The first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris took place on September 10 in the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This very first encounter between the two candidates exceeded expectations.
Most specialists from both sides agreed that Kamala Harris was very well prepared. Her confident handshake imposed upon Donald Trump before the beginning of the debate was judged as a very smart move. The vice president gave a strong and emotional performance, intermingling her personal experience and values with Americans’ situation. She managed to hit several of Donald Trump’s weak points, mentioning for instance his huge inheritage. However, she wasn’t specific enough about her plans for the country, which had already been brought up against her. Donald Trump pointed this out several times throughout the debate.
Despite a few nonsensical declarations such as suggesting that migrants eat their neighbors’ pets, Donald Trump didn’t give a bad performance either. He attacked his opponent on sensitive issues such as the current economic situation of the country or the Ukraine War, repeating multiple times “Why didn’t she do it ?” during his closing statement.
Both candidates received the support of celebrities after this debate. Taylor Swift announced on Instagram that she endorses Kamala Harris, while Elon Musk renewed his support for Donald Trump on X (formerly Twitter). However, he admitted that Kamala Harris’s performance was unexpectedly good: “While I don’t think the debate hosts were fair to @realDonaldTrump, @KamalaHarris exceeded most people’s expectations tonight.”, he wrote in the same publication.