On September 10, US Vice-President (VP) Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met for the highly-anticipated presidential debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate was hosted by ABC News moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis. 

The candidates debated several topics, including immigration, climate change, US intervention in Afghanistan, gun control, fracking, and much more. With the presidential election coming up on November 5, The Varsity spoke to some U of T students and faculty about key highlights from the debate.

Who are the candidates? 

Donald Trump is the Republican Party candidate and 45th US president. In May, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of felony convictions for falsifying business records and was later denied a delay for his sentence. Two months later, Trump was injured after an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At 78 years old, Trump is the only US president in history with no political or military experience before taking office, and the first US president to be impeached by Congress twice. 

Current VP Kamala Harris became the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate after President Joe Biden stepped down from the race. Harris took office as the VP in 2020, making her the first woman VP in US history. In 2003, Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco and twice served as attorney general of California from 2010 to 2017. Now, at 59 years old, she is the first Black, Indian, and woman presidential nominee. 

Inflation and the economy

The debate started off with questions about the economy and the cost of living. In response, Harris outlined her plan to mitigate the housing crisis by offering a tax cut of 6,000 USD to families with newborns and assisting small businesses with a 50,000 USD tax deduction. Trump outlined his plan to impose import tariffs and make other countries “pay [the US] back.” 

Jack Cunningham, an international relations professor with the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, explained what effect Trump’s plans would have on Canada in an email to The Varsity: “[Trump’s] proposed 10 per cent [tariff]… on all imports would do serious damage to a Canadian economy still heavily dependent on exporting to the US market.”

Abortion

Trump defended the overturning of Roe vs. Wade — the 1973 decision which protected women’s rights to have an abortion under the US Constitution — claiming that Democrats support what Trump describes as “abortion in the ninth month” or “execution after birth.” Trump also mentioned that 85 per cent of Republicans, including himself, believe that abortion should only exist for cases of rape, incest, and saving the life of a mother.

Moderator Davis fact-checked Trump’s claim on the Democratic Party’s abortion policy, saying, “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.” 

The moderators made more corrections later into the debate as well, regarding Trump’s false claims about immigrants in Ohio eating pets and about losing the 2020 presidential election to Biden by a “whisker.”

Harris countered the former president: “In over 20 states, there are Trump abortion bans which make it criminal to provide health care… [and some of which] make no exceptions for rape and incest.” She emphasized that the government and Trump should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. 

Priya D’Souza McDonough — a fourth-year U of T student studying Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations and art history, and registered to vote in New York — expressed their concerns about access to abortion under both governments. 

“Although the Democratic party claims to fight for the right of queer Americans to exist and to pursue happiness in this country, they have done precious little to actually protect those rights. The same thing can be said about access to abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” they wrote in an email to The Varsity.

International crises

The two candidates were also asked about their stance on the Russo-Ukrainian war and Israel’s war on Gaza. 

Harris stated that she condemns the actions of Hamas on October 7 and believes in Israel’s right to defend itself. However, she also recognized that “innocent Palestinians have been killed.” Harris called for a two-state solution, release of Israeli hostages, and a ceasefire deal.

When asked about Israel’s war on Gaza, Trump stated that the war would have never started if he were president. He extended his statement to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that he would end the war in Ukraine if he is elected president. 

McDonough commented on the two candidate’s views on Israel and Palestine. “What also worries me, of course, is both candidates one-upping each other on how much they ‘love’ Israel, and will continue to send Israel weapons that have been proven to be dropped on civilian areas [and] in ‘safe zones.’” 

On September 10, Israel bombed tents sheltering displaced people in al-Mawasi, an Israel-designated ‘safe zone’ in southwestern Gaza. As of writing, Al Jazeera estimates that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks. 

Liam Cox — a third-year student from New York studying history and international relations — commented on the state of the elections, writing that “A Republican federal government is likely to have negative effects on American international prestige and power projection, climate change, safety, maneuverability, equality, etc.”

The final countdown

After the debate, the polls have not shifted much. According to ABC News polls, Harris is seen as the debate winner. As of writing, Harris is leading 48.1 per cent to Trump’s 45.4 per cent post-debate, according to Project FiveThirtyEight polling data. Although Harris called for another debate, Trump has stated that he won’t debate her again, claiming that he had won. 

While some have shown support for Harris, others have questioned how she defines herself. For Cunningham, Harris has “a less well-defined image in the minds of most voters, and that [image is] largely negative.” 

“In the September 10 debate, Harris had to do several things,” wrote Cunningham. “She had to provide voters who didn’t think they knew enough about her, and in many cases thought she was too liberal for their tastes, with a sense of who she is and reassure them that she is an acceptable alternative to Trump.”

“Even [Trump’s] most outrageous antics won’t fundamentally change the way most people view him, so the election is likely to remain very close,” wrote Cunningham.