Kamala Harris puts Donald Trump on the defensive in 90-minute debate

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, shakes hands with Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. Pics/AFP

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on the debate stage Tuesday night for the first - and possibly the last - time.

The Democratic vice president opened the faceoff with a power move, marching across the stage to Trump's lectern to shake his hand. "Kamala Harris," she said, introducing herself as the pair met for the first time ever. "Let's have a good debate."

"Nice to see you. Have fun," the former Republican president responded.

The exchange set the tone for the 90-minute debate to come: Harris controlled the conversation at times, baiting Trump with jabs at his economic policy, his refusal to concede his 2020 election loss and even his performance at his rallies.

Trump grew more annoyed as the night went on. And one significant moment played out after the two candidates left the stage, when megastar Taylor Swift said she'll vote for Harris.

Harris lists Trump's racial controversies

Supporters of Kamala Harris react as they attend a watch party

ABC moderator David Muir asked Trump about his allegation last month that Harris had belatedly "turned Black." Trump replied saying, "I don't care what she is, you make a big deal out of something, I couldn't care less."

Harris rattled off a long list of Trump's racial controversies: his legal settlement for discrimination against prospective Black tenants at his New York buildings; his ad calling for the execution of Black and Latino teens; and his false claims that former President Barack Obama was not born in the US.

‘She is Biden'

People at a bar attend a watch party for the Presidential Debate

Trump was often on defense, but he did drive the core message of his campaign: Inflation and immigration are hammering Americans. Immigrants, Trump said, have "destroyed the fabric of our country." He repeatedly tied Harris to Biden. "She is Biden," he said.

"The worst inflation we've ever had," Trump added. "A horrible economy because inflation has made it so bad. And she can't get away with that."
Harris responded: "Clearly, I am not Joe Biden and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country."

Abortion rights

Harris came out swinging in defense of abortion rights, a strong issue for Democrats after a Supreme Court majority to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. "The government, and Donald Trump, certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body," Harris said. Trump replied saying he returned the issue to the states, an outcome he said many Americans wanted.

Israel-Gaza war

Trump accused Harris of "hating" Israel and said if she became president, the Jewish state would not exist "within two years from now". He asserted that the Israel-Hamas war would have never started if he had been president. "She didn't even meet Netanyahu when he went to Congress as she was at a sorority party of hers."

Russia-Ukraine war

Trump spoke heatedly about wanting Russia's war in Ukraine to be over, but twice refused to directly answer a question about whether he wanted US ally Ukraine to win. He also falsely claimed that the war had killed "millions" since Russia invaded Ukraine 2 1/2 years ago, while the UN says 11,700 civilian deaths have been verified. And he claimed without evidence that Harris had bungled a diplomatic mission just days before Russia launched the invasion.

Taylor Swift endorses Harris

Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night. "I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," Swift wrote in an Instagram post, which included a link to a voter registration website. Swift has a dedicated following among young women, a key demographic in the November election.

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