In the first and potentially only debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Harris strategically aimed to provoke the former president throughout the 1 hour and 45-minute event. She consistently framed her responses with remarks intended to anger Trump, accusing him of being ridiculed by world leaders and described as a "disgrace" by military officials. Harris also pointed out that 81 million voters rejected Trump in the 2020 election, adding that he seemed to struggle with accepting this outcome.
Trump, meanwhile, frequently veered into falsehoods and conspiracy theories. He once again falsely claimed widespread fraud in the 2020 election and repeated outlandish assertions about immigrants and abortion. His portrayal of the country echoed the grim tone of his 2017 inaugural address, stating, “We have a nation that is dying.”
As the debate wrapped up, Harris gained additional support from pop star Taylor Swift, who endorsed the Democratic ticket on Instagram, signing off with a cheeky reference to Ohio Senator JD Vance's controversial remarks about childless women, which had alienated many female voters.
Here are some quick takeaways from the first portion of the debate:
A turning point when Harris jabs Trump over the size of his rally crowds
Kamala Harris took the stage with a clear strategy: throw Donald Trump off balance. By most accounts, it worked. When she referenced Trump’s criminal convictions and legal troubles, he reacted. When she accused him of derailing a bipartisan immigration bill, he responded more aggressively. And when she mocked his rallies as dull, he couldn’t resist taking the bait.
Instead of addressing the moderators’ questions—some on topics he often views as his strengths—Trump focused on defending the entertainment value of his rallies, complained that the Biden administration was targeting him legally, and launched into a bizarre claim that migrants were eating Americans’ 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,” Trump said, following Harris' criticism over his handling of immigration reform.
Harris, appearing bemused, largely allowed Trump to go on without addressing his claims. When the moderators tried to steer the debate back to immigration, Trump seemed fixated on defending his rallies.
“First, let me respond as to the rallies,” Trump said, insisting his events were unmatched in size and enthusiasm.
The debate's first hour ended as it began—with Trump drifting into lengthy, unfounded claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
Trump to Harris: 'I'm talking now'
Trump traffics in conspiracy theories
Despite hints from his own running mate, Donald Trump did not hold back from sharing the latest conspiracy theory during the debate. He repeated the baseless claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating local residents’ pets. At one point, Trump declared, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of people who live there.”
ABC News moderator David Muir quickly noted that local officials had found no evidence to support this claim, but Trump insisted, citing vague reports from "people on television." When challenged further, he responded, “We’ll find out.”
Later, when the debate turned to crime, Trump falsely claimed that crime rates in the U.S. were increasing, contradicting FBI data that showed a decline in recent years. When Muir corrected him, Trump shifted to another conspiracy theory, accusing the FBI of being corrupt and spreading "defrauding statements."
Trump also revisited his claims about U.S. elections, insisting that the system was in disarray and alleging that Democrats were trying to allow undocumented immigrants to vote.
Trump speaks during the presidential debate with Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Fierce argument over abortion, a key issue for both candidates
One of the starkest contrasts between Joe Biden’s June debate performance and Kamala Harris’ appearance on Tuesday emerged during the discussion on abortion. As one of the administration’s most vocal advocates for reproductive rights, Harris tackled the topic with a sharpness that Biden had not.
Donald Trump, who appointed three Supreme Court justices that helped overturn Roe v. Wade, tried to present a more moderate stance on abortion. He criticized six-week abortion bans and reaffirmed his support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and threats to the mother’s life. However, he also praised the Supreme Court’s decision to end federal abortion protections. “Now it’s not tied up in the federal government,” Trump said. “I did a great service in doing it. It took courage.”
Trump repeated many of the same arguments he had made in his June debate with Biden, claiming inaccurately that "everyone" wanted abortion laws returned to the states—despite opposition from many Democrats and independents. He also misrepresented comments from former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam about nonviable pregnancies and falsely claimed that some states allow abortions after birth. ABC News moderator Linsey Davis fact-checked him on the spot: “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”
Harris countered by focusing on the real-life consequences of restrictive abortion laws. She highlighted instances where women, including rape victims, were denied care, or women experiencing miscarriages couldn’t receive treatment because doctors feared legal repercussions. “You want to talk about what people wanted?” Harris asked. “Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room... and she’s bleeding out in a car in the parking lot—that’s not what she wanted.”
Trump was asked why women should support him on abortion. See his response
Vice president casts Trump as out for himself
Kamala Harris set the tone early in the debate by positioning herself as a champion for middle-class Americans, drawing a sharp contrast with Donald Trump, whom she painted as self-serving.
"Donald Trump has no plan for you," Harris said, addressing voters directly in response to a question on the economy. She leaned into her personal story, describing herself as a "middle-class kid" while laying out an economic plan that included tax cuts for families and deductions for small businesses. In contrast, she claimed Trump’s approach would follow his past actions: offering tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.
"Trump," Harris continued, "is more focused on defending himself than looking out for you."
This theme, echoed in her campaign ads and messaging, carried onto the debate stage, where she drove home the point that Trump is primarily concerned with his own interests.
“I’ll tell you one thing you won’t hear him talk about: you. And I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first,” she said.
A handshake sets the tone
When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took the stage in Philadelphia, it marked their first in-person encounter, as Trump had notably skipped Joe Biden's inauguration. Harris set the tone by closing the six-foot gap between their podiums, extending her hand for a handshake, and introducing herself with, "Let’s have a good debate."
Trump, returning the gesture, replied, “Nice to see you.”
This was the first handshake in a presidential debate since Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off in 2016, where Trump had famously invaded Clinton’s personal space during their town hall debate.
Throughout the debate, Trump largely looked straight ahead while Harris responded with visible expressions. She laughed at some of Trump’s remarks, smirked at others, and occasionally shook her head, appearing amused. When Trump repeated the debunked claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, Harris responded with a mocking laugh, shrugging and pointing toward Trump in disbelief.
Trump says he 'couldn't care less' about Harris' race. Hear her response
Trump’s comments about Harris’ race, past controversies under the microscope
When asked about his recent false claim that Kamala Harris had only recently begun identifying as Black, Donald Trump defended his remarks by saying it was something he had read. “I couldn’t care less,” Trump said. “Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.”
Harris, who had previously dismissed the comment as part of the “same old tired playbook,” took a different approach at the Philadelphia debate. Instead of defending her racial identity, which is indisputable, Harris used the moment to highlight Trump’s history of racial discrimination and racially charged behavior. She pointed to past investigations into Trump’s housing discrimination, his calls for the death penalty for the Central Park Five—young men of color wrongfully accused and convicted—and his promotion of the false birther conspiracy against former President Barack Obama.
“I think the American people want better than that,” Harris said. “We see each other as friends, as neighbors. We don’t want a leader who constantly tries to pit Americans against each other.”
Trump pushed back, noting that other figures, such as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, had also supported the Central Park Five case. He accused the Biden-Harris administration of being divisive and argued that Harris was dredging up old examples.
“She has to reach back 40, 50 years ago because there’s nothing recent,” Trump claimed.
Harris reacts to Trump doubling down on debunked rumors about immigrants eating pets
Trump and Harris dig their heels in on major global flashpoints
If anyone on stage Tuesday has a clear, point-by-point plan for ending the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, they did not share it with the viewers at home.
Asked how she would secure peace in Gaza, Harris first recalled the horrors of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks inside Israel. She offered some mild criticism of Israel’s response, an ongoing bombardment that’s killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, before pivoting to her support for a two-state solution, Israel’s right to defend itself and a commitment to rebuilding Gaza.
“We need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out,” Harris declared. Biden and others recently conceded such an agreement is a long way off.
Trump offered even fewer details.
“She hates Israel,” he said of Harris, adding that she also hates “Arabs.”
Trump has occasionally sought to inflame anger among Arab Americans over Biden’s handling of the conflict. But on Tuesday he quickly abandoned the tactic, instead chiding Harris for slighting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent visit to Capitol Hill – she did, in fact, meet with him; she did not attend his speech to Congress – and declaring again that none of it “would have never happened” if he were still in the White House.
Ditto for the Russian war in Ukraine, per the former president, who – after stopping to note that he “know(s) Putin very well – said “Russia would have never ever … have gone into Ukraine” on his watch.
“I’ll get it done before even becoming president,” Trump added, claiming his election would reset the geopolitical state of play and, almost by definition, herald a deal.
Harris, for her part, used the Russia-Ukraine talk to attack Trump over his well-documented fondness for international strongmen and despots.
“It is well-known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again,” Harris said, “because it is so clear they can manipulate you with flatter and favors.”
Trump fought back there, recalling his push to get NATO member nations to pay more into the alliance and slamming Harris for Biden’s refusal to do the same, before saying the vice president “does not have the courage to ask.”
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