US presidential debate | Harris-Trump war of words on Gaza, Ukraine, immigration

The first debate between former US President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris had the two leaders facing each other in Philadelphia on Tuesday (September 10) night.

The presidential debate, hosted by ABC News and simulcast on NBC, started at 9 pm EST (6.30 am IST), and ran for around one-and-a-half hours.

Trump and Harris, presidential candidates of the Republicans and Democrats, respectively, slammed each other on the US economy, abortion rights, Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars, and immigration laws.

Trump called Biden-Harris “the worst president, the worst vice-president in the history of our country.”

“And I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us, and we can chart a new way forward,” Harris said.

Sharp barbs

Harris, who entered the race just seven weeks ago, after Biden stepped back, has limited time to define her candidacy and win over voters. So far, she has avoided committing to specific policy positions.

For the first time in eight years, two presidential candidates shook hands before the debate, with Harris introducing herself to Trump and shaking his hand. This was the first time they were meeting each other, too, as candidates.

Debate on economy

Harris sharply criticised Trump for putting the nation into a state of “worst employment” since the Great Depression, during his term, from 2017 to 2021. She said he left the country with the worst public health epidemic in a century and the worst attack on its democracy since the Civil War. The Biden administration had to clean up his mess, she added.

Harris also highlighted her middle-class background and her plans to support small businesses and families if she became the President. She reiterated her $6,000 child tax credit plans and a $50,000 tax deduction for start-ups.

Harris said Trump, on the other hand, would provide tax cuts to billionaires and large corporations. “Donald Trump has no plans for you,” she said. Trump replied that he has no such tax cut plans and that the US economy faltered due to inflation under Biden and Harris.

Trump also countered her saying she was a Marxist and her father was also a Marxist. He said he did not get enough credit for the “phenomenal job” his administration did with the pandemic.

Topic of abortion

On the contentious issue of abortions, Harris said Trump should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. Rape survivors do not want to carry their babies to term, she pointed out.

She emphasized her support for Roe vs Wade and the need to protect reproductive rights.

"I am not signing a ban on abortion. States are voting on it," said Trump.

"I have been a leader on IVF. Will she allow an abortion seventh, eighth, ninth month and probably after birth?" he asked.

Harris gave a warning that Trump would ban abortions if he became President, to which he said she was lying.

She said he would sign the national abortion ban if he took office. She said that there have been Republican abortion bans during the last 20 years, and that they did not make exceptions even in cases of rape and incest.

Trump denied the claim, and accused the Democrats of supporting abortions even after birth.

“In other words, we’ll execute the baby,” said Trump.

This claim by Trump was however fact-checked as false by ABC Networks, who pointed out that killing a baby is illegal in all 50 states of America.

Harris called Trump’s policies on reproductive rights “insulting to the women of America”. She said the former President had appointed three members to the US Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protection of Roe vs Wade, and that is exactly what they did.

Trump said the Democrats are radicals, and that Harris’s vice-presidential pick was a horrible one who said abortion in the ninth month was is absolutely fine. He said this issue had torn the country apart for 52 years.

Israel-Palestine war

Harris said the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, and the latter has the right to defend itself. At the same time, she called for an immediate ceasefire and stressed the importance of securing peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.

"This war must end — we need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out. There must be security for Israel and Palestine," she said.

Trump argued that the war wouldn’t have started if he were in charge. He blamed the current administration for weakening the US’s position, saying both Harris and Biden failed to stop the conflict.

"Kamala hates the Israel and Arab population. If she became president, Israel will be gone. When I was President, Iran had no money for terror," he added.

Harris refuted him and accused him of attempting to “divide and distract from the reality”. She has in the past vowed to support Israel’s security.

“It is very well known that he admires dictators, and wants to be a dictator,” said Harris.

She said military leaders had described Trump as a disgrace.

Ukraine conflict

Harris praised US support for Ukraine’s independence, saying that under Trump, Putin would have already taken Kyiv.

Trump responded: "If I were president, the war would have never started. Russia wouldn't have entered Ukraine."

Harris responded by taunting Trump for his “friendship” with Putin. She suggested that Trump would cave under pressure from the Russian leader.

“Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland,” Harris said. “How quickly you would give up for the sake of favour and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.”

She said she had a strong relationship with Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy, and that the NATO allies were very thankful that Trump was no longer president.

Immigration

Trump focused heavily on immigration, a key issue in his campaign. He claimed that other countries are sending millions of people from prisons and mental institutions to the US, leading to a rise in crime.

The host of the debate rubbished Trump’s claim, highlighting the FBI statement that crime is actually coming down in the country.

Harris responded to Trump on this issue by bringing up Trump’s legal battles and said the focus should be on looking ahead.

Trump claimed that immigrants from Haiti were eating pets in an Ohio town, that they were eating dogs and cats. Kamala Harris just laughed and shook her head.

The moderator said there was no proof of that.

Harris brought up Trump’s criminal history in response to his claims about migrant crimes.

‘You are not running against Biden’

As Donald Trump kept bringing up alleged failures of the Biden administration, Kamala Harris responded, “You are not running against Biden.”