Journalism of Courage
In a high-stakes debate held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off in their first and only televised debate ahead of the November election. (Reuters)
Inflation, abortion, immigration and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza were some of the issues that took centrestage in the debate moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. (AP)
The early pleasantries set the tone for the 90-minute exchange, with Harris baiting Trump with jabs over the economy during his presidency, while the latter retorted with jibes similar to his debate with Joe Biden. (AP)
The debate commenced with Harris taking the first question about whether the US economy is better now than it was four years ago. (AP)
Harris also condemned Trump’s tax policies for the wealthy and his imposition of tariffs. (Reuters)
Speaking on immigrants, Trump repeated the claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets, stating, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats.” (Reuters)
Harris was questioned about her shifting policy positions, including her stance on fracking and border security. She emphasised that she has not changed her position on this issue. (Reuters)
During the debate, Trump also defended his administration’s deal with the Taliban regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal, criticising the Biden administration’s execution of the plan. (Reuters)
Harris brought up Trump’s past comments about potentially “terminating” the US Constitution, quoting his 2022 statement on election fraud. (Reuters)
In his closing remarks, Trump questioned Harris’s effectiveness in implementing campaign promises and labelled the Biden-Harris administration as the “worst in history”.(Reuters)
Harris concluded by framing the upcoming election as a choice between a vision focused on the future versus one that seeks to revert to past policies. (AP)
