Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris positioned herself as the leader of a new generation, reminding her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, that his contest was with her, not President Joe Biden.
“It’s important to remind the former president that you’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me,” Harris remarked during the heated ABC debate, as Trump focused much of his criticism on Biden.
The Republican attacks have largely centered on the unpopular president, who exited the race midway following a poor debate performance against Trump in July. In today’s debate, Trump stuck to a familiar strategy, attempting to target Harris by redirecting criticism aimed at Biden.
The debate started with a formal handshake as Trump and Harris met face-to-face for the first time, but tensions quickly escalated. Trump labeled Biden as the worst president in U.S. history and called Harris the worst vice president, even going so far as to claim that Harris “hates” Biden and is trying to distance herself from him.
In contrast, Harris sought to project confidence, aiming to counter the lukewarm response to the Trump-Biden rematch.
“I’m clearly not Joe Biden, and I’m certainly not Donald Trump. What I bring is a new generation of leadership for this country, one that believes in what’s possible and offers a sense of optimism about what we can achieve, instead of always criticizing the American people,” Harris said.
Trump shifted his focus to the Russia-Ukraine war, promising to end the conflict if elected but avoiding a direct answer on whether Ukraine should win. Harris countered by accusing Trump of being willing to “surrender” Ukraine to Russia, while calling Vladimir Putin “a dictator who would eat you [Trump] for lunch.”
On the Middle East crisis, Harris expressed support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Trump claimed that Democrats hate Israel but did not provide a specific plan for how he would address the ongoing conflict if elected.
Trump also referred to Harris as a “Marxist,” a comment the Vice President dismissed with a laugh.
The 2024 election, originally expected to be a rematch of 2020, took a turn when President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election, passing the torch to Harris. If victorious in November, Harris would become the first female president of the U.S.
While Trump initially led in national polls, Harris’ entry shifted the dynamics. Recent surveys show the race is close, with Harris holding a slight edge over her Republican opponent.
