Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met for the first time on the debate stage in Philadelphia, where they fought to sway 2024 election voters on the biggest stage in U.S. politics.
It’s the only debate that’s been firmly scheduled and could be the only time that voters see Harris and Trump go head-to-head before the November general election.
The pair agreed to debate rules that outlined the event would have no audience, no written notes, and no live mics when it wasn’t the candidate’s turn to speak.
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Harris Campaign Calls for 2nd Debate, Trump Responds
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is calling for a second debate.
Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said, “Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump. That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October.
“Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”
Trump responded, saying, “We’ll think about that.” He criticized the ABC moderators, Linsey Davis and David Muir, calling it a “three-on-one” debate.
Trump had accepted three debates in September. In addition to the ABC debate, he accepted invitations for one on Fox News on Sept. 4 and NBC on Sept. 25.
Harris only agreed to the ABC invitation.
Taylor Swift Endorses Harris
Taylor Swift endorsed Harris in an Instagram post shortly after the debate ended.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
She signed the message “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”
Harris–Trump Debate Is Over
That’s a wrap on the Philadelphia debate between Harris and Trump.
It had been advertised as a 90-minute debate with two commercial breaks. All told, Tuesday night’s debate lasted for an hour and 45 minutes.
There isn’t a second debate between Harris and Trump scheduled, but one could be.
Closing Arguments
Harris and Trump veered in different directions in their closing arguments.
The vice president promised that she was focused on the future, saying Trump was stuck in the past. She emphasized that she has plans to help the middle class.
Trump criticized Harris for not implementing her plans while she’s in office.
“Why hasn’t she done it?” he said.
Trump and Harris Spar Over Health Care
Former President Donald Trump reiterated that he wouldn’t touch the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, unless there was a better option.
“If we come up with something, and we are working on things, we’re going to do it, and we’re going to replace it,” he said of his potential second term.
“But remember this: I inherited Obamacare because Democrats wouldn’t change it,” he said. “If they would have done that, we would have had a much better plan than Obamacare.”
Trump: ‘I Don’t Care’ About Harris’s Racial Identity
Former President Donald Trump said he doesn’t care what race Vice President Kamala Harris identifies with.
Debate moderator David Muir asked the former president why he thinks “it’s appropriate to weigh in” on Harris’s racial identity, referencing previous comments he made about “when she happened to turn black.”
“I don’t care what she is,” Trump responded. “You make a big deal out of something—I couldn’t care less. Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.”
Trump and Harris Spar Over Russia’s War Against Ukraine
Former President Donald Trump criticized unreported “millions of deaths” and the billions spent on security assistance for Ukraine and declined to say whether he believes a Ukraine victory is important for U.S. national security, saying instead he would seek an immediate end to the war and loss of life.
Vice President Kamala Harris underscored that she believed Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” must be upheld.
“We brought 50 countries together to support Ukraine in its righteous defense, and because of our support, because of the air defense, the ammunition, the artillery, the Javelins, the Abrams tanks that we have provided, Ukraine stands as an independent and free country,” she said.
Trump responded that Russian President Vladimir Putin only started the war because he perceived the Biden administration as weak.
“That war should have never started,” he said.
The former president also said that Russia’s nuclear arsenal could spark “World War III,” and that more than 300,000 Russians had been killed in the fighting.
Trump Says Don’t Believe Harris Vow to Not Ban Fracking
Vice President Kamala Harris vowed “I will not ban fracking” about 40 minutes into the debate with former President Donald Trump during a brief skirmish over energy policy.
Claiming she’s never supported a blanket ban on fracking, which a president and Congress can impose on federal lands, Harris noted she cast the deciding vote in the adoption of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act “that opened new leases for fracking.”
While Harris’s energy policies essentially perpetuate President Joe Biden’s emphasis on renewable energy, she said her primary policy goal will be “to reduce reliance on foreign oil.”
Trump said Harris has talked about banning fracking for at least 12 years and would impose a ban if elected. He also criticized the Biden-Harris administration for freezing the Keystone XL Pipeline the day they got into office, while allowing Russia to sell gas through its Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
On “day one” if reelected, he said, he’d rescind every Biden “green energy” executive order and reduce the regulatory burden on the nation’s oil and gas industry.
“They will go back to windmills and solar where they need whole deserts” to generate unreliable, expensive power that natural gas can inexpensively supply, he said of a Harris presidency.
Trump Says Biden–Harris Can Fix Border Immediately If They Want
Former President Donald Trump said Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden could address the border quickly and without Congress through executive action.
Most recent U.S. immigration policy has been shaped by executive orders issued or rescinded by Trump and Biden. The rescission of Trump-era executive orders at the onset of the Biden administration marked a significant change in border policy. Encounters at the southern border surged.
“They don’t need bills,” Trump said, suggesting executive authority could be used to fix the border issue if the Biden administration wanted.
Trump Denies Wrongdoing on Jan. 6
Trump reiterated that he did nothing wrong on Jan. 6, 2021.
When asked by the moderators whether he had any regrets about his actions that day, Trump suggested that he didn’t organize the rally, emphasizing that he told attendees to protest at the Capitol “peacefully and patriotically” ahead of the Capitol breach.
Trump noted that no police officers were killed that day, and that the deaths were among Trump supporters, referencing the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt “by an out of control police officer that should have never, ever shot her.”
“I had nothing to do with [the Jan. 6 rally], other than they asked me to make a speech,” Trump said.
Trump also noted that, ahead of the event, he offered additional security of up to 10,000 National Guard troops to both then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, but both denied the assistance.
Harris Explains Why She Changed Her Stance on Some Policies
Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated that her “values have not changed” when it comes to her stance on issues such as fracking, a major issue in Pennsylvania, where the debate was held.
In 2019, she was in favor of banning fracking. She has since moved away from that position and cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which included the expansion of fracking leases.
“My values have not changed, and what is important is that there is a president who actually brings values and a perspective that is about lifting people up and not beating people down and name calling,” she said. “I intend to be that president.”
Harris Presses Trump on Abortion
Harris said that Trump would support a national abortion ban, and Trump responded by calling it “a lie.”
“I’m not signing a ban, and there’s no reason to sign a ban because we’ve gotten what everybody wanted,” he said.
He said his preference was to see states regulate abortion, which is what was decided by the Supreme Court justices he appointed who overturned Roe v. Wade, handing the issue from the federal level back to the states.
“I did something that nobody thought was possible. Now, the states are voting,” he said. He noted that many conservative states that people were worried would ban abortion, like Kansas and Ohio, actually ended up voting “somewhat liberal” on the issue.
“Look, this is an issue that’s torn our country apart for 52 years. Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative, they all wanted this issue to be brought back to the states where the people could vote.”
Harris has consistently said that abortion constitutes a fundamental right for women and expressed support for legislation to restore a federal right to abortion as per Roe v. Wade. She did not articulate a position on late-term abortion but said it was “insulting” to think that the women of America were seeking late term abortions.
“Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not happening,” she said.
Trump was also asked to clarify his recent statements regarding a Florida ballot initiative that aims to establish a constitutional right to abortion in the state.
He said he could not support the initiative as it would allow “abortion in the ninth month,” which he says is too “radical.”
IVF Treatments
IVF was raised by Harris during the debate. She said that under Trump, couples were being denied IVF treatments, hinting at the legal ambiguity facing fertility clinics with unused embryos in states with strict abortion restrictions.
Trump pushed back on what he said was another “lie,” saying he supports IVF access. He called himself “a leader on IVF.”
This comes about two weeks after he announced plans to require health insurance companies or the federal government to pay for the common fertility treatment.
Harris Says China Wasn’t Transparent About COVID Origins
Harris said China failed to provide transparency about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Referencing Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, Harris said, “Xi was responsible for lacking and not giving us transparency about the origins of COVID.”
While Trump did not respond to this point in the debate, he has previously repeatedly criticized the Chinese regime for covering up the pandemic origins.
Trump Distances Himself From Project 2025
Trump again distanced himself from Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation project crafted by dozens of his former administration officials.
“I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it. Purposefully, I’m not going to read it,” he says.
Democrats have made the conservative think tank’s proposals a centerpiece of their attacks against Trump.
Harris, Trump Kicked Off Debate Talking About Economy
The presidential debate kicked off with questions from ABC’s moderators about the economy and the cost of living crisis.
Harris was asked if Americans are better off now than they were four years ago.
With the White House under pressure on the economy, Harris said she was “raised as a middle class kid” and would be focused on creating an “opportunity economy.”
“Donald Trump has no plan for you. And when you look at his economic plan, it’s all about tax breaks for the richest people,” she said.
The vice president briefly outlined some of her economic plans.
“Here’s the thing, we know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people,” she said. “We know that young families need support to raise their children.”
She said her policies for building up an “opportunity economy” include a $6,000 child tax credit “so that those young families can afford to buy a crib, buy a car seat, buy clothes for their children,” and a “$50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America’s economy.”
She also sharply criticized Trump for policies that she said would increase costs for Americans.
Trump rejected the description, and he said he would focus on tariffs on imports from foreign countries. He reiterated his policy to introduce a universal 10 percent tariff on other countries.
“Other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we’ve done for the world, and the tariff will be substantial,” Trump said. “In some cases, I took in billions and billions of dollars, as you know, from China.”
He noted that the current administration didn’t remove his administrations tariffs because they generated “so much money.”
In his first term, Trump implemented several rounds of tariffs on various countries, including China, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. The Trump administration also imposed multiple levies on Chinese goods, such as aluminum, solar panels, steel, and washing machines.
“When I had it, I had tariffs, and yet I had no inflation,” Trump said.
“She doesn’t have a plan. She copied Biden’s plan,” he added. He also shifted focus to immigration, saying people were “pouring into the country.”
Citing the view of 16 Nobel laureates on Trump’s economic policies, Harris said his policies would “invite a recession.”
Harris–Trump Debate Begins
It may be the one and only time Harris and Trump meet onstage, and their presidential debate is now underway.
The Democratic and Republican nominees have taken the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
For the next 90 minutes, Harris and Trump will be going one-on-on to make their arguments to American voters. They’ll be standing behind podiums about 6-8 feet apart in a small, blue-lit amphitheater.
As with the Biden-Trump debate earlier this summer, there’s no live audience in the room. That means that there will be no rowdy applause, cheers or jeers.
The debate is hosted by ABC News.
Harris and Trump shook hands as they took the stage for their debate.
Trump Arrives in Philadelphia
Trump has arrived in Philadelphia ahead of the debate Tuesday night with Harris.
Harris arrived Monday afternoon after spending several days at a downtown Pittsburgh hotel preparing for the debate.
Debate Set Is Smaller Than It Looks
It may look bigger on TV, but the set where the two candidates will be debating tonight is actually pretty small.
The candidates’ podiums are positioned about 6-8 feet apart in a small, blue-lit amphitheater with no live audience in the room. That means there will be no rowdy applause, and no cheers or jeers.
The candidates will enter at the same time from opposite sides of the stage.
It remains to be seen whether they will shake hands.
Biden Says Harris Seems ‘Cool and Collected’ Ahead of Debate
President Joe Biden said he had a chance to chat with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of Tuesday night’s debate. He seems to think she’s ready for her one-on-one with Donald Trump.
“She seemed calm, cool and collected,” Biden said in an exchange with reporters.
Biden wouldn’t reveal what advice he might have offered Harris.
The president is spending debate night in New York, where he said he planned to celebrate his granddaughter Finnegan’s birthday and watch the debate.
Biden will start his Wednesday in New York to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. He will also visit the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, memorials.
After Debate, Allies to Make Arguments for Candidates in Spin Room
The official debate action takes place on the stage, but both Harris and Trump will have a large contingent of allies making arguments on their behalf in the spin room afterward.
Harris will have a number of Democrats whose names popped up as possible running mates for her, including Govs. Gavin Newsom (California), Roy Cooper (North Carolina), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (New Mexico). There are also a handful of members of Congress: Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Chris Murphy and Laphonza Butler, as well as Reps. Jason Crow, Veronica Escobar, Robert Garcia, and Ted Lieu. Mini Timmaraju, CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, retired Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson, and Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq who famously asked Trump if he had read the Constitution during an appearance at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
In addition to Vance, his running mate, Trump will be represented by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and his co-chair, Lara Trump, who is also Trump’s daughter-in-law.
There will also be several Republicans whom he defeated during the primary campaign—North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy—as well as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his independent bid and endorsed Trump just weeks ago. There’s also Tulsi Gabbard, a former House member from Hawaii who left the Democratic Party in 2022 and has backed Trump.
The former president will also be supported by other top surrogates like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Matt Gaetz and Rep. Mike Waltz of Texas.
US Dollar Falls as Markets Brace for Presidential Debate, Inflation
The dollar slid against some major currencies on Tuesday, consolidating Monday’s gains ahead of key inflation data and a highly anticipated U.S. presidential debate, even though neither outcome is likely to affect overall monetary policy.
Safe-haven currencies such as the yen and Swiss franc also gained amid a rout in bank shares, analysts said, after the Federal Reserve’s regulatory chief on Tuesday outlined a plan to raise big banks’ capital by 9 percent. That disappointed bank investors and some critics of the rule. The S&P 500 banks index fell 2.7 percent to 408.2, after earlier falling to a one-month low.
Harris Tours Debate Stage Before Tuesday Night’s Event
Harris stopped by Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center on Tuesday afternoon to tour the debate stage ahead of the showdown with Trump.
Harris was expected to check out the space before the 9 p.m. ET debate, but the pool of journalists trailing her weren’t permitted to exit the motorcade and document her tour.
Philadelphia Gears Up for Harris–Trump Debate with Protests Expected
Police are bracing for protests, with pro-Palestinian groups angry with Harris’s continued support of Israel planning to demonstrate. Barricades have been erected around the National Constitution Center, the site of the debate, barring access to the historic area that includes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was signed.
Meanwhile, several of the city’s bars and universities are planning watch parties. Top Democrats will gather at a hotel for a watch party that Harris is expected to attend after the debate ends. Trump’s plans after the debate are not yet public.
Epoch Times reporters Jackson Richman, Samantha Flom, Nathan Worcester, John Haughey, and Andrew Moran, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.