PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kamala Harris and Donald Trump showcased starkly different visions for the country on abortion, immigration and American democracy as they met for the first time Tuesday for perhaps their only debate before November’s presidential election.
The Democratic vice president moved to get under the skin of the former Republican president, provoking him with reminders about the 2020 election loss that he still denies and delivering derisive asides at his other false claims. Harris’ needling prompted Trump to launch into the sort of freewheeling personal attacks and digressions that his advisers and supporters have tried to steer him away from.
The high-pressure matchup after a tumultuous campaign summer offered Americans their most expansive look at a campaign that’s been dramatically changed just hours before the first early presidential ballots will be distributed.
The vice president moved to far more effectively press the Democratic case against Trump than President Joe Biden did in June, presaging a more contentious and competitive race now that Harris is the one taking on Trump.
The pair outlined sharply opposite visions of where the nation is and where they intend to take it if elected. Harris promised tax cuts aimed at the middle class and said she would push to restore a federally guaranteed right to abortion overturned by the Supreme Court two years ago. Trump said his proposed tariffs would help the U.S. stop being cheated by allies on trade and said he would work to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine war, even if it meant Ukraine didn’t achieve victory on the battlefield.
Harris at times shook her head derisively as Trump spoke, occasionally staring at him with a hand on her chin, while Trump seemed to avoid looking toward the Democrat. Trump hewed closely to his rally talking points and the familiar attacks that have proven popular with his Republican base but his advisers worry don’t appeal to a broader cross section of voters.
In one moment, Harris turned to Trump and said that as vice president, she had spoken to foreign leaders, “And they say you’re a disgrace.”
Trump again denied his
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