Key moments from the Trump-Harris presidential debate
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off during Tuesday night's presidential debate, in a fierce showdown after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid earlier this summer after a disastrous performance against Trump.
Harris and Trump met for the first time during the debate moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. Aside from Harris attending Trump's State of the Union addresses as a California senator, it was the first time the two candidates were even in the same room. The pair would have typically met on inauguration day in 2020, but Trump, claiming the election was stolen from him without evidence, decided to forgo tradition and the event.
All eyes were on Harris to see if the former prosecutor would make a stronger case against Trump and his felon status than Biden who struggled to effectively criticize the Republican nominee on June 27. The debate got heated at times when the candidates discussed election security, immigration, and the economy, but muted microphones helped maintain civility.
From shaking hands to discussing race, here is a look at the key moments and visuals from debate night:
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Shaking hands
Harris entered the debate stage and, with an extended hand, approached Trump who accepted the handshake, a return to debate tradition. Biden and Trump chose to forgo one during their face-off in June.
A handshake between candidates was the norm for presidential debates before Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton abstained from one during the 2016 election cycle.
Trump disavowing Project 2025
Harris alleged Trump, if elected, will implement Project 2025, the controversial conservative plan proposing radical changes to the federal government that she called “detailed and dangerous.”
Trump said he “has nothing to do with” Project 2025, from which he has repeatedly tried to distance himself despite having history with many of its contributors.
“I haven’t read it,” Trump claimed. “I don’t want to read it.”
More: Presidential debate fact check: Keeping an eye on claims from Trump, Harris
Sparring over Roe v. Wade
Trump, who appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court that decided to overturn Roe v. Wade which guaranteed the right to abortion for almost 50 years, falsely claimed that “everybody wanted” it.
Harris, who said she would “absolutely support” reinstating Roe v. Wade protections as president, pushed back.
“Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because their healthcare providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot. She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that,” Harris said. “A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. They don’t want that.”
Arguing over who is a threat to democracy
While discussing the former president's 34 felony convictions and ongoing court cases, Trump alleged, without evidence, that they are part of Biden-Harris administration attempt to weaponize the Department of Justice in order to win the election.
Harris responded saying that Trump is the one who has been on record saying he would use the justice department to target his political enemies, and suggesting to “terminate" the constitution.
“This is the one that weaponized, not me,” Trump said gesturing towards Harris. “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.”
Discussing race
Weeks after Trump said Harris "turned Black" during an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention, Trump said he "couldn't care less" about her racial identity.
Harris, who is Black and Southeast Asian, said it was a "tragedy" Trump has attempted to use race to divide the American people several times over the course of his career. She cited Trump questioning former President Barack Obama's birthplace and his false claims about the Central Park Five.
"The American people want better than that," Harris said. "Want better than this."
Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Key moments from the Trump-Harris presidential debate.
