Voters think that Vice President Kamala Harris won the second Presidential Debate of 2024 against former President Donald Trump, their first time meeting. After the Biden-Trump Debate, Harris’ need to present her policy positions and herself as presidential, became crucial. On Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center, ABC hosts David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated and began the debate in swing-state Pennsylvania. Harris presented the Democrats’ plans, progressive values, and a strong image of a leader in contrast to Trump’s rambling and lies.

According to a CNN poll, one day after the candidate showdown, a majority of viewers (63%) think Harris outperformed opponent Trump (37%), showing a wide margin from pre-debate figures.

Five reflections from the debate:

1. Harris says “I have a plan.” Trump says “I have concepts of a plan.”

Off the bat, Harris jumped into policy points and platforms, dispelling critiques from opponents against her of having no substance. She delivered. From her “opportunity economy” tax breaks for small businesses and parents and a first-time home-buyer credit; to her success this administration on making healthcare more affordable; to the climate wins from the Inflation Reduction Act — she told viewers what she would do in office, focusing on a new way forward. Read more on her policy points here.

Trump, however, came empty-handed. He again spouted lies about the 2020 election, abortion, immigration, and the Biden-Harris record. Although he didn’t offer much to his vision for a second presidency onward, he did say he has “concepts of a plan.” If you want to know more about that, please review the Progress Texas blog, “Project 2025 vs Progress 2025,” to see what would happen if Trump is elected back into office. Also, elected officials work for us. Good luck using that “concepts of a plan” line with your employer!

Business Insider, screenshot via ABC News
 

2. Moving on from election lies

Speaking of his election, Trump still denies involvement with the insurrection chaos and deadly violence at the Capitol on January 6, or “J6” as he referred to it. Donald Trump reflected on the 2020 election aftermath, saying he was only fired “by a whisker,” to which Harris retorted that “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people… and clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that.”

3. Protecting abortion nationwide

This topic was discussed at length and can be reduced down to this: Harris will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade if Congress presents it to her; meanwhile, Trump will rattle on about false narratives on abortion, while he lets other extremists continue to strangle our reproductive freedoms. 

Harris evoked real, distressing images of the people impacted by anti-abortion legislation, people like Amanda Zurawksi, Kate Cox, and Jaci Statton, whose story was referenced in Harris’ statements on women forced into “bleeding out in the car in the parking lot.” The Vice President promised to make sure the cruel, extreme, and inhumane Texas abortion restrictions that leave countless lives in danger, or waiting in hospital parking lots, won't be exported nationwide.

In contrast, Trump tried to argue that overturning Roe was a popular decision, it wasn’t. He said that people are having abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy, they’re not. He refused twice to say he would veto a national abortion ban, but we know better.

4. Harris stuck to her talking points, Trump went off the rails

J.D. Vance was not on stage, but his presence was felt in the form of debunked, racist narratives about Haitian immigrants, brought up by the VP candidate beforehand, and discussed by Trump during the debate. Donald referenced the baseless, xenophobic conspiracy theory, in addition to other statements meant to criticize Harris’ record on immigration, spewing the word vomit that was, “Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison” in a question on fracking. She got under his skin so badly that what could have been a strong topic for his base was mangled into a deranged MadLibs of a sentence. Thankfully, moderators Muir and Davis interjected when Trump lied in this instance, and three other times, providing fact-checkers, unlike the first debate.

After the debate was finished, Harris had Trump shaken badly enough — with comments on his lack of leadership and vision, dependence on hate, and rally size and attendees’ boredom — for him to enter the spin room, usually reserved for low-polling primary candidates, who felt they didn’t get enough time or attention during the debate. 

5. It’s not just about this election, or even the down ballots, it’s about you.

Regardless of Harris winning this debate, and providing a presidential image of herself to trust, the racist vitriol, lies, and corruption we’ve seen and heard from Trump is not something we can put back in the box. We have to deal with the normalization of this language, that immigrants eating pets is something brought onto a national stage and network. To fix this Pandora’s dilemma requires all of us, talking to our families and neighbors who are still stuck in the middle. We know there are young men in echo-chambers online on Reddit, Fox News grandparents, and even Facebook moms who could feel swayed by the debate’s events — but we can’t just talk to our friends at watch parties about it.

According to post-debate polling, the vast majority who tuned in said it had no effect on their presidential decision, although among the debate watchers, Trump supporters were more likely than Harris supporters to say the event gave them reason to reconsider. So, if the debate changed minds is anyone’s guess, but keeping the conversation going helps change even more.

What’s Next

• Have you checked your registration status? Visit our GoVoteTexas.org today for quick answers to FAQs about voter registration, ID requirements, and election deadlines. (This great resource is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi! Please share.)
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