The 2024 presidential debate: Harris on the offensive versus Trump on defense

🔊 Listen to Post

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took to the debate stage in Philadelphia for the first time on Sept. 10, engaging in a fiery 90-minute exchange on ABC News that left little room for handshakes and pleasantries. 

From the start, Harris took the offensive, launching pointed attacks that rattled Trump and kept him on the defensive for much of the night.

One of the evening’s most shocking moments came when Trump repeated an unsubstantiated and racially charged rumour about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. The former president claimed that immigrants were “eating the pets of the people that live there,” a baseless statement that had already been circulating in right-wing circles online. 

The rumour, criticized for perpetuating racist tropes, had been pushed into the spotlight by Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, who later defended Trump’s use of it. Vance argued that even false claims had brought attention to larger issues of immigration and border security.

While Trump’s statement sparked widespread disbelief and condemnation, it also highlighted a key theme of the debate — his willingness to engage in inflammatory rhetoric. This moment came during a segment on immigration, a topic where Trump should have had a clear advantage. Instead, Harris capitalized on Trump’s outlandish claims, using them to paint his leadership as reckless and out of touch.

Throughout the debate, Harris repeatedly put Trump on the back foot. Whether the topic was his rally sizes, his handling of the Capitol riot, or the officials from his own administration who have become vocal critics, Harris forced Trump to spend more time defending his record than promoting his vision for the future. 

One early exchange about immigration saw Harris mocking the former president’s rally crowds, claiming people left his events early out of “exhaustion and boredom.” Clearly rattled, Trump spent much of his time defending his rally sizes rather than discussing policy, showcasing how Harris’s jabs were effectively derailing his message.

On more substantive issues like inflation and abortion, Harris continued to set the tone of the debate. Since inflation is a weak spot for the Biden administration, Harris could have been vulnerable. However, she skillfully shifted the focus to Trump’s proposed tariffs, calling them a “Trump sales tax” and bringing up the controversial Project 2025, a conservative plan for a future Republican administration. 

Trump distanced himself from the project and defended his tariffs, but in doing so, he missed opportunities to attack Harris on inflation and rising consumer prices — areas where public opinion has not been favourable to the Biden-Harris administration.

On abortion, Harris took advantage of a major polling gap between the two candidates. While Trump defended the overturning of Roe v. Wade, claiming it reflected the will of Americans, polling consistently shows that the majority of the country disagrees with that decision. 

Trump’s defense was often rambling and unclear, while Harris made an impassioned, personal appeal to families impacted by restrictive abortion laws, which she dubbed “Trump abortion bans.” Her ability to shift from policy to personal stories resonated with many viewers, especially on such a divisive topic.

Perhaps the most effective tactic Harris employed was her consistent prodding of Trump, leading him to respond to topics that were not in his best interest. At one point, Harris was asked about the liberal policies she championed during her 2019 presidential campaign, including her stance on oil shale fracking. 

Instead of addressing her shifting positions, Trump took the bait and talked about the “tiny fraction” of money he received from his father, a dig Harris had made earlier in the night. This exchange highlighted a recurring pattern — Harris skillfully led Trump into defending himself on personal and trivial matters rather than focusing on policy.

The fallout from the debate was swift, quite literally — with Taylor Swift announcing her endorsement for Kamala Harris shortly after. A snap CNN poll showed that voters felt Harris performed better, and betting markets swung in her favour. 

Republicans, meanwhile, complained that the debate moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, showed favouritism toward Harris, fact-checking Trump’s claims several times throughout the night. However, it wasn’t the moderators who threw Trump off his game — it was Harris’s sharp, calculated attacks and Trump’s inability to resist them.

By the end of the night, Harris’s campaign had already called for a second debate, a clear indication of how well they believed she performed. Trump, meanwhile, left the stage scowling, his once-commanding presence dulled by the relentless attacks from his Democratic rival.