign.
Harris gave one of her most impassioned answers as she described the ways women have been denied abortion care and other emergency care and said Trump would assign a national abortion ban if he wins. Trump declared it “a lie,” and said, “I’m not signing a ban and there’s no reason to sign a ban.” The Republican has said he wants the issue left to the states.
Harris used a question about her plans to improve the economy by saying she would extend the tax cut for families with children and a tax deduction for small businesses while attacking Trump’s plans to impose broad tariffs as a “sales tax” on goods that the American people will ultimately pay. Trump was stone-faced during her answer but retorted: “I have no sales tax. That’s in incorrect statement. She knows that.”
Trump, who is trying to paint the vice president as an out-of-touch liberal while trying to win over voters skeptical he should return to the White House continued to call Harris a “Marxist,” and said “Everyone knows she’s a Marxist.”
