By: Surjit Singh Flora
The first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris for the post of US President was primarily focused on the question of who is the better of the two? It’s true that Harris has performed well, but even Trump did not lose from his June debate with Joe Biden.
Trump and Harris debated on ABC News, which drew 67 million viewers. Nielsen provided this data. The CNN debate featuring Republican Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden on June 29 attracted a viewership of more than 5.13 million.
Undoubtedly, Harris has fared better than Biden and has given Trump blunt responses, such as saying, ‘It’s important to remind the former president that you’re not running against Joe Biden; you’re running against me. The televised debate began with a handshake, but the slightest hope of mutual respect soon disappeared. Both candidates relentlessly attacked each other. The dual challenge for Harris is to erase the memory of Biden’s poor performance at the last debate and, at the same time, present himself to the American electorate as the best alternative. On the one hand, she has succeeded to a significant extent. According to online forecasting agency Predict It, the gap between Harris and Trump is widening, but the race is still very close.
They are also discussing issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Hamas war, abortion, the economy, and immigration. The first debate between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Trump took place before the US presidential election on November 5.
The American media has given Democratic candidate Kamala Harris the lead in a heated debate with her Republican rival Donald Trump. Harris was clearly optimistic and focused on the debate. Also, after the debate, American pop singer Taylor Swift said that she has decided that she will vote for Kamala Harris.
ABC News’ presidential debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday night pitted the two contenders against each other. Millions of Americans watched the discussion on TV. Her forceful arguments against Trump’s presidential eligibility, pro-abortion ban, anti-democracy, and ongoing criminal prosecutions placed him on the defensive. Kamala was upset when Trump attacked Joe Biden in the debate. I’m a presidential contender. Compete with me. I believe in American aspirations, Kamala Harris remarked. We intend to grow the economy. Trump blamed the weak economy for inflation. Kamala Harris advocated abortion rights throughout the discussion. Meanwhile, Trump did not explicitly address his plans to ban abortion.
Trump, the Republican candidate, claimed that Harris hates Israel and would destroy the Jewish state within two years if elected president. Not only does Harris harbor hatred towards Israel, but she also harbors hatred towards Arabs. He claimed that if I were president, the Israel-Hamas war would not have begun. Reacting to this, Harris said that Trump’s claim that he hates Israel is completely false. I have long been a supporter of the Jewish state. He said that Israel has the right to defend itself, but the method should be considered. He asserted that the deaths of innocent Palestinians in Gaza are undeniable. She has been advocating a two-nation solution.
Trump stated he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to stop. He also asserted there would have been no war if I had been president. He pledged to halt the Russia-Ukraine conflict if elected president. Trump claimed he wanted the conflict to end because it was best for the American people when ABC News reporter David Muir questioned whether he wanted US partner Ukraine to win. Harris also mocked Trump’s “relationship” with Putin, suggesting Putin would be in Kiev if Trump was president. Putin is untouchable, and he will devour you. On Wednesday, the Kremlin advised Trump and Harris not to include Putin in the race.
Trump also said he doesn’t care what race Kamala Harris is. Kamala’s mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica, both of whom she describes as black Indian-Americans. “I think it’s a tragedy that someone wants to be president but wants to divide the American people,” Harris said. She stated that she disagrees with attempts to divide the country based on race.
While describing Trump as a threat to democracy, Kamala said that we have seen an example of this in the 2020 presidential elections. They nullified Joe Biden’s victory in the election, Kamala said. At the same time, Trump targeted immigrants. False rumors spread during the debate, claiming that Haitian immigrants were kidnapping and consuming pets.
On Wednesday, Truth Social, the owner of Republican candidate Trump’s company, witnessed the debate’s impact. Its shares fell 15 percent on Wednesday. This is more than 50 percent Trump’s share.
In the end, I anticipate that this discussion will witness a decline in enthusiasm for Trump, while support for Harris may increase. While it might not completely alter the prevailing narrative, Harris has managed to regain some of the momentum that had slipped away recently.
