In a highly anticipated debate on September 10, Vice President Kamala Harris faced off against former President Donald Trump in a contentious and spirited exchange. The debate, hosted by ABC in Philadelphia, showcased the deep ideological rift between the two candidates as they traded blows on a range of issues, from abortion and immigration to democracy and foreign policy.

Harris came into the debate with a clear objective: to present a sharp and forceful case against Trump, attacking not only his policies but his character. Throughout the night, she emphasized Trump’s self-obsession and painted him as unfit to lead the nation. Trump, on the other hand, focused his attacks on Harris’s political identity, labeling her a “Marxist” in disguise and returning repeatedly to one of his most trusted talking points-the US southern border-despite veering into debunked conspiracy theories.

From the outset, both candidates appeared ready for a fight. The lead-up to the debate had been filled with aggressive campaign trail rhetoric, and the debate itself quickly became an extension of this. Harris wasted no time launching into her critiques of Trump’s leadership, noting early on that voters would hear from the “same old tired playbook” of “lies, grievances, and name-calling” from the former president. In a notable moment, Harris turned directly to the audience, bypassing Trump, and criticized him for being more interested in defending himself than in helping the American people. “Donald Trump actually has no plan for you because he is more interested in defending himself than he is in looking out for you,” she declared.

Trump, characteristically combative, dismissed Harris’s remarks as mere sound bites and countered with claims that Harris had moved toward his political philosophy, though he did not provide evidence. “Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window-she’s going to my philosophy now,” he said, claiming that if Harris were ever elected, it “would be the end of our country.”

While Harris remained on message, attacking Trump’s suitability for office, Trump struggled to maintain a consistent line of argument. His responses to Harris’s taunts were often defensive or meandering, which allowed Harris to continually gain the upper hand, particularly when addressing sensitive issues like Trump’s admiration for authoritarian leaders and his infamous 2020 election denial.

One of the most charged moments of the night came when the debate turned to abortion. Harris passionately criticized Trump for his role in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. She laid the blame for the dire consequences of abortion bans at Trump’s feet, accusing him of creating conditions where women were “bleeding out in parking lots” and children were being forced to carry pregnancies resulting from incest.

Trump, in his defense, claimed it took courage to overturn Roe v. Wade, falsely asserting that “every legal scholar” agreed that abortion policy should be left to the states. He also revived a widely debunked talking point that Democrats support abortion after birth, which prompted the moderators to issue a fact check. Trump avoided taking a clear stance on a national abortion ban, dodging questions about whether he would sign or veto such legislation, saying, “I’m not signing a ban, and there’s no reason to sign a ban.”

Harris, for her part, strongly advocated for the reinstatement of Roe v. Wade protections but did not offer specifics on any restrictions she might support, instead framing the debate as one of personal freedom. She argued that the government should stay out of decisions involving women’s bodies, a position that resonated with many Democratic voters.

As the debate continued, Trump frequently veered off course, resorting to conspiracy theories and tangential arguments to deflect from Harris’s pointed attacks. When Harris needled Trump about the size of his rally crowds, his past bankruptcies, and his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election, Trump appeared visibly frustrated. He falsely claimed that he had been sarcastic in a recent remark about losing the 2020 election by “a whisker” and continued to assert-against all evidence-that the election had been stolen from him.

In one particularly odd moment, Trump warned of World War III before launching into a bizarre claim that immigrants in Ohio were eating Americans’ pets, a statement that was quickly debunked by the moderators. Trump persisted in his assertion, despite the lack of credible evidence, with Harris laughing and calling his rhetoric “extreme.”

Harris used Trump’s tangential rants to underscore her broader point that he is unfit for office. “He talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter,” Harris quipped at one point, referring to Trump’s infamous comments on windmills causing cancer. “He talks about [how] windmills cause cancer,” she said, highlighting the former president’s tendency to embrace outlandish and debunked claims.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the debate was how well Harris managed to do what President Joe Biden had struggled with in his previous debates against Trump. Where Biden had faltered in his attempts to go toe-to-toe with Trump, Harris excelled. Her crisp delivery and clear focus on Trump’s flaws-both as a leader and as a person-seemed to rattle the former president, whose responses often came across as defensive or incoherent.

Harris also took the opportunity to highlight Trump’s failure to acknowledge his defeat in 2020, emphasizing the importance of protecting democracy. “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people, so let’s be clear about that, and clearly, he’s having a very difficult time processing that,” she said, noting that the country could not afford to have a president who would attempt to undermine the will of the voters in a free and fair election.

For both candidates, the debate carried significant weight. Polls indicated that Harris was still relatively unknown to many voters, and this debate gave her a rare chance to introduce herself to the broader electorate. She aimed to project a presidential, moderate image while taking a tough stance on issues like immigration and support for small businesses.

Trump, on the other hand, continued to lean into his identity as the strongman, often deflecting or doubling down on past positions, regardless of their accuracy. His strategy of framing Harris as a “Marxist” and fixating on immigration reflected his desire to appeal to his base, though it did little to expand his reach among undecided voters.

Both campaigns knew that the debate would play a crucial role in shaping the final months of the race. Harris had spent the previous weeks rapidly gaining momentum after clinching the Democratic nomination, raising over $540 million and closing the polling gap between herself and Trump. The debate marked a turning point, particularly in terms of her ability to challenge Trump directly and effectively.

As the debate drew to a close, it was clear that both candidates had succeeded in energizing their respective bases, but Harris’s performance stood out as a decisive moment in the race. Her ability to hold her own against Trump, combined with her sharp attacks on his character and leadership, signaled that she was prepared for the rigors of the campaign ahead.

With the race now in a tight margin-of-error zone, the coming weeks will be critical as both Harris and Trump continue to battle for the support of undecided voters. While Trump remains a formidable opponent, the debate showed that Harris has the potential to effectively challenge his narrative, presenting herself as a capable and presidential alternative in the eyes of the American electorate.

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