Final Showdown? Trump And Harris Face Off In Intense Debate, Just Eight Weeks Before Election Day

On Tuesday, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris engaged in their first and potentially only debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. 

On Oct. 1, vice-presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz will participate in their only debate.

Moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, anchors of ABC World News Tonight, the debate lasted 90 minutes and featured two commercial breaks. No audience was present in the room.

This debate is crucial as it came just eight weeks before the presidential election on Nov. 5, 2024. This wasn't the first debate for Trump as he had previously sparred with Joe Biden in June, just weeks before the incumbent president withdrew from the race.

Ahead of the debate, Harris held a steady three-point lead in head-to-head polls in a key national Morning Consult survey.

She has consistently led Trump in the weekly head-to-head poll, maintaining her advantage since the poll updates began following Biden’s decision to step down.

Eight-Year Streak Of No Handshake Ends

The debate started with Harris and Trump shaking hands as the Vice President introduced herself. This is the first time the two candidates met.

This ended the eigh-year drought of no handshakes – which is not a rule. The long-standing custom broke in 2016 when Trump decided to not shake hands with Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the beginning of their debate. In 2020, he again refused to shake hands with Biden.

See Also: Mark Cuban Says Kamala Harris Is Simply Doing What Trump Did In 2016: ‘It's Her Party. She Gets To Set The Rules'

Economy And Cost Of Living Debated At The Outset

The first question was directed to Vice President Harris about whether she believed U.S. citizens are in a better position today than four years ago. In response, Harris acknowledged her middle-class background. 

She said she believes in the "aspirations" of the American people and underscored her plans to build an inclusive economy. Harris also talked about her tax cuts for young families and her passion for small businesses. "I love our small businesses."

The Vice President then targeted Trump saying the Republican candidate plans to do what he has done before. He will give tax cuts to billionaires. Economists have said that the "Trump Sales Tax" will result in middle-class families paying $4,000 more in taxes.

Trump rebutted any plans for "Trump Sales Tax." He said other countries would end up paying through tariffs. He said he had made China pay billions of dollars.

"Inflation is known as a country buster." He said the current bout of inflation has been one of the highest. 

The ex-president then mentioned the topic of illegal immigration. He said these illegal migrants were taking away jobs from Americans.

"They are taking over towns, they are taking over buildings." These are the people that she and Biden let into the country.

Trump asserted, "I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country."

In response, Harris said that the former president left them the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. "What we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess," Harris said.

Photo via Shutterstock

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