Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off Sept. 10 for their first and possibly only debate before Election Day. Join PBS News' Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett as they a host post-debate discussion with White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López, Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins, Amy Walter, of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Republican strategist Kevin Madden and Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross. Image credit: PBS
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September 12, 2024
Ask students: How did the candidates attempt to connect with their supporters, independents and potential new voters? What seemed to be the strategies of the candidates according to the commentators?
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Directions: First, watch the video above for a recap on the debate. Then read the summary and watch clips below from the actual debate. Questions for students follow each series of video clips. If you would like to read a transcript of the recap, click here. You can also watch the entire debate here. For a fact check of the debate, click here.
Summary: The first (and possibly only) debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took place on Tuesday, September 10 in Philadelphia. In the debate, each candidate was given two minutes to respond to questions with their opponent's microphone muted. The debate covered immigration, economic policy, abortion and foreign policy, among other topics.
Review the following videos from select moments of the debate.
Harris said that she prosecuted transnational gangs and criminals who were in the country. She blamed Trump for killing a bipartisan immigration bill. Trump spent much of the debate tying Harris to a dramatic rise in migrants in the U.S., which he blamed for increases in crime and threats to the economy.
How important do you think immigration policy is to the outcome of this election?
Harris addressed her message on the economy to the middle class and suggested a policy focused on child tax credits, small business credits and housing. She criticized Donald Trump for focusing on tax breaks for the wealthiest and suggested his policy on tariffs that could raise costs. Donald Trump blamed Harris and President Joe Biden for dramatic inflation and suggested that immigration policies by the Biden administration would threaten the jobs of U.S. citizens.
What strategies did each candidate use in framing the debate around the economy?
Trump accused Harris and her running mate Tim Walz of supporting abortion even after the birth of children (this claim was challenged by the debate moderators and is not true). He also said that his appointment of Supreme Court justices has led to abortion laws being decided at the state level. Harris claimed Trump would sign a national law outlawing abortion and spoke out against women suffering medical emergencies because doctors were afraid to provide medical care that might be considered an abortion under some state laws.
Do you think abortion legislation should be left to the states, or should there be one national policy?
Harris accused Trump of claiming that climate change is a hoax. She also touted investment in a clean energy economy while boosting gas and oil production. Trump focused on trade deals and accused Harris and Biden of allowing China and other countries to gain an edge in manufacturing and energy and largely avoided the topic of the environment.
Why do you think environment and climate change wasn't addressed early or as often as topics like the economy and immigration?
Trump accused Harris and the Biden administration of being weak on the international stage and touted his support from Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. Harris also accused Trump of being weak and easily manipulated by dictators and strongmen. Harris pointed to her work strengthening alliances such as NATO while Trump claimed conflicts such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 wouldn't have happened under his administration.
What significant differences did you hear between foreign policy approaches between the two candidates?
This interactive resource allows students to delve into the history of presidential debates, critically analyze their significance, and brainstorm innovative ideas to modernize them for today's voters.
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