Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate hosted by ABC as Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump listens, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off in the widely anticipated – and potentially only – debate of the U.S. presidential candidates for the 2024 election. Both Harris and Trump aimed to break through at a critical moment when they are neck and neck in the polls.
Debates can get complicated fast, so to help cut through the noise, The Globe provided context to the major talking points throughout the event. What have the candidates said historically about an issue? What is happening with the economy, abortion rights or climate issues right now? Take a look at the main issues below, and read more coverage of the heated debate.
Abortion
Trump, when asked about abortion rights, spoke about different states and how they’re voting on access. Polls show that abortion has become the top issue for women of child-bearing age in the U.S., ranking second in importance only to the economy among voters in 10 swing states. That’s a challenge for Republicans, who have used abortion as a wedge issue for decades.
During the debate, Harris said she would sign Roe vs. Wade into law. Two years after it was overturned, abortion rights in the U.S. have changed significantly, including further restrictions that prompt people to travel out-of-state for the procedure. At least four states will have abortion access on the ballot in November.
Economy
Harris says she will offer tax cuts for young families and wants to give a $50,000 tax deduction to small businesses.
During her campaign, Harris has announced a sweeping set of economic proposals in August, and stressed tax breaks for families, as well as middle- and lower-income people, promising to expand the child tax credit to up to US$3,600 – and US$6,000 for children in their first year of life. She also wants to expand the earned income tax credit to cover people in lower-income jobs without children.
Project 2025
In response to a statement about Project 2025, Trump denied any knowledge of it. Trump has tried to distance himself from this massive proposed overhaul of the federal government that includes firing 50,000 government workers and replacing them with Trump loyalists.
Immigration
Harris said that a bipartisan border security bill failed to pass after enough Republicans withdrew their support at the urging of former President Donald Trump.
In April, Trump said that he would not rule out building detention camps on U.S. soil for migrants in the country illegally and deploying active military forces to help. “Well, these aren’t civilians. These are people that aren’t legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country.”
Climate
Harris states that Trump has called climate change a hoax. Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord in 2017, which Biden rejoined in 2021.
On climate change, Harris emphasized her tie-breaking vote in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. She’s backed away from some of the more liberal stances she took in her failed 2020 bid for the White House, including proposals to ban fracking.
Harris’s past views on climate could be a potential stumbling block during the campaign, noted The Globe’s energy reporter and columnist Kelly Cryderman. As a senator, Harris co-sponsored the 2019 push for a Green New Deal, which called for exclusive use of renewable electricity by 2030. And, around the same time, she had called for a ban on fracking. “These past positions are both in the category of not happening, and are viable lines of attack for Republicans,” Cryderman writes.
Israel-Gaza war
On the Israel-Hamas war, Harris maintained the message she gave in her CNN interview, emphasizing her commitment to Israel’s defence, affirming that Israel has a right to defend itself and expressing support for a two-state solution, but also stated that too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.
Russia-Ukraine war
When pressed on whether he thinks Ukraine should win the war, Trump said repeatedly he wanted the war to end, but did not specify what the conclusion would look like. Trump said that if he was president, Russia would have never invaded Ukraine, and said that Harris was weak on the foreign stage.
In June, Trump criticized the US$60-billion aid package for Ukraine that passed with Republican support in the spring. Trump has promised an end to the war but has revealed no specific plans, raising fears that he would put pressure on Kyiv to surrender. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February, 2022, the U.S. has sent Ukraine US$75-billion in aid, including missiles, artillery, tanks, armoured vehicles, drones and ammunition.
Afghanistan
Trump repeatedly criticized how the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, calling it “the most embarrassing moment” in the nation’s history. In recent weeks, he said leaving Afghanistan was the right thing to do but that the execution was poor, an opinion shared by many experts. A 2023 report from Biden , however, blamed the chaotic pullout on Trump and his administration’s plans.
Race
When asked about his comments that called Harris’s race into question, Trump repeated the false claim that Harris only recently started calling herself Black. Harris, who is Black and Indian, responded that Trump uses race as way to divide Americans.
This summer during an interview with National Association of Black Journalists, Trump said she didn’t know “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
Medicare for all
Despite attempting to repeal Obamacare while in office, Trump warned House Republicans in 2023 not to cut “a single penny” from Medicare as they sought to cut from the Biden administration’s policies.
During the debate he emphasized that the plan is “still never going to be great” and that he has “concepts” of a new healthcare plan.
Tariffs
Trump has said he would impose tariffs that would return manufacturing jobs to the U.S. Harris has said Trump’s plan is essentially a national sales tax on everyday products.
Legal charges
During the debate, Trump says the criminal cases against him were an example of weaponization of the Justice Department.
Over the last year, Trump has been indicted on 91 criminal charges across four different cases. They concern everything from efforts to overturn his 2020 re-election loss to keeping classified documents stored in his bathroom. A trio of civil suits has left him owing more than half a billion dollars in damages.
Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol
When asked about his role in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, Trump said he told his supporters to act “peacefully and patriotically” and that he “just showed up for a speech.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a development that raised dramatic questions about the peaceful transition of power. The event continues to divide Republicans and Democrats.
Election denial
When asked about the 2020 election, Trump said he does not believe he lost the election.
Trump is facing charges related to his efforts to stay in power after the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. After a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, the prosecution filed a revised indictment in August.
NATO
Donald Trump has threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO. This summer, the 42 member countries negotiated a consensus on an approximately $60-billion-a-year military-aid program for Ukraine, as well as a plan to shift support and training for Ukraine from the United States to 200 officers in a Europe-based NATO command.