Democratic lawmakers and politicians praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her performance in the debate against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night.
“America saw tonight the leader I was proud to serve alongside for three and a half years. I wasn’t even close. Vice President Harris has proven she is the best choice to lead our nation forward. We will not turn back,” President Biden said on X early Wednesday morning after the debate ended.
“Well that was a knockout blow. I can’t wait to see how Republicans try to spin this,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X in another message supportive of Harris.
Trump and Harris debated together for the first time since the start of the election cycle Tuesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The two discussed key issues on voters’ minds, including the economy, immigration and abortion.
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Screenshot: Fox News simulcast of ABC News presidential debate (Screenshot: Fox News simulcast of the presidential debate on ABC News)
Harris’ Democratic allies in Congress, as well as Democratic pundits, praised Harris for the way she “destroyed” Trump’s career, and said voters witnessed a “serious leader who will work day in and day out” for the American people.
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Harris’ campaign also released a statement Tuesday night, saying with a smile that “Harris has commanded the stage on every issue that matters to the American people.”
“In the spotlight, the American people saw the choice they will face at the ballot box this fall: move forward with Kamala Harris or move backward with Trump. That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see in a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?” Harris’ campaign posted.
Trump and Harris clashed Tuesday night over key issues that matter to voters, including abortion, when Harris said Trump’s agenda would enact a national abortion ban that would allow no exceptions to the procedure.
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“Today, in more than 20 states, Trump has banned abortion, making it a felony for a doctor or nurse to provide health care in a state. That means life in prison. Trump bans abortion without exception, even in cases of rape or incest, and he understands what that means,” Harris said Tuesday night from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Trump and Harris go into Tuesday’s debate seeking the same goal, a moment that will help them gain an edge in a race that polls show is essentially tied. Photographer: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
“A victim of a crime of violation of her body does not have the right to decide what happens to her body. It is immoral, and it is not necessary to abandon one’s faith or deeply held beliefs to admit that the government and Donald Trump should certainly not tell a woman what to do with her body.”
Moments earlier, however, Trump had said he believed in exceptions for abortion, like former President Reagan.
“I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother,” Trump said during the debate. “I believe in them strongly. Ronald Reagan believed in them. 85 percent of Republicans know that exceptions are very important.”
Trump and Harris also traded barbs over the issue of crime in the United States, with Harris defending accusations that migrant crime has increased under her watch by citing Trump’s legal troubles.
“Yes, it’s much higher because of them,” Trump said during the debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, discussing crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the United States, some of whom entered the country under Biden’s watch.
“They let in criminals, millions of criminals,” Trump continued. “They let in terrorists, they let in street criminals, they let in drug traffickers. And now in the United States, countries like Venezuela are telling us never to come back or we will kill you. Do you know that crime in Venezuela and around the world is down?”
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former U.S. President Donald Trump during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Trump and Harris go into Tuesday’s debate seeking the same goal, a moment that will help them gain an edge in a race that polls show is essentially tied. Photographer: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
Harris responded by citing the criminal convictions and pending indictments against Trump.
“I think that’s very strong coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference and has been convicted of sexual assault,” Harris said.
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“His next major court appearance will be in November, at his own criminal sentencing. And let’s be clear about where we stand on the issue of what’s important when it comes to respect for the rule of law and respect for law enforcement.”
After the debate, Harris’ campaign called for a second debate in October. Trump had repeatedly called for additional debates against Harris, after holding only one other presidential debate in June against President Biden.
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“That was fun. Let’s do it again,” Harris adviser Brian Fallon said on X moments after the debate ended.
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