In the context of their televised confrontation, Trump finds himself under attack by Harris.
At the initiation of the skirmish in Philadelphia, Harris took the lead and shocked Trump by marching towards him and offering a handshake. She managed to stay in charge throughout, as indicated by a preliminary poll: A CNN poll conducted post-debate showed that 63% of registered voters believed Harris outperformed Trump, with only 37% considering him the victor.
During the debate, Harris aimed to instill a message of unity in a post-divided nation. However, Trump painted a grim picture of the USA's decline and labeled it as a "broken state." He continued to label Harris as a "radical communist" and attributed multiple failures to her and the Biden administration, specifically in economic policy and migration. Furthermore, he accused his Democratic adversary of repetitive deceit.
Harris, showing an appropriate blend of poise and amusement in response to Trump's comments, asserted that the USA had experienced "record-breaking unemployment" during Trump's tenure (2017-2021) and that he was responsible for "the most significant assault on our democracy since the Civil War."
Both candidates engaged in fierce attacks on the topic of abortion. Harris accused Trump of spreading misinformation. In foreign policy, she accused Trump of aligning with ruthless leaders such as Russian President Putin, who she believed would exploit Trump due to his vulnerability to flattery and favors.
Trump retaliated by criticizing Harris's stance on the Gaza Strip conflict, claiming that if she won the presidency, Israel would cease to exist within two weeks.
Throughout the skirmish, Trump refused to concede his 2020 defeat. He also resurfaced the unsubstantiated allegation made by some Republican representatives in recent days, accusing Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of consuming cats and pets. When reminded by the ABC debate moderators that the city's officials had already discredited this claim, Trump retorted by stating that "TV personalities" had propagated this.
This marked the inaugural TV confrontation between Trump and Harris. Straight after the skirmish concluded, the Harris camp challenged the 78-year-old Republican to a second skirmish, but neither side has agreed on a follow-up date yet.
Trump swiftly sought to reinforce his take on the skirmish in the press room of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia only minutes after the skirmish ended, highlighting it as his "finest performance" and reiterating the country's decline. He also accused the two ABC moderators of bias on his Truth Social platform, writing, "It was a three-versus-one situation."
Shortly following the skirmish, renowned pop star Taylor Swift made headlines. She announced on Instagram that she would vote for Harris in the November 5 election, expressing her conviction that the country could progress further with calm leadership, rather than chaos.
In response to Trump's accusations during the debate, Harris firmly stated, "Despite your claims, Mr. Trump, you were the one who oversaw record-breaking unemployment during your presidency." Later, reacting to Trump's threat towards Israel's existence, Harris asserted, "Trump's comments about Israel are baseless and demonstrate a clear misunderstanding of international politics and diplomacy."
