Donald Trump Vs Kamala Harris Debate: Key Moments to Remember!
Los Angeles/Sept 11, 2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh
First Debate of Kamal Harris and Donald Trump:
On Sep 10, 2024 Kamala Harris & Donald Trump squared off for the first time in a 90-minute debate broadcast live by ABC News. Here’s a summary of the key moments:
1. 'Pleasure to Meet You'
At the start of the debate, Harris confidently approached Trump and offered her hand as they met on stage.
"Kamala Harris," she introduced herself, extending a handshake. “Let’s have a good debate.”
“Nice to see you. Have fun,” replied the former president.
This marked the first handshake in a presidential debate in nearly a decade.
Throughout the debate, Harris often directed her gaze at Trump, occasionally smirking, laughing, or shaking her head in disbelief at his responses. Meanwhile, Trump mostly stared straight ahead as Harris spoke, but occasionally shook his head.
2. 'I’m Speaking Now'
From the outset, Harris, representing the Democratic party, took an assertive stance, challenging Trump over his criminal trials and response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She also accused him of using race to divide Americans, in reference to a recent comment in which Trump claimed Harris had “become a black person.”
Trump repeatedly shifted the conversation back to inflation and immigration, which he saw as weak points for Harris. He criticized the Biden-Harris administration for "destroying" the country and branded Harris a "Marxist," referencing her father’s background as an economist.
Harris joked about low turnout at Trump’s rallies: "People start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom," she quipped.
Trump responded, “People don’t go to her rallies. There’s no reason to.”
At one point, when Harris interrupted him, Trump retorted, “I’m talking now. Does that sound familiar?”—a callback to her famous line from the 2020 vice-presidential debate with Mike Pence.
Later, as Harris interrupted him again, Trump demanded, “Quiet, please.”
Trump also blamed Democrats for inflaming rhetoric, suggesting it was responsible for an assassination attempt against him in July, though the attacker’s motives remain unclear.
3. 'Eating the Pets'
Ahead of the debate, social media was flooded with unverified claims—repeated by Trump’s running mate JD Vance—that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating pets.
Despite local officials telling the BBC there was no evidence to support this, Trump raised the issue during the debate.
“They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating people’s pets. It’s a disgrace,” Trump declared.
Harris responded, "Talk about extreme."
4. Fact-Check on Abortion
One of the most heated exchanges occurred over abortion, a critical issue for Democrats after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to the procedure.
“You don’t need to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government—and especially Donald Trump—shouldn’t be telling women what to do with their bodies,” Harris argued.
She warned that Trump would sign an abortion ban if re-elected, citing Republican states that have passed strict laws with few exceptions.
Trump pushed back: “What she’s saying is completely false. I do not support an abortion ban.”
He emphasized his stance of supporting exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.
At one point, Trump made the inflammatory claim that some babies were being “executed” after birth, prompting a moderator to intervene, clarifying: “No state in the country allows for the killing of a baby after birth.”
5. Where Are the Policies?
Trump claimed Harris had no original policies, accusing her of borrowing ideas from his campaign and joking that he would send her a “MAGA hat.” He also argued that Harris would be no different from President Biden.
“She has no policies,” Trump said.
“Remember this, she is Biden,” he added.
Harris quickly countered: “I am clearly not Joe Biden.”
When Trump was asked what his plan would be to replace Obamacare, he said he had “concepts” for a better plan, if elected.
On the economy, where polling often favors Trump, Harris simply stated, “I have a plan.”
6. Harris on Gun Ownership
During a discussion following Harris’s statement about her economic plan, Trump painted her as a far-left liberal, accusing her of being opposed to gun ownership.
He claimed, “She has a plan to defund the police, confiscate guns, and ban fracking in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.”
Harris denied these accusations flatly.
News Source : Click Here
|
