7 months ago
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US presidential debate: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have taken the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for their highly anticipated debate. This is the first time the two candidates have met in person.
As the debate commenced, Harris walked over to Trump’s podium to extend her hand, and the two engaged in a brief handshake.
With this symbolic gesture, the debate officially began, marking a significant moment in this election cycle.
This debate comes months after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the election on July 21 and endorsed Vice President Harris.
Here's who said what-
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris, facing scrutiny from the White House regarding the economy, emphasized her upbringing as a "middle class kid" and expressed her commitment to fostering an "opportunity economy." She strongly denounced President Trump's policies, arguing that they would lead to increased financial burdens for the American people. “I believe in the ambition, the aspiration, the dreams of the American people,” she said. She touted her plans to build an “opportunity economy,” including her proposals to make housing more affordable and expand the child tax credit.
Kamala Harris said their administration had to “clean up Donald Trump’s mess” after his four years in the White House.
She accused
Trump
of leaving the US with “the worst unemployment since the great depression,” “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War,” and “the worst public health epidemic in a century.”
Kamala Harris criticised Trump's stance on abortion rights, asserting that he should not dictate what a woman does with her body. She expressed her support for reinstating Roe v Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that had previously protected abortion rights nationwide.
Harris highlighted the consequences of the Trump abortion bans, which have been implemented in more than 20 states. These bans criminalize healthcare providers, such as doctors and nurses, for offering abortion services. In one state, the penalty for providing such care can result in life imprisonment. Shockingly, these bans make no exceptions, even in cases of rape or incest.
"Trump abortion bans that make no exception, even for rape and incest, which, understand what that means, a survivor of a crime of violation to their body does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body," Harris said.
She further condemned the bans as immoral, stating that one does not need to compromise their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government, and especially Donald Trump, should not have the authority to control a woman's bodily autonomy.
"Next, that is immoral, and one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body," Harris asserted. She pledged to sign legislation that would restore the protections provided by Roe v Wade, should Congress approve such a measure.
Reacting on Trump's comments on Capitol attack, the vice president said, "I was at the Capitol on January 6. The President of the US incited a violent mob to attract our nation's capital, to desecrate our nation's capital."
Donald Trump
Former President Trump refuted Vice President Kamala Harris's assertion that he intends to impose a "sales tax" on everyday items, labeling her claim as an "incorrect statement."
Trump clarified, "She knows that we're doing tariffs on other countries. Other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we've done for the world."
He further elaborated, "And the tariff will be substantial in some cases. I took in billions and billions of dollars, as you know, from China. In fact, they never took the tariff off because it was so much money."
Trump has expressed his stance on abortion, stating in an April video on his Truth Social platform that "states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land." This position aligns with the recently updated Republican National Committee platform.
Notably, the platform does not include any mention of a nationwide ban on abortion, a policy that certain social conservative factions had hoped to see incorporated. However, Trump has openly declared his opposition to such a ban at the federal level, instead favoring leaving the decision to individual states.
Donald Trump called Kamala Harris a “Marxist” and said that her father was also a Marxist professor. It is pertinent to mention that he was a retired Stanford University economist.
“If she ever got elected, she’d change it. And it will be the end of our country. She’s a Marxist; everybody knows she’s a Marxist. Her father is a Marxist professor in economics, and he taught her well,” Trump said.
On being asked about being regretful about the January 6 riots, Trump said that he offered to give soldiers to then White House speaker Nancy Pelosi to fight against the rioters but she refused to accept it.
"I have nothing to do with that other than that they asked me to make a speech. Nancy Pelosi is fully responsible for that."
Fact check: Trump's economy
The former president claimed that the US experienced its "best" economy under his leadership. On the other hand, Kamala Harris pointed out that Trump's tenure ended with "the worst unemployment since the great depression".
Both statements are inaccurate, although Trump's claim is further from the truth than Harris's. While unemployment rates did reach levels not seen since the Great Depression immediately following the pandemic, they had recovered to some extent by the end of Trump's term.
According to data compiled by FactCheck.org, the economy lost 2.7 million jobs during Trump's presidency, and the unemployment rate rose by 1.7 percentage points to 6.4%. However, average weekly earnings for workers increased by 8.4% after adjusting for inflation. Corporate profits and the stock market also saw gains, with the S&P 500 index rising by 67.8%.
Despite Trump's promises to reduce the international trade deficit, it actually increased by 36.3% from 2016 levels, reaching its highest point since 2008. The number of uninsured individuals grew by 3 million, and the federal debt held by the public increased from $14.4 trillion to $21.6 trillion. On a positive note, home prices rose by 27.5%, and the homeownership rate increased by 2.1 percentage points to 65.8%.
English (US)