Former President Donald Trump's performance during the most recent presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris has sparked significant reactions, both from the public and notable political figures. This debate, held on September 10, 2024, at ABC News' studio, was marked by dramatic moments, including Trump's shocking claim about Haitian immigrants allegedly eating pets, which has been widely criticized and mocked on social media.
Trump accused Harris of supporting policies allowing "transgender operations on illegal aliens" held in custody, referencing past statements from the vice president on gender-affirming healthcare. He pointed to Harris's prior support for providing medical necessities, including surgical transition, to federal detainees, which was documented during her 2019 questionnaire for the ACLU. Harris articulated her belief then: "I support policies ensuring federal prisoners and detainees obtain medically necessary care for gender transition, including surgical care, this remains their right even when incarcerated."
The heated exchange drew attention to the growing rift over policies related to immigration and healthcare for transgender individuals, with Trump's supporters rallying behind the notion of curtailing such healthcare opportunities for undocumented immigrants.
Harris, during the debate, engaged Trump directly, challenging his assertions about immigration and domestic policies. "Donald, the only thing you're 'spreading' is misinformation and hatred. Let’s stick to facts, not fearmongering," Harris declared, positioning herself firmly against Trump's inflammatory remarks.
Republican leaders, reacting to Trump's debate performance, found themselves divided. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu openly criticized Trump for not agreeing to engage with Harris again, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating rapport with voters amid the current political climate. Sununu argued, "If you’re really serious about winning, grab hold of every opportunity to be visible and clear the air about your stances. You want to be compassionate, relevant—the voters expect this from you."
Meanwhile, others such as Senate Republican Whip John Thune expressed similar sentiments, noting, “It would be helpful for Trump to agree to another debate. To discuss the policies head-on.” Several GOP leaders feel Trump did not focus enough on clearly differentiable policy issues like economy and immigration during the first debate. Thune argued, “The public needs clarity about where each candidate stands. This is particularly key now, as we're all grappling with issues more pressing than ever.”
Despite the mixed reviews from his own party, Trump maintained confidence, asserting on his Truth Social account, “Up 6 points in the Rasmussen Poll. I WON THE DEBATE! A nice lead over the Marxist Candidate, Comrade Kamala Harris, who had struggled during the debate.” Trump's stubbornness about his performance contrasts sharply with the findings of several polls, which show him as losing ground. A CNN poll indicated Harris triumphing over Trump by 63% to 37%, with voters praising her poise and constructive challenge of Trump's claims throughout the event.
Adding to the intrigue, public opinion polls post-debate revealed troubling ratings for Trump's bizarre remarks about immigrants. A majority of Republicans found his statement about Haitians "easting the pets" to be odd, with polling indicating it was viewed negatively across the political spectrum—44% of GOP participants labeled it "very weird". Hailing from conspiracy-ridden social media circles, these unwarranted claims were disproved by local Springfield officials who affirmed no connections between immigrants and pet violence. This disapproval hasn't dissuaded Trump, who continued to lean on these narratives during campaign events.
While the debate spotlighted contrasting narratives from the candidates, it amplified the contentious discourse around immigration and social services. Interestingly, Harris touted consequential policy changes, calling Trump's claims baseless and reflective of broader misinformation campaigns attempting to exploit voter fears. “We will not allow falsehoods to dictate the conversation anymore. This election is bigger than any one individual’s campaign antics,” she insisted during her closing remarks.
Still, Harris immediately extended another debate invitation to the former president, but Trump flatly rejected the idea. His communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed it saying, “President Trump dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage. He’s not going to sully his victory by giving her another chance.”
Poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight showed Harris leading Trump with nearly 57% of viewers believing she performed significantly well on debate night. Still, the rift within the GOP signifies mixed support as Trump's loyalists continue to push his narrative, undeterred by polling backs against their favored candidate.
The post-debate discussions raise interesting questions leading to the election. How will Trump's antics and rhetoric impact his chances against the Harris campaign? Will Republican undercurrents continue to question his approach or rally behind him regardless?
One thing remains sure: there's no shortage of drama leading up to the November elections, where both candidates aim to solidify their bases and sway the undecided voters by appealing to relevance and actionable policy stances.
Christian Casale and Rachel Dobkin contributed to this report. Harris' policies on immigration and healthcare remain key focus areas as the campaign intensifies, aimed at shaping narratives and influencing voter opinion.
