Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met for his or her first debate on Tuesday night time.
The high-stakes face-off, happening on the Nationwide Structure Middle in Philadelphia, could be the two candidates’ solely debate of the election — they haven’t but agreed to satisfy for a second time.
Listed below are the most important takeaways from the talk to this point.
Kamala Harris made some extent to shake palms with Trump
For the primary time since 2016, the 2 presidential candidates shook palms on the talk stage.
It was Harris who made the primary transfer, crossing the stage towards Trump to greet him on the exterior of the talk.
“Kamala Harris, good to debate with you,” the vice chairman could possibly be heard saying.
Harris usually sneered at Trump as he spoke
Regardless of the Harris marketing campaign’s finest efforts, every candidate’s microphone remained muted whereas the opposite was talking. However that does not imply that the Vice President did not talk with viewers as Trump spoke.
Actually, Harris may usually be seen on the split-screen staring over towards Trump with a bewildered look, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head at instances. When Trump dubbed her a Marxist, she even appeared to snigger, putting her hand on her chin.
That is a alternative, given the performative elements of a high-stakes presidential debate. Harris is betting that displaying energetic disdain for Trump will play properly with viewers.
Harris efficiently baited Trump over his rallies
Roughly 25 minutes into the talk, Harris mentioned one thing uncommon: she urged viewers to attend one among Trump’s rallies, noting that he usually speaks of fictional characters whereas claiming that attendees usually go away early. That visibly angered Trump.
“Folks do not go to her rallies, there is no cause to go,” Trump mentioned, claiming that Harris pays folks to attend her rallies. “Folks do not go away my rallies.”
From that second on, Trump’s tone took a noticeable flip, with extra frequent yelling and hyperbole.
Trump refused to say whether or not he would veto a nationwide abortion ban
One of the crucial intense exchanges of the talk was over abortion, when Harris delivered intense remarks on the results of state-level abortion bans.
Trump insisted that he wouldn’t signal a nationwide abortion ban, saying that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was ample. However when Trump was pressed on whether or not he would veto such a ban, he repeatedly declined to say, regardless of Sen. JD Vance declaring he would achieve this in a current interview.