‘People avoid your rallies’ | ‘World leaders laugh at you’ — how Trump-Harris debate played out

With only weeks to pitch to undecided voters, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris sparred on Tuesday night in their first debate ahead of November’s presidential election.

The 90-minute duel in Philadelphia was a pot-pourri of personal attacks, well-timed jabs and policy propositions.

The candidates slugged over abortion, immigration, the economy, healthcare, and foreign policy.

An awkward but firm handshake from Harris, the Democratic nominee, to Trump, her Republican counterpart, kicked off the debate.

It was the first handshake in a US presidential debate in eight years. It was also the first time the pair had met face-to-face.

The US vice-president deployed body language time and again as her opponent spoke, purportedly to portray him as unserious and unhinged — often looking directly at Trump, smirking, laughing out loud, or shaking her head incredulously as he answered questions.

She also baited and put Trump on the defensive during the exchanges.

Trump, on the other hand, stared into space and scowled as Harris spoke.

Harris said world leaders were laughing at Trump while military leaders called him “a disgrace”.

The US vice-president said the only reason autocratic leaders pander to Trump is because they know he can be swayed with flattery.

“Putin would eat you for lunch,” she taunted.

The Democratic presidential hopeful called the former president “weak” and “a liar”, adding that he was fired by 81 million voters — the number of people who voted for President Joe Biden in 2020.

“Clearly, he’s having a very difficult time processing that,” she added for good measure.

IMMIGRATION, ABORTION

After criticising Trump’s criminal conviction and outstanding legal issues, Harris called him out for “sinking an immigration bill”.

Trump insisted that Biden’s administration is weaponsing the justice system against him and claimed that migrants in Springfield were eating American pets.

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said.

Harris responded with a puzzled look.

On the heated topic of abortion, Trump claimed that some states allow abortions to be performed at full term of pregnancy — which amounts to murder.

“It’s insulting to the women of America,” Harris responded.

Trump’s remarks immediately drew a fact-check from ABC News, the host network.

“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born,” the moderator said.

Both candidates also taunted each other over the size of their rallies. Trump said Harris’ crowd sizes are often poor while his are entertaining and “incredible”.

Harris described Trump’s rallies as borefests.

Trump also insisted that he did not lose the 2020 election to Biden.

FOREIGN POLICY

Asked how she would secure peace in Gaza, Harris voiced support for a two-state solution, Israel’s right to defend itself, and a commitment to rebuilding Gaza.

“We need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out,” she said.

Trump offered fewer details but chided Harris for not meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, during a recent US trip. However, the vice-president did meet with Netanyahu.

“She hates Israel,” Trump said of Harris, adding that she also hates “Arabs”.

On the war in Ukraine, Trump said his re-election would reset the geopolitical state of play, adding that he “knows Putin very well” and that “Russia would never have gone into Ukraine” on his watch.

A snap CNN poll of registered voters and betting markets said Harris won the debate.

Some pundits said Harris handed the ex-president a “shellacking” and “smackdown”.