The debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on September 10, 2024, marked a critical juncture in the upcoming presidential election. With the stakes high and early voting set to begin soon, both candidates sought to leverage the moment to appeal to key voter bases while addressing their respective vulnerabilities.
For Vice President Harris, this debate provided a rare opportunity to directly confront her opponent on a national stage. With only one major interview in the preceding weeks, the debate became a crucial platform to bolster her image as a capable leader and counter Trump’s narrative of her as unfit for the presidency. Harris positioned herself as the steady hand, promoting her prosecutorial instincts to “land punches” when necessary.
She emphasized her alignment with the Biden administration’s key achievements, particularly around reproductive rights and foreign policy, while distancing herself from more liberal positions she once held, such as on fracking and Medicare for all. Harris sought to portray her policy shifts as pragmatic responses to evolving political landscapes, asserting that her core values remained unchanged.
Despite these efforts, Harris faced a challenging task in navigating Trump’s critiques, particularly his focus on the economic struggles tied to inflation and immigration issues under the Biden administration. Trump framed Harris as a continuation of an unpopular administration, emphasizing economic discontent and a growing influx of migrants as central to his argument against her candidacy(Poynter).
Image Source: abcnews.go.com/
Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (R) shakes hands with former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during an ABC News presidential debate in Philadelphia, on Sept. 10, 2024.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
He aimed to appeal to undecided and conservative voters by painting Harris as overly liberal and disconnected from mainstream American values.
Trump’s strategy for the debate was to maintain his composure and stay on message, a departure from his often combative debate performances. His team acknowledged the importance of avoiding personal attacks, particularly those based on gender or race, and instead focusing on policy differences. He was coached to let Harris speak extensively, anticipating that lengthy responses would work against her by appearing unfocused or lacking in depth. Trump’s advisers hoped that this tactic would contrast his more direct style with what they described as Harris’s tendency for “word salads”.
One of the central themes of the debate was the issue of reproductive rights. Harris, who has been a vocal advocate for abortion access, leaned into this issue following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. She challenged Trump’s stance on abortion, including his support for Florida’s restrictive six-week abortion ban. Harris sought to connect with female voters by positioning herself as the defender of women’s rights, while casting Trump as inconsistent and unreliable on this critical issue.
Trump, the debate also represented a chance to reset his image after months of media portrayal as erratic and undisciplined. By maintaining focus on the economy and immigration, he aimed to tap into voter dissatisfaction with inflation, which, despite cooling, still lingers as a pain point for many Americans. Trump also revisited his campaign themes of law and order, national security, and preserving traditional values, appealing to his base by suggesting that a Harris presidency would weaken the nation both economically and culturally.
From a broader perspective, the debate reflected the increasingly polarized nature of American politics. Both candidates entered the debate with significant expectations from their respective parties. For Harris, the pressure was on to prove her capabilities, especially since she had been relatively quiet in recent weeks. As Democratic strategists noted, a strong performance could solidify support within her party and re-energize the base. Conversely, a weak showing could give Trump the momentum needed to shift the narrative in his favor(The Associated Press).
Trump, on the other hand, faced the challenge of living up to his reputation as a skilled debater without veering into personal attacks that could alienate moderate voters. His advisers were keenly aware that, with the first absentee ballots being sent out just hours after the debate, there was little room for error. A disciplined performance could reassure undecided voters and potentially sway the election in his favor, while any missteps could reinforce existing negative perceptions(POLITICO).
In the aftermath of the debate, the media will scrutinize both candidates’ performances, with early polls likely to reflect immediate reactions from viewers. For Harris, a victory in the debate would represent not just a personal win but a broader validation of the Biden administration’s policies. For Trump, a successful outing could energize his base and give him the boost needed to close the gap in what has been a tight race.
This debate underscored the high stakes of the 2024 election and set the stage for an intense final stretch of the campaign. Both Harris and Trump sought to present themselves as the more stable, capable leader, but the ultimate decision now rests with voters, many of whom will soon begin casting their ballots.
