“Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment for the reason that Nice Despair,” Harris mentioned, referring to his years as president from 2017-2021. Unemployment peaked at 14.8 per cent in April 2020 and at 6.4 per cent when he left workplace. It was far greater within the Nice Despair.
Trump, 78, criticised Harris for the persistent inflation in the course of the Biden administration’s time period, although he overstated the extent of worth will increase. He additionally pivoted rapidly to his high problem, immigration, claiming once more with out proof that immigrants from “insane asylums” are crossing the US southern border with Mexico.
Inflation, he mentioned, “has been a catastrophe for individuals, for the center class, for each class.”
The controversy obtained below means at 9pm ET (9am Singapore time) with a shock handshake between the 2 opponents, who had by no means met earlier than. Harris approached Trump at his lectern, introducing herself by identify, in what was the primary handshake at a presidential debate since 2016.
With eight weeks to go earlier than the Nov 5 election, and days till early voting begins in some states, the controversy – the one one scheduled – offered each alternatives and dangers for every candidate in entrance of a televised viewers of tens of thousands and thousands of voters.
The encounter is especially essential for Harris, with opinion polls exhibiting that greater than 1 / 4 of seemingly voters really feel they have no idea sufficient about her. Harris entered the race solely seven weeks in the past after President Joe Biden’s exit.
Harris delivered a prolonged assault on abortion limits, talking passionately about girls denied emergency care and victims of incest unable to terminate their pregnancies attributable to statewide bans which have proliferated for the reason that US Supreme Court docket eradicated a nationwide proper in 2022. Three Trump appointees have been within the majority of that ruling.
She additionally claimed Trump would help a nationwide ban, an assertion Trump known as a lie.
Trump, who has typically struggled with messaging on abortion, claimed falsely that Harris and Democrats help infanticide, which – as moderator Linsey Davis famous – is unlawful in each state.
“As I mentioned, you are going to hear a bunch of lies,” Harris mentioned.
