PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – What was billed as the first and only debate between the two major 2024 candidates began with a handshake, as Vice President Kamala Harris strode across the stage to greet former President Donald Trump.
A Cavalcade of Insults
From the get-go, Harris came out aggressive, intent on getting under Donald Trump's skin, and she didn't let up. In a cavalcade of insults, she included statements such as, “People start leaving his rallies early."
Referring to the 2020 election, she stated, "Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. So let's be clear about that. And clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that."
In a swipe at his role as commander-in-chief, she declared, "I have talked with military leaders, some of whom work with you, and they say you're a disgrace."
He tried to deflect some of that attack by saying he had fired many of those people for incompetence, and that's why they don't like him. But overall, her charges seemed to work as Trump appeared angry and frustrated for much of the debate.
Veering Off-Course
While the former president talked a lot about his signature issue of immigration, he also veered off-course, talking about a recent unverified story of Haitian immigrants in Ohio repeatedly eating dogs and other pets.
"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating, they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country."
An ABC News moderator tried to fact-check Trump, saying, ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there had been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individual..."
Trump rejoined, "But I've seen people on television."
Policies and 'Plans'
As for actual policy, Harris didn't offer much, including on the economy, which is the number one issue for voters.
"She doesn't have a plan," Trump insisted. "She copied Biden's plan. And it's like, four sentences like 'Run, Spot, Run' – four sentences that are just, 'Oh, we'll try and lower taxes.'"
The 45th president also pointed out her change in positions in 2020 to new, more moderate ones, such as emphasizing immigration enforcement.
"Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She's going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat," he joked.
Harris, though, pushed, especially when Trump tried to define her position on Israel. He said, "But when she mentions about Israel, all of a sudden she hates Israel. She wouldn't even meet with Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a very important speech. She refused to be there because she was at a sorority party of hers. She wanted to go to the sorority party. She hates Israel."
"That's absolutely not true," Harris replied. "I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people."
He also tried to paint Harris as a radical on the Second Amendment and fracking. "This is a radical left liberal that would do this," he asserted. "She wants to confiscate your guns, and she will never allow fracking in Pennsylvania if she won the election. Fracking in Pennsylvania will end on day one.”
Harris responded, "Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not taking anybody's guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff."
The vice president then sought to turn the tables and go on offense against Trump on abortion. She charged, "If Donald Trump were to be reelected, he will sign a national abortion ban. I understand in his 'Project 2025', there would be a national abortion, a monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages."
After the moderator thanked Harris for her comment, Trump responded, "There she goes again. It's a lie. I'm not signing a ban." When he tried to follow up with questions about her support for abortion in the 7th, 8th, and 9th months of pregnancy, Harris refused to answer and the moderators stepped in to change the subject.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly rejected "Project 2025" which is not associated with him or his campaign in any way, but Harris keeps claiming it's "his project."
In the Spin Room
Following the debate, Trump surrogates filled the spin room expressing major concern about a liberal slant of questions from the debate moderators, calling it a three-on-one ambush.
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy claimed, "It's my view that the moderators ruined this debate and prevented us from being to analyze what each candidate did and didn't do."
Harris' surrogates shot back. When we asked North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D-North Carolina) about the charge, he replied, "That's what losing campaigns say."
But don't tell that to the former president, who made a surprise stop to say he had his best debate ever, despite the moderators. "The moderators were very unfair," Trump said. "Basically it was three-on-one. I thought it was very unfair.”
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