Kamala Harris set a clever trap for Donald Trump by targeting one of his most cherished accomplishments: his rallies. “He talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter and claims windmills cause cancer. But what you won’t hear is him talk about you,” she said, in a well-rehearsed line aimed at rattling Trump. She added, “People are leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”
Trump’s reaction was immediate. His eyes widened, and his face fell as he disregarded the moderator’s question about the border to defend his rallies. “Let me respond to the rallies,” he said. “People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.”
Known for his ability to get under the skin of his opponents, Trump found himself on the receiving end for once. From that point on, his voice escalated, his speech became more disjointed, and his frustration was evident. His face reddened, his brow furrowed, and he leaned forward aggressively, seemingly off balance.
In perhaps one of the strangest moments in presidential debate history, Trump moved from defending his rallies to repeating an unfounded conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets. “They’re eating the dogs and the cats of the people that live there,” he claimed.
Moderator David Muir quickly intervened, pointing out that there was no credible evidence to support this claim, but Trump persisted. “The people on television said my dog was taken and used for food,” he retorted.
As Trump conjured these bizarre images, Harris’s expressions—ranging from laughter to wincing—spoke volumes. This wasn’t the dominating Trump of 2016, nor the more subdued version seen in past debates. He seemed more like a boiling kettle on the verge of bursting.
Harris capitalized on this vulnerability, repeatedly attacking his temperament and calling him “weak” and a “disgrace.” She mocked his inability to grasp facts, saying, “World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump.” Trump, seemingly rattled, didn’t respond directly to her but instead launched into a defense of his reputation, citing endorsements from strongmen leaders like Viktor Orban of Hungary. “He said we need Trump back as president,” Trump boasted, listing other autocrats who supported him.
Harris landed some of her heaviest blows on the topics of abortion and race. In what was likely the debate’s most viral moment, she fiercely condemned Trump’s support for extreme abortion bans, especially those with no exceptions for rape or incest. “That’s immoral,” she declared. “A survivor of such a crime should have the right to decide what happens next with her body.”
She continued, “You don’t have to abandon your faith to agree that neither the government nor Donald Trump should dictate a woman’s choice.”
Trump, on the other hand, waffled on his stance on a national abortion ban and falsely claimed that Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, supported “execution after birth.” ABC moderator Linsey Davis immediately fact-checked him, stating firmly, “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”
Despite Trump’s efforts to tie Harris to the shortcomings of the Biden administration, Harris was more successful in dismantling Trump’s record. She painted a sharp contrast between their two visions for the country, emphasizing a focus on the future rather than a backward-looking approach. “We’re not going back,” she said in her closing statement. “We have so much more in common than what divides us, and we can chart a new way forward.”
In his closing statement, Trump reiterated his grim portrayal of the U.S., claiming, “We’re a failing nation, laughed at all over the world. I know these leaders—they don’t understand what’s happened to us.”
As Trump exited the stage, he may have been wishing he had taken it easier on Joe Biden. Harris, with poise and strategy, had successfully turned the debate into a referendum on Trump’s past actions and chaotic rhetoric.
