Full Debate: Harris vs. Trump in 2024 Presidential Debate | WSJ
11 Sep 2024 (7 days ago)
The First Presidential Debate
- This was the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and their first face-to-face meeting.
- The candidates were essentially tied in the polls nationally and in key battleground states.
Debate Format
- The debate was 90 minutes long with two commercial breaks, and no topics or questions were shared with the campaigns beforehand.
Economic Policies
- The cost of living has increased significantly in recent years, impacting the middle class and those in higher income brackets.
- Donald Trump claims to have created one of the strongest economies in U.S. history during his presidency and plans to repeat this success if re-elected.
- Kamala Harris asserts that Donald Trump's economic plan lacks substance and is more focused on self-preservation than on serving the American people.
- Tariffs imposed on China brought in billions of dollars and resulted in China, not American families, paying higher prices.
- The Trump administration is being blamed for high inflation, a trade deficit, and selling American chips to China to help advance their military.
Abortion
- Donald Trump supports a six-week abortion ban in Florida because he believes abortion should not be legal in the ninth month of pregnancy.
- For 52 years, there have been attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade, and through the efforts of six Supreme Court Justices, it was achieved.
- Donald Trump selected three members of the Supreme Court with the intention of overturning Roe v. Wade, and as a result, over 20 states have enacted abortion bans.
- If re-elected, Donald Trump would sign a national abortion ban, as indicated by his Project 2025, which includes a national abortion monitor to track pregnancies and miscarriages.
Border Security
- Donald Trump is accused of calling members of Congress and telling them to vote against a bipartisan border security bill that Kamala Harris supported.
- The border security bill that was killed would have added 1,500 border patrol agents, given resources to prosecute transnational criminal organizations, and helped stem the flow of fentanyl into the country.
- Kamala Harris claims she is the only person on stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations.
Immigration
- The speaker claimed to have the biggest rallies in the history of politics because people want to make America great again.
- The speaker alleged that people in Springfield are eating dogs and cats due to the influx of immigrants.
Afghanistan
- The speaker stated that they fired many people who did a bad job, unlike others who didn't fire anyone related to the situation in Afghanistan.
Crime
- Crime is up in the United States, contrary to fraudulent statements made by the FBI, and a new form of crime called "migrant crime" is on the rise.
Criminal Cases Against Trump
- Former President Donald Trump believes that the multiple criminal cases against him are politically motivated and amount to a weaponization of the Justice Department.
Fracking
- Vice President Kamala Harris states that she has not changed her stance on fracking and that she supports it, highlighting her tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act as evidence.
- Trump states that he was not given $400 million, but a small fraction of that amount from his father.
- Trump claims that Harris has been against fracking for 12 years and against defunding the police.
- Trump says that if Harris is elected, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on day one.
January 6th
- Donald Trump claims he requested 10,000 National Guard troops or soldiers for security on January 6th, but Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington D.C. rejected his request.
- Kamala Harris states she was present at the Capitol on January 6th as the Vice President-elect, acting Senator, and that the President of the United States incited a violent mob to attack the nation's capital.
2020 Election
- Donald Trump denies acknowledging his 2020 election loss, stating his words were meant sarcastically and maintains that he received the most votes of any sitting president.
- The speaker claims that there were issues with the elections in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
- The speaker states that Donald Trump believes he won the 2020 election.
- Kamala Harris asserts that world leaders laughed at Donald Trump and military leaders considered him a disgrace.
International Relations
- Hamas, a terrorist organization, killed 1,200 Israelis, many of whom were young people attending a concert.
- Many innocent Palestinians, including children and mothers, have been killed.
- Former President Trump stated that if he were president, Russia would have never invaded Ukraine.
- The Biden Administration believes defending Ukraine from Russia is in America's best interest.
- Donald Trump claims he could end the war in Ukraine before becoming president if he wins the election.
- Kamala Harris believes that Donald Trump would have let Russia take Ukraine if he were president.
- Donald Trump believes Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he was still president and that Putin is emboldened because the Biden administration is weak.
- Trump claims Kamala Harris met with Putin to negotiate peace in Ukraine and that three days later, Russia invaded.
- Kamala Harris denies ever meeting with Putin.
- Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, told Trump that he got NATO allies to pay more for defense by threatening to withdraw protection.
Afghanistan Withdrawal
- Harris states that she agreed with Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and that it saved taxpayer money and ended American military presence in active combat zones.
- Harris claims Trump negotiated a weak deal with the Taliban that freed 5,000 Taliban terrorists and involved inviting them to Camp David.
- Donald Trump engaged with the Taliban because they were responsible for killing American soldiers. He claims to have reached an agreement with the head of the Taliban, Abdul, to stop the killings for 18 months.
- Trump criticizes the withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it the "most embarrassing moment in the history of our country" and blames it for Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Race and Division
- Kamala Harris criticizes Trump for his history of using race to divide the American people, citing examples such as his refusal to rent to Black families, his call for the execution of the Central Park Five, and his spreading of birther lies about Barack Obama.
Small Businesses
Healthcare
- Donald Trump states that he is working on a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act that would cost less money.
- Donald Trump stated that he would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, but he did not do so.
- Kamala Harris states that Donald Trump disparaged the late John McCain, calling him an American hero.
Manufacturing Jobs
- The Biden administration increased domestic gas production to record levels and created over 800,000 manufacturing jobs.
- Donald Trump claims that 10,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in the past month and that large auto plants are being built in Mexico, often owned by Chinese companies.
Future Plans
- Kamala Harris states that she intends to create an "opportunity economy" by investing in small businesses, new families, senior protection, and bringing down the cost of living. She also plans to sustain America's global standing, ensure respect for the military, and protect fundamental rights and freedoms.
- Donald Trump claims that Kamala Harris has not addressed issues such as border control or job creation during her time in office. He criticizes her stance on fracking and fossil fuels, arguing that these policies weaken the country.
Concerns About the Future
- Donald Trump criticizes the current state of the United States, stating that the nation is in decline and is viewed as a source of amusement globally. He expresses concern about ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, and the potential for a third world war.