Dog-Eating Immigrants,’ Ukraine Clashes, and Economic Blame Game: Highlights from the Harris-Trump Debate

The Harris-Trump debate saw heated exchanges on immigration, Ukraine, and economic policies, with both candidates engaging in sharp rhetoric over key national and international issues.

The initial 90-minute debate between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, who are the leading US presidential contenders, has been deemed highly significant in determining the outcome of this year’s November election.

ABC hosted the event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated it. The topics discussed were extensive; they included economy, migration, abortion as well as foreign policy with a focus on Ukraine conflict.

A New York Times/Siena College poll showed that, prior to Tuesday’s face-off, Trump held a mere 1% lead over Harris among likely voters (48% to 47%), with the remaining 5% undecided. Additionally, the survey revealed that approximately 28% of respondents expressed interest in learning more about Harris despite her nearly four-year tenure as Joe Biden’s vice president.

These are the main points to remember from the debate.

The economy is subject to a blame game.

Shortly after exchanging pleasantries, the two contenders had an opportunity to present their visions for the future of America’s economy. Harris began by promoting her proposal for what she dubbed the “opportunity economy.” The Democrat pledged to increase housing affordability, enhance child tax credit accessibility and implement taxation deductions designed especially for small start-ups. She asserted that it fell on Biden’s administration to remedy President Trump’s chaotic legacy upon his exit from office.

Despite being asked whether she believed that “Americans are better off than they were four years ago” by the moderator, Harris did not provide a direct answer.

Responding to the critiques, Trump retaliated by placing blame for America’s economic challenges on its present leaders. “The current leadership has given us a disastrous economy due to inflation… It tears countries apart and we’re enduring an unprecedented level of it – quite possibly worse than any in our nation’s past,” he declared. Furthermore, Trump insinuated that Harris lacked strategies aimed at bettering Americans’ wellbeing while affirmatively vowing his own commitment towards imposing trade tariffs on nations like China.

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Trump restated his persistent disapproval of the Biden administration’s approach to immigration, alleging that immigrants are “invading towns… using violent means.” Additionally, he repeated unverified rumors circulating online regarding certain Haitian migrants engaging in animal mistreatment and cruelty.

He said that in Springfield, the locals were consuming dogs and cats – even those belonging to their neighbors. Sadly, this is happening throughout our nation with much regret.

According to local officials, various American media outlets have reported that immigrants are not harming pets as there is no evidence of such incidents.

When confronted with scrutiny about the immigration policies of the Biden administration, Harris stated that she had backed a bill aimed at strengthening border security. Nonetheless, she contended that it was obstructed by congress members who were sympathetic to Trump and were trying to bolster his Republican campaign.

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The Ukraine conflict has resulted in the deaths of “millions”.

Trump restated his commitment to resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kiev even prior to inauguration, but evaded answering whether he had a preference for Ukraine’s victory. The ex-president emphasized that his primary concern was ending the warfare because of its devastating impact on millions of lives lost.

According to Trump, Biden asserted that he could have avoided the conflict entirely since he had positive relationships with both Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Zelensky. Nevertheless, due to a lack of respect for him, Biden was unsuccessful in doing so as per Trump’s claims.

Upon witnessing Putin amassing troops near Ukraine’s border, I presumed that he was preparing for negotiations and deemed it a crucial bargaining chip. Regrettably, my assumption proved to be inaccurate as Biden lacked the diplomatic skills necessary to handle this situation effectively. This predicament is worsening by the day and could ultimately culminate in World War III.

Harris retaliated by claiming that Trump had a tendency to yield to “dictators” and arguing that under his presidency, Putin would have occupied Kiev. The vice president praised the Biden administration’s strategy of providing arms to Ukraine, stating it was instrumental in preserving their sovereignty.

Dispute regarding abortion

During the debate, Harris emphasized her commitment to resurrecting women’s rights granted by Roe v. Wade, which was nullified by the US Supreme Court in June 2022; this underscored the significant deviations between both candidates’ stances on abortion.

According to the vice president, it is not Donald Trump’s place to dictate a woman’s decisions regarding her body.

According to the ex-president, abortions’ legality should be determined at the state level. Trump stated that this decision would return it to a vote of the people as desired by everyone, including America’s founders.

Prompt responses

After the face-off, Trump claimed that it was his “best debate” so far. However, he also accused the ABC moderators of being biased towards him by saying they were “very unfair”.

Former US President Barack Obama contended that Harris demonstrated in the debate her ability to serve as “a president for all Americans.” Conversely, Vice President Harris exercised more prudence by informing her supporters that they remain “the underdogs in this race.”

A recent CNN flash poll revealed that 63% of American voters deemed Harris’s performance to be superior over Trump’s during the debate, while a minority of 37% disagreed.