Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump: Who Will Emerge Victorious?
An Opinion Piece by Dhiyaana Ashir
The Presidential debate between Democrat-party candidate Kamala Harris and Republican-party candidate Donald Trump was truly a monumental moment in America’s proud history — in both negative and positive ways. The debate broke numerous precedents and was significantly less formal than in the past. However, as a result of this more lax debate, the American people were given the opportunity to view the potential leader of the free world’s ability to make the best of any situation and think under pressure. Kamala Harris uplifted her image in the people’s eyes before the debate even officially began by displaying her willingness to “reach across the aisle” by walking all the way over to Donald Trump’s podium when he refused to meet her halfway to shake his hand and uphold the Presidential standards and decorum. Harris’ seemingly simple action exemplifies the overall goal of her administration: to unite the nation. Harris showcases her acceptance of both political ideologies and her overarching purpose to further the growth of the nation by first consolidating its people. Donald Trump’s apathy toward initiating the handshake displays his policy agenda as well: Trump plans to alienate people of certain demographics and ideologies. Trump has proven himself to be a threat to the very democracy of America due to his incitation of the January 6th insurrection, his conviction as a felon in a court of law, and his label as a sexual predator by a jury. Trump has no intention of unifying the currently divided nation — instead intending to divide it even further and rule amidst the chaos. Both candidates have the overwhelming support of their parties, and despite America’s democracy being on the verge of extinction, the 2024 Presidential election will be extremely close, but it is up to the American people to decide whether division and chaos or unity and order will prevail.
The debate begins by addressing pressing economic issues that concern the nation as a whole, and both candidates are asked if the economy has grown or decayed during the Biden-Harris administration. Kamala Harris responded first by appealing to middle-class Americans of whom the majority of the American economy is composed. She then details her specific plans for the furthering of the nation’s economy — by providing young families with a $6,000 child tax credit, the largest in a very long time. After mentioning being raised by a single, working mother and a woman who owned a daycare center nearby, she anticipates and refutes Trump’s policies diplomatically yet firmly. She details the full implications of Trump’s plans in layman’s terms. Donald Trump, on the other hand, offers no other rebuttal than “First of all, I have no sales tax. That’s an incorrect statement. She knows that.” Trump also incorrectly defines tariffs as taxes paid to the United States by other countries when, in reality, they are paid by the American people, and he defines asylum as people from mental institutions rather than those simply seeking refuge. Trump denies any association with Project 2025 early on in the debate, but several of his policies and ideas sound ironically similar to those discussed in the book.
They then discuss issues of immigration, abortion, and border security. While Kamala Harris fosters a spirit of trust, unity, and strength backed by strong, irrefutable facts, Donald Trump sows the seeds of chaos and division backed by nothing more than posts on X (formerly Twitter) and lies. Trump’s most infamous mistruth is widely agreed to be his claim that Haitian immigrants currently living in Springfield, Ohio are eating people’s pets. Trump begins to panic somewhat at this point because he was not properly prepared by his team for the debate, and he lacks strong evidence and sources for his many far-fetched tales of fear. When Trump’s stereotypes and sources, such as the Springfield city manager, are unanimously rejected by Harris, the moderators, and the city manager himself, he offers nothing more than “We’ll find out.” In addition, when asked, repeatedly, if he will veto a bill banning abortion on a national scale, Trump offers no response; he instead falsely states that some states allow a baby to be aborted even after birth, a claim which is immediately and emphatically debunked by the moderator. In regards to border security, Trump calls Harris “the Border Czar” on national television, a phrase often repeated in his campaign advertisements. Meanwhile, Harris talks about reinstituting the protections of Roe v. Wade for all Americans and reviving and passing a Bipartisan Border Security Bill once killed by Trump. Harris also mentions, much to Trump’s chagrin, the fact that she has been endorsed by over 200 Republicans who once supported the likes of George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
The first half of the Presidential debate expresses the theme of the second half, as well, with Kamala Harris repeatedly refuting and disproving through the use of facts all the claims of Donald Trump, to which he can only sputter and spew more heinous lies. Trump, as a convicted felon, a sexual abuser, and a liar, represents the opposite of America and its principles of liberty, equality, and unity. Kamala Harris, as a lawyer turned prosecutor turned California’s Attorney General turned Senator turned first woman and first person of color Vice President, represents the true potential of America. America is meant to be a melting pot of innumerable cultures, races, ethnicities, and people; people are meant to have certain explicit freedoms protected by law and irrevocable by government. Both parties are extremely divided on the question of which candidate best represents these American traits. According to a flash poll conducted by CNN, Kamala Harris overwhelmingly won the 2024 Presidential debate. Despite Donald Trump and his campaign’s many protests regarding the outcome of the debate and claims of victory, Trump still refuses to engage in another debate with Harris. However, one thing is certain: the 2024 Presidential election will be one that will go down in history— for better or for worse.
NOTE: The opinions reflected in this article are the opinions of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of BASIS Bugle or the members of BASIS Bugle.
