7 Key Takeaways From High-Stakes Debate Between Trump, Harris

It was in 2019 when Vice President Kamala Harris told her Democratic primary challengers at the time that her party needed a candidate “who has the ability to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump” during a debate when she first ran for president.  Harris, who easily secured the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden’s exit, did just that during her debate with Trump, political analysts say. There were some firsts Tuesday evening in Philadelphia: the first time Harris and Trump had faced each other in an in-person debate and the first time they had even been in the same room. When she first entered the stage, Harris seemed to catch Trump off guard when she walked over to his lectern to shake his hand and introduce herself. “Kamala Harris,” she said. Trump responded by saying, “have fun.” The two battled over the economy, abortion, inflation, immigration, and Project 2025. They often went off subject, criticizing each other about their campaign rallies, various policies, and more. At one point, the Republican candidate even spread baseless claims of immigrants eating people’s pets in Ohio. They both laid out their respective visions on running the country — with some interruptions, even though...