US Presidential Debate: Key Statements By Kamala Harris

The first United States Presidential debate between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, was a high-stakes event. The 90-minute electrifying face-off on September 10 in Philadelphia delved into crucial topics like reproductive rights, international relations, and immigration. Harris, who could potentially become the country's first female President, delivered an impactful performance marked by confidence and composure even amid continuous comparisons with her male predecessors.

Here are some key statements by Kamala Harris at the US Presidential debate.

Kamala Harris' opening remark: "I have a plan to build America"

The debate started with a handshake, after which Kamala Harris took the first question on the US economy over the last four years. She reflected on her past experiences, expressing that she grew up in a humble household which shaped her understanding of the challenges faced by everyday Americans. "I was raised as a middle-class kid and I'm the only person on the stage who has plans to lift American people. I've got a plan to build the American community," the Indo-American leader said. 

She then addressed some financial goals including tax cuts for new parents and startups, aid to first-time homebuyers, and support for small businesses. Meanwhile, Donald Trump retaliated suggesting the incumbent Democratic government has brought on "the worst inflation in history." To this, Harris responded, "Trump left us the worst employment since the great depression. He left us the worst attack on democracy since the civil war," adding that the Republican has "no economic plan."

Harris addresses reproductive rights 

Bringing up the topic of reproductive rights, Harris suggested that Trump intends to sign a "national ban on abortion". She said, "In over 20 years, there are Trump abortion bans. They don't make exceptions even in rape and incest. If Trump becomes president, he will sign the national abortion ban." 

Harris cited the States where the medical termination of pregnancy has been banned since the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that formerly created a federal right to abortion access. Trump denied that he would sign a national ban only to later make a false claim about Democrats supporting "execution" of babies after birth. Harris also said she would continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, introduced by former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Harris hits back at Trump's shocking remarks on immigration

Soon after Trump made scathing racial remarks on immigrants (claiming they "eat pets", are "turning USA into Venezuela on steroids") and baseless accusations about Harris "Marxist" family, the Democratic leader slammed his rhetoric as "extreme." She said, "When we listen to this kind of rhetoric, when the issues that affect the American people are not being addressed, I think the choice is clear in this election."

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Harris brings up Trump's criminal record

Kamala Harris addressed the recent charges in 34 counts against Donald Trump on falsifying business records and sexual assault among others. She contradicted Trump’s statement that crime is proliferating under the Biden-Harris administration. Harris said, "I think this is so rich coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, and has been found liable for sexual assault. And his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing."

Trump responded by alleging these were "fake cases" driven by the Democrats. He said, “They weaponised the Justice Department. They’re the ones that made them go after me.” Later in the debate, he also blamed the Democrats for his July 2024 assassination attempt. “I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me. They talk about democracy. ‘I’m a threat to democracy.’ They’re the threat to democracy,” Trump said.

Harris responds to Trump's remarks on her race

Trump has depended on racial attacks on Kamala Harris in several of his speeches during the ongoing Presidential race. Harris, who is of Black and Indian descent, expressed, "It is a “tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president, who has consistently – over the course of his career – attempted to use race to divide the American people."

Harris also cited some cases which underscored Trump's history with racial attacks. She recalled a 1973 federal lawsuit against Trump and his real estate company for alleged racial discrimination. The case, brought by the Justice Department, was later settled out of court. Then, Harris pointed to Trump’s public pressure campaign in 1989 against the Central Park Five, a group of young men acquitted in a rape case. Trump had, at the time, allegedly advertised “Bring back the death penalty.”

Harris and Trump on worldwide conflicts

Israel-Hamas war, situation in Gaza

Kamala Harris, who has repeatedly said that she will "always give Israel the right to defend itself," addressed the ongoing crisis in Gaza, saying, "What we know is that this war must end... Israel has a right to defend itself… and how it does so matters because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed – children, and mothers. I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular, as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel.”

Meanwhile, Trump said, "She hates Israel. At the same time, in her own way, she hates the Arab population because the whole place is going to get blown up – Arabs, Jewish people, Israel. Israel will be gone." He also suggested that the war would not have happened if he were President, blaming the Biden government for allegedly lifting sanctions on Iran. 

He also claimed that Harris “wouldn’t even meet with” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “when he went to Congress to make a very important speech. She refused to be there because she was at a sorority party of hers." In reality, while Harris did skip Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of the US Congress on July 24, photographic evidence shows that she met with him in person the following day at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex. 

Russia-Ukraine conflict

On the war between Russia and Ukraine, Harris claimed, "If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. And understand what that would mean, because Putin’s agenda is not just Ukraine." She added that the European allies, NATO, were "so thankful" that he was not the President of the US.

"The reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up," Harris claimed. The former president argued, "I think it’s in the US’s best interest to get this war finished and just get it done and negotiate a deal because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.” He added that the lack of leadership in the Biden administration allowed Russia to invade Ukraine. "Russia attacked Ukraine because they saw how incompetent she and her boss are."

Afghanistan

Harris claimed that Trump made “a weak, terrible deal” with the Taliban while failing to support the US-backed Afghan government in 2021. She added that Biden's decision to withdraw the US military from the country has been saving taxpayers $300m a day. Trump responded, "These people did the worst withdrawal and, in my opinion, the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country."

"I am not Joe Biden, I am not Donald Trump": Harris

Donald Trump drew several parallels between Harris and her incumbent boss, Joe Biden. He claimed, "She is Biden. She’s trying to get away from Biden. ‘I don’t know the gentleman,’ she says," Harris, who is poised to reel in a "new generation of leadership" in the USA, hit back "I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump. What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country, one who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do, instead of always disparaging the American people.”

Harris ends the debate as an 'advocate for Americans'

At the end of the debate, Harris painted the November 5 election as a clear choice between two visions--  “one that is focused on the future, and the other that is focused on the past, in an attempt to take us backwards”. The Democratic leader said in the debate that it is "absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for [Trump] to be president again”.

Harris said, "The American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us... I will be a President who will protect fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do... As a prosecutor, I never asked a victim or a witness, ‘Are you a Republican or a Democrat?’ The only thing I ever asked them is, ‘Are you okay?'”