The first presidential debate between the US vice president, Kamala Harrisand the former Republican president, Donald Trump (2017-2021), it was also the first time they met in person.
These are the highlights of a night that could mark the November 5 elections, to which both candidates are virtually tied in the polls, especially in the seven decisive states.
«Hi, I’m Kamala»
One of the big questions before the event was whether Harris and Trump would shake hands.
Entering the room, Trump headed straight to his lectern, while Harris crossed the stage and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Kamala. Let’s have a good debate,” she said as they shook hands. “Nice to see you. Have fun,” Trump replied.
Nonverbal language
The debate was particularly heated, with the candidates repeatedly using non-verbal language to show their disapproval.
Harris, aware that television channels often show candidates on a split screen, took the opportunity to shake her head in disagreement when Trump spoke, to raise her eyebrows in surprise or to squint her eyes, pretending to try to follow the thread of his arguments.
Trump, for his part, flashed mocking smiles and, on occasion, could not contain himself, continuing his attacks even when the microphones had been muted, as the small group of reporters present in the room could see.
Venezuela on steroids
For Trump, if Harris wins the presidency, the United States will become “Venezuela on steroids”: “She is destroying the country,” he said, reinforcing his criticism of illegal immigration and border management.
The former president frequently accuses the Biden administration of opening the border to illegal immigrants and allowing countries like Venezuela to reduce their crime rate by “getting rid” of these people.
Harris’s skin color
Trump had previously questioned the origins of his Democratic rival. “Is she Indian or black?” he had asked. On Tuesday he tried to distance himself from the controversy: “I couldn’t care less what she is. Whatever she wants to be is fine with me,” he said, justifying his previous attacks on the fact that he had read that she was not black.
Harris, whose mother is Indian and whose father is Jamaican, called it a “tragedy” that a White House candidate would use race to “divide” Americans.
A string of Trump hoaxes
The former president could not help but repeat the lies he usually resorts to in order to warn the population about the Democrats and their administration: from allowing abortion at nine months of gestation and even the execution of newborn babies.
On Tuesday, he echoed another racist rhetoric spread by his side, accusing migrants of eating the dogs and cats of citizens living in border cities, something also denied by local authorities.
Trump’s obsession with crowd size
Trump often boasts about the number of people who attend his events. In 2017, he spent days obsessing over media coverage of his inauguration, falsely claiming that more people had attended than Barack Obama’s (2009-2021).
On Tuesday, he continued along those lines, saying that his rallies are “the biggest and most incredible in the history of politics,” while Harris managed to anger him by saying that citizens leave these meetings out of tiredness and boredom.
Harris, armada
Harris took the opportunity to make clear that both she and her running mate, Tim Walz, own firearms.
The statement could appeal to independent voters who fear Democrats will restrict gun ownership, a right protected by the U.S. Constitution.
When Trump accused her of wanting to confiscate Americans’ guns, Harris responded: “Tim Walz and I are gun owners; we’re not taking anyone’s guns away, so stop lying about this.”
In 2019, during her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Harris had already mentioned that she owned a gun for her personal safety.
Trump’s Wrath
US Vice President Kamala Harris provoked the ire of former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) during the debate on Tuesday by stating that people leave her rallies “out of exhaustion and boredom.”
Addressing the camera directly, Harris invited viewers to attend one of the former president’s rallies, saying it was “really interesting to watch.”
“At his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter, he mentions that wind turbines cause cancer, and what you’ll also notice is that people are starting to abandon them early, out of exhaustion and boredom,” he said.
“And I’ll tell you one thing you won’t hear: He won’t talk about you. He won’t talk about your needs, your dreams and your desires,” he stressed.
Harris said the American people deserve a leader who puts them first, and she vowed to be that president.
Trump, visibly angry, responded by saying: “People don’t go to his rallies. There’s no reason to go.” He also said that people don’t leave his rallies, which he described as “the biggest and most incredible in the history of politics.”
Just this Tuesday, Harris’ campaign released an ad featuring an excerpt from a recent speech by former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) in which he mocks Trump’s obsession with the “size of his crowds,” suggesting that the obsession has to do with his masculine attributes.
Trump, who often boasts about the size of his rallies at stadiums across the U.S., has had a long-standing obsession with crowd size.
During his inauguration in January 2017, he obsessed for days over media coverage of the event, falsely claiming that he had more attendees than Obama. EFE
#Harris #corners #Trump #tense #debate
