Trump vs. Harris on the issues

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris defended their records and policies to the country on Tuesday night amid a race for the presidency that’s too close to call. The two met in a televised debate hosted by ABC News from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

Going into the debate, Trump barely led Harris in a national poll with 48 percent support according to polling released Tuesday by The New York Times in partnership with Siena College. Trump, now the presidential candidate with the most debate appearances in U.S. history, reiterated a platform centered on securing the southern border, ending the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars, and strengthening the U.S. economy. Harris, who has only appeared in one televised interview since she announced her candidacy, mainly focused on creating what she called an “Opportunity Economy” and ending protections for unborn life.

Here is what the candidates had to say on issues of national importance.

Economy

While annual inflation remains above the Federal Reserve target rate of 2 percent, a slowdown in price increases and a relatively strong job market have quelled fears of a protracted recession. The August jobs report from the Department of Labor came in lower than expected at 142,000 positions added, bringing unemployment down to 4.2 percent nationally. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in over two years later this month, signaling a long-awaited reversal.

Harris vowed to create an economy based on expanded opportunities for the middle class. She promised to make housing more affordable and increase the child tax credit for expecting families. She also pledged to help small business startups by offering them a $50,000 tax deduction.

“Donald Trump has no plan for you,” she said. “I am offering what I have described as an ‘opportunity economy.’”

Trump made a similar claim about Harris, arguing that she had no economic plan other than four sentences she copied from the Biden administration’s platform. Pointing to high inflation rates during the Biden administration, Trump promised to create a vibrant economy through tax cuts. He also characterized any job growth during the Biden administration as “bounce-back” jobs that rebounded after businesses reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic. He went on to criticize Harris for shifting her position on fracking.

Immigration

Republican criticisms of the handling of the U.S. southern border have plagued the Biden administration since its start—a criticism that Trump now aims directly at Harris. At the height of the volume of illegal border crossings in May, the House Committee on Homeland Security noted that Customs and Border Protection encounters had climbed 1,240 percent since April 2021. By contrast, Democrats have heavily criticized Trump for torpedoing bipartisan legislation that would have implemented asylum and border reform earlier this year.

During the debate, Trump accused the Biden administration of willfully allowing millions of illegal immigrants to pour across the border. He said those immigrants would steal jobs from American minorities. He cited Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colo., as cities overrun by migrants and criticized the Biden administration for not holding U.S. officials accountable.

“They have done such a poor job, and they never fire anyone,” Trump said. He went on to accuse illegal immigrants of “destroying the fabric of our country.”

Harris pointed out her record as a former California attorney general who prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for human, drug, and weapons smuggling.

Abortion

Coming into Tuesday’s debate, former president Donald Trump had reversed his earlier support for a federal pro-life law. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, he says he supports a states-based approach, leaving it up to individual legislatures to craft policies for their residents. Harris has touted her opposition to pro-life laws as in swing states such as North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona, and she has called for returning Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.

During the debate, Trump pointed out Harris and Democrats’ extreme positions, saying they would allow abortion until the ninth month of pregnancy. He said he would not sign a federal law protecting babies from abortion because the issue has “returned to the states” since the end of Roe v. Wade. “We’ve gotten what everybody wanted,” he said. He added that he supports legal protections for unborn children with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Harris blamed Trump for the actions of doctors who deny women miscarriage care in states with strict pro-life laws. She declined to say whether she thinks the government should restrict abortion in the last trimester of pregnancy.

Overseas conflicts

Trump promised to negotiate a quick end to the war in Ukraine, which he said never would have started if he had been president. He declined to say whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war, and he criticized European countries for not providing more aid to Ukraine. Harris countered that U.S. weapons and assistance were the reason Russia had not already taken over Ukraine.

The candidates both promised continued support for Israel and said it has a right to defend itself against Hamas. Trump criticized Democrats who oppose Israel, and Harris responded that Israel must win the conflict. She called for a two-state solution to the larger conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

Jan. 6 and Trump’s ongoing court cases

During the debate, Trump was asked if he had any regrets about the events of Jan. 6, 2021. He denied any responsibility for the U.S. Capitol riot, saying that all he did was “make a speech.” He said any violence that occurred that day was committed by others, not him. He pointed out that the only participant who died on Jan. 6 was Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter. He also faulted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington, D.C., for failing to call out the National Guard.

Harris said she was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and accused Trump of inciting an angry mob. She pointed out that Trump has since been indicted and impeached in connection with the events of that day. She compared the events of Jan. 6 to violent clashes at a 2019 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., when Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides.”

Trump countered that that story has since been debunked by conservative hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. He also accused the Biden administration of targeting him with politically motivated prosecutions.

Fitness for office

The candidates made multiple broad-brush attacks, accusing each other of lawlessness, incompetence, and being a threat to democracy. Trump said that Harris had adopted many of his policy positions, saying, “I was going to send her a MAGA hat.” But he followed up by claiming that Harris is actually a Marxist. He also said of President Joe Biden, “He hates her. He can’t stand her.”

Harris accused Trump of confusing truth and lies. She urged viewers to attend one of Trump’s rallies, saying that people leave them early out of exhaustion and boredom. She pointed to a recent Supreme Court decision about presidential immunity and said, “Understand what it would mean if Donald Trump were back in the White House with no guardrails.”

For more coverage of the debates and the latest news on the 2024 elections, visit WORLD’s Election Center.