PHILADELPHIA: Kamala Harris said on Tuesday that Donald Trump had made America a “mess” and Republicans hit back that she was a “Marxist” in a fiery debate that could shift the narrative in a tense US presidential election. To the surprise of many, the Democratic vice president and former Republican president shook hands as they took the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. But the little things soon ended. Within minutes, Trump, 78, called her a “Marxist” and also falsely claimed that she and President Joe Biden allowed “millions of people to pour into our country from prisons and jails, mental institutions and insane asylums.” Harris, 59, responded to most of Trump’s extreme expressions by smiling and shaking her head before hitting back, pointing out that he is a convicted felon and calling him “extreme.” She rejected Trump’s boast that he had an unprecedented record as president, saying that in fact “what we’ve done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess.” “Donald Trump has left us with the worst unemployment since the Great Depression … the worst public health epidemic in a century (and) the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War,” she said, referring to his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and its incitement to attempt to subvert the 2020 elections. Their most intense exchange was on abortion, with Trump insisting that while he pushed for an end to federal abortion rights, he wanted states to create their own policies. Harris said he told “a bunch of lies” and called his policies “an insult to American women.” The live showdown on ABC News, watched by tens of millions of voters, was expected to last around 90 minutes. The last presidential debate in June condemned Biden’s re-election campaign after his disastrous performance against Trump. Harris took over as the nominee amid Democratic concerns that Biden is too old and infirm to defeat the scandal-plagued Republican. Harris has built a reputation in past debates and while serving as a senator for ice-cold defeats and tough questions. But Trump is the most brutal public speaker in US politics. He also benefits from an uncanny ability to survive any scandal – and his fervent base revels in his frequent gossip, made-up stories and promotion of conspiracy theories. He was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up an affair with an adult film star, convicted of sexual abuse and faces trial on charges of trying to influence the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. But Harris apparently got under his skin by grilling him on one of his favorite topics – the size of typical rallies. Participants reacted angrily and left early out of “exhaustion and boredom,” she said. In another moment when Trump appeared to be losing his cool, he spoke at length about the debunked conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants eat the pets of local people in Ohio. “They’re eating dogs, people that came in, they’re eating cats,” he said, before the ABC News anchor corrected him that Springfield city officials said that didn’t happen. With just 56 days until the Nov. 5 election, the intense attention for both candidates has been a rare opportunity to shift the balance in what polls show is a nearly evenly split contest. A single clink or sizzle could dominate TV screens and social media platforms in the days to come. And the debate was a key chance for Harris to introduce herself to more voters after jumping into the race less than eight weeks ago when 81-year-old Biden abruptly quit. Trump landed his plane – dubbed Trump Force One – just over two hours before the debate, while Harris flew into the eastern city on Monday. The pressure was likely greater on Harris, America’s first female, black and South Asian vice president, as she participated in her first presidential debate. Both candidates are vying to be seen as advocates for change. Harris’ favorite rallying cry is “we are not going back” to the chaos of the Trump years, as Trump seeks to define Harris as responsible for many unpopular policies in the Biden administration. According to the rules, the debate took place without an audience, with the opponents’ microphones to be switched on only when it was their turn to avoid interruptions.
