Firstly Presidential debateformer president of the united states Donald Trump Vice President Kamala Harris They will each accuse the other of stoking division in America.
The candidates quickly delved into controversial questions, from immigration and fracking to Israel's war in Gaza, but there were no groans or enthusiastic applause when the candidates sparred with a live audience at the National Constitution Center (NCC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Yet across the country, thousands of Americans will turn out from their living rooms or to parties at bars and nightclubs, and once the official debate venue in Philadelphia opens, protesters will demand Harris win or lose her vote. – Fire in Gaza
With pre-debate investigations pitting Democratic nominee Harris and Republican nominee Trump side by side in the fray, Al Jazeera spoke to political watchers from across the country about who were the biggest winners and losers of the night.
Barbara Perry, Presidential Historian, University of Virginia:
“Trump supporters are getting a lot of red meat to eat,” Perry said.
“The vice president has presented a stark contrast between the specifics of his policies for the future and Trump’s generalities about the dismal past, as you can see.
“Kamala Harris needs to give swing and moderate voters, who are only persuaded in swing states, a comforting reason to vote for her.
“At the very least, he didn’t convince these elites to make any disqualifying mistakes. He got Taylor Swift’s endorsement,” Perry said, referring to the pop star’s post-debate slogan announcement that he would vote for Harris in November.
Michelle Austin Bames, Haitian-American leader and Florida attorney:
Baimes said it was good to see the “truth” about the allegations denied by two Republicans regarding Haitian immigrants being exposed.
“It’s clear that the former president wants to promote this idea that respect is encouraged for immigrants in Springfield, Ohio,” she said, referring to a comment Trump made about Haitian immigrants that he did not discuss.
“Achi Boom who was discussed a lot in the presidential debate, because Achi Boom deserves to be noticed.
“I think the only reason I mention this is because it was the most disgusting thing that could be said. I feel like it's a different way of living than being so old.
“I appreciate that the supervisor has clearly stated that there is no fact, and that the city manager has stated that he has no reliable account of any activity of this type.”
Reem Abu Al-Hajj, spokesperson for the No Ceasefire, No Vote movement in Pennsylvania:
Most of the protesters outside the building “feel they cannot vote for a candidate who actively supports genocide,” Abu Alhaj said.
“Vice President Harris has been very clear in her previous statements, such as this evening, that she will continue Biden’s policy of unconditional military and financial support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Pennsylvania is a key state that has yet to be decided. There were 60,000 people, Democratic voters, who chose the primary registration option instead of voting for President Biden.
“Tonight, what is clear is that it brings grief to the entire city of Philadelphia and the entire state of Pennsylvania, that this genocide is underway and that the United States continues to fund and arm this genocide.”
John Feehery, Republican strategist:
Moderators “were more interested in fact-checking Trump,” Vehari said, and “they weren’t really going to fact-check Kamala Harris, who had a mountain of lies throughout the entire debate.”
“I see that in elegant tasks, I will give preference to Harris.
“She was very tired, not nervous, but she seemed to regain her rhythm, and after that, it was as if both sides were crying somehow.
“We’re not sure if that’s necessarily what the elites want,” he said. “Because they want a better plan for how to handle the economy, they clearly care more than anyone else.”
Kelly Dittmar, Research Director, Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University-Camden:
Harris was able to “incite Trump to meltdown,” Dittmar said, while also “responding to criticism that she wasn’t substantive enough in politics — scrutiny that has historically been greater for women than for men in politics.”
Trump refused to look down on Harris, who could have different outcomes for different groups of voters, but could easily be seen as disdainful in a way that would be unflattering to women.
Harris has repeatedly and falsely spoken directly to Trump, and has shown no sign of direct involvement.
“While some will criticize his emotional facial expressions, others will see his clear expressions of confusion and concern about Trump’s comments as consistent with his own feelings during the debate.”
Aaron Kahl, Director of Debate at the University of Michigan:
The third-party debate was “uneven” because “we saw it in Atlanta a few months ago,” Kahl said, referring to the joint debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, which later dropped the dispute.
But Kahl cautioned against reading too much into the debate's impact on the November election.
“Empora Harris emerged victorious from the debate with a slight shake of the head, and it remains unclear whether there will be an impact on the general trajectory of bullfighting or whether there will be some movement among the undecided elite.”
Shannon Smith, Executive Director, FracTracker Alliance, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
Smith said the debate showed there is still a lack of political commitment from either party to address the environmental and health impacts of fracking.
“Pennsylvanians live in two major gas-producing states, and have supported years of increased fracking activity without political leadership to implement reasonable health protection measures.
“The discussion tonight shows that this lack of political will continues, regardless of which political party one is associated with.
“A wealth of peer-reviewed research shows that hydraulic fracturing cannot be done without negative impacts on people, the environment, or the climate.
“Environmental and climate impacts do not recognize political boundaries.
“We need leadership to prioritize public health and safety and develop a sensible energy policy around this.”
