Kamala Harris won the debate against Donald Trump, but it’s unclear if this will influence the 2024 election outcome.
The debate started with Trump winning a virtual coin toss, but that was his only victory of the night.
Harris took control immediately, walking confidently to Trump’s podium and almost forcing a handshake, which set the tone for their face-off just eight weeks before Election Day.
For Harris, the debate went as well as she could have hoped.
She was full of energy, offered a positive outlook for the future, and stayed on message.
Trump, on the other hand, appeared frustrated and unfocused, delivering negative remarks about the country.
His mood often shifted between anger and distraction, which made Harris’s confident and calm approach stand out even more.
Undoubtedly, this debate showed Harris at her best, as she handled spontaneous moments with ease, which had sometimes been a weakness of hers in the past.
Trump had entered the debate confidently, predicting he would overpower Harris, but he was caught off guard several times.
He had planned to use his debating skills to dominate, referencing a famous quote from boxer Mike Tyson, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Instead, Trump struggled to defend himself, as Harris landed several verbal hits and couldn’t mount any severe counters.
For many voters, this debate was a chance to see more of Harris.
About one-third of voters had said they wanted to know more about her, and this debate was her opportunity to win them over.
She directly addressed voters’ concerns, especially about rising costs and everyday struggles, offering ideas for change.
Meanwhile, Trump didn’t do much to shift the negative opinions some voters already have of him.
He often got stuck looking back at his first term. He sometimes seemed to long for past debates with Biden rather than focus on the new race.
However, as we know, debates don’t always decide elections.
In past elections, like Trump’s own victory in 2016 and George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, both were seen as losing debates but still won the presidency.
It often takes time for the effects of a debate to fully sink in. That said, voters’ decisions will likely be influenced by bigger issues like the economy and immigration rather than just what happened during the debate.
Even though Harris came across as strong, it’s unclear if it will be enough to sway the voters who will make the final decision in swing states.
In many cases, Trump’s strong stance on immigration and crime has worked for him in the past despite some of his statements being exaggerated.
Harris’s team will likely feel hopeful that her performance could have swayed some undecided voters in important states.
Throughout the debate, she was methodical, speaking directly to voters’ concerns about high grocery bills, housing costs, and everyday financial challenges.
Trump, meanwhile, focused on his rally sizes and past achievements, walking into traps Harris set for him.
Her calm demeanor, including moments where she quietly laughed off Trump’s outbursts, made Trump seem even more out of control.
To her credit, Harris avoided any major mistakes during the debate.
Her preparation was obvious, and she stayed focused while Trump often ranted off-topic.
She took every opportunity to criticize Trump’s policies and actions, contrasting herself with his chaotic leadership style.
This debate showed why the Democrats chose Harris over Biden, as she delivered a sharp, focused critique of Trump, something Biden struggled to do in earlier debates.
Adding to the debate’s attention, pop star Taylor Swift, who had been wrongly linked to an AI-generated Trump endorsement, announced that she would be voting for Harris after the debate.
This endorsement, although unexpected, reflected the wide reach of the event.
Trump became increasingly agitated as the debate continued, but Harris stuck to her strategy of not getting drawn into his temper.
When Trump talked endlessly about his rallies, Harris smartly avoided discussing the southern border, one of her weaker areas.
Instead of hitting her on immigration, Trump used the moment to brag about his rallies and missed a chance to criticize her.
This was a recurring pattern, as Trump repeatedly walked into Harris’ traps and made himself look bad.
He is often seen as a strong debater, but on this night, he did more harm to himself than to Harris.
Trump’s most damaging moment came when he repeated a racist and debunked claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio, a rumor even his running mate, JD Vance, admitted was probably false.
Although local officials had already debunked the rumor, Trump insisted it was true.
This strange and outlandish claim highlighted how far Trump was willing to go to stir up fear about immigration while offering no real solutions.
As a result of this claim, Harris responded by shaking her head. She refused to get drawn into Trump’s attempts to turn the debate into a discussion about race and gender.
Harris dismissed the claim as “extreme,” further underlining Trump’s tendency to rely on exaggerated or false statements.
Alternatively, she focused on his past controversies, such as his call for the execution of the Central Park Five and his promotion of the false birther claim against President Obama.
Harris clearly framed Trump as a leader who has repeatedly used race to divide the country for his own gain.
“It’s a tragedy that someone who wants to be president has spent their career trying to use race to divide the American people,” she said, delivering one of her most striking lines of the night.
Although, it has to be said that Harris wasn’t perfect on the night.
She avoided answering the very first question, which asked whether Americans are better off today than they were four years ago.
She also dodged questions about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American soldiers.
But even when she avoided directly answering, Harris shifted the conversation back to her strengths, frustrating Trump’s attempts to attack her.
It’s clear that Trump’s biggest problem was his inability to focus on one solid line of attack.
He struggled to keep Harris on the defensive, something he had previously been good at in debates.
Instead, Trump often rambled into conservative talking points that only his core supporters might understand.
He even mentioned Hungarian leader Viktor Orban as an example of strong leadership, playing into Harris’ argument that Trump admires authoritarian figures.
Throughout the debate, Trump seemed more interested in appealing to his base than winning over undecided voters.
One of Harris’ strongest moments came when she spoke passionately about abortion rights.
She argued that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was an attack on women’s freedoms. She also pointed out how many states have since enacted extreme abortion bans, even in cases of rape and incest.
Harris made the issue deeply personal. In doing so, she highlighted the challenges faced by low-income women who now have to travel out of state for healthcare.
Trump, on the other hand, struggled to defend his position on abortion, trying to take credit for the decision while distancing himself from the extreme laws that followed.
In the final moments of the debate, Trump managed to deliver one of his stronger lines, questioning why Harris, after several years in office, had not achieved many of the things she now promises to do.
Nonetheless, even this fell flat as Trump failed to follow up with a convincing argument for why voters should choose him again.
His strongest moment came when he talked about the war in Ukraine, raising fears of nuclear conflict and presenting himself as the only one who could prevent World War III.
Harris, however, countered by accusing Trump of wanting to make peace on terms that would favor Vladimir Putin. This line likely resonated with voters who are wary of Trump’s ties to foreign dictators.
While Harris clearly won the debate, it’s uncertain whether her performance will be enough to sway the election.
So, both candidates will continue to face unpredictable challenges in the weeks leading up to Election Day, and it’s hard to say how much the debate will affect voters’ decisions.
Harris’ team will likely feel encouraged by her strong showing. Still, Trump’s core supporters remain loyal, and his messages on immigration and crime continue to resonate with certain groups of voters.
Ultimately, the debate showed just how different the two candidates are.
Harris offered a vision of hope and unity for the country, while Trump focused on stirring fear and division.
Whether this debate will shift the momentum in favor of Harris is still unclear, but she proved herself to be a strong contender, capable of standing up to Trump and delivering a confident performance on the national stage.
