Ryan Boulanger, Editor-in-Chief
@Ryanbcourant
Donovan West, Editor-in-Chief
@Dwest_courant
Last night, the second 2024 presidential debate was held at the National Constitutional Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ABC News hosts David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated the roughly 90-minute contest, and unlike the last debate hosted by Fox News, there was no usage of a “mute” button. There was no live studio audience.
Link to transcript of the debate: abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-presidential-debate-transcript/story?id=113560542
Ryan’s Winners and Losers:
Winner: Reproductive Rights
Since the beginning of Harris’ short campaign, she has presented herself as a staunch defender of reproductive rights. Harris gave a fiery appeal to American women who have been denied proper reproductive care due to the dismantling of Roe v. Wade: “A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That is immoral.” Reproductive rights took center stage in this debate, and it highlighted the contrast between Harris’s strong support and Trump’s variability on the issue. In stark contrast, when asked whether he would veto a national abortion ban should it come across his desk, Trump refused to provide a clear answer.
Loser: Economic Policy
Neither candidate provided a clear-cut economic policy. Harris frequently referenced Trump’s affiliate Project 2025 policy, however, Trump has publicly distanced himself from the project in light of its more radical proposals. Harris relied heavily on appealing to the American dream and an opportunity economy but failed to provide anything more in-depth than a tax credit for small business owners: “My plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America’s economy.” Comparatively, Trump stressed the importance of placing tariffs on Chinese car imports: “We’ll put tariffs on those cars so they can’t come into our country. Because they will kill the United Auto Workers and any auto worker, whether it’s in Detroit or South Carolina or any other place. What they’ve done to business and manufacturing in this country is horrible.” While written policy isn’t a strong suit for Trump, he does make a fair point about the apparent decline in American car manufacturing, however top economists have warned that his tarriff policies could have unintended consequences.
Loser: Environmental Policy
Once again, environmental policy has taken a backseat in this election cycle. One major criticism that Republicans have used against Harris is her “switch-up” on an oil-fracking ban. Harris committed to not ban fracking due to its crucial role in the economy. On the other hand, in all likelihood, Trump will commit to upholding Project 2025’s radical proposal to take over the EPA, the baseline of environmental protection in America. Such an action not only poses a threat to the ongoing fight to curb climate change but also more timely issues such as protecting clean drinking water. Both candidates currently present a bleak future when it comes to tackling the climate crisis, which is disappointing, to say the least, as our country continues to face more frequently occurring extreme weather events and sustained high temperatures. Future climate scientists will likely look back to this election cycle as a determinate moment in our country’s climate change history.
Loser: The Art of the Debate
While this debate certainly proved to be more civilized than the previous Biden-Trump matchup, yet again, both candidates resorted to talking over each other. Personal attacks were rampant and detracted from actual policy issues. I just started shaking my head at certain points of the debate, for instance when Trump was asked about immigration he started rambling about (literally) cats and dogs: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Donovan’s Winners and Losers:
Winner: America’s Support of Israel
Despite the recent calls of many Americans for the US to end support of Israel, both candidates expressed their belief in a continued relationship with the US’s close ally. For example, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “But the one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel.”
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US has given Israel over $300 billion since its founding in 1948, the largest recipient of US foreign aid in that period by a large margin. America has immense investments within Israel and, for this reason, is refusing to slow military aid despite the tens of thousands of deaths occurring in Gaza. The debate made it apparent that Harris and Trump will continue supporting Israel’s violence, and a ceasefire is only a secondary priority.
Loser: JD Vance
“Well, I didn’t discuss it with JD [Vance], in all fairness. And I don’t mind if he has a certain view, but I don’t think he was speaking for me,” Trump said about his running mate when discussing the potential veto of a national abortion ban. When faced with this tough abortion question, Trump didn’t hesitate to throw his running mate under the bus. It seems that Trump has been trying to distance himself from Vance since the day he selected him as his vice president candidate. Maybe it’s because of his falling out with his former vice president, Mike Pence, but there seems to be a chemistry issue on the Republican presidential ticket. I have no doubts that if Trump loses the election, Republicans will be quick to use Vance as their scapegoat.
Winner: Pennsylvania’s Fracking
Trump repeatedly attacked Harris on the fracking issue, a large reason being that the debate was held in Pennsylvania, where fracking is a hot topic. His plan seemed to be painting Harris in a radical light surrounding her anti-fracking views, yet the result was the democratic candidate coming out in strong support of domestic oil drilling. “I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. And, in fact, I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which opened new leases for fracking,” Harris said.
Harris expressed that she did not support foreign oil drilling but would allow the continuation of fracking in the US. Her fervent support was surprising, and it is clear that no matter who wins the election, fracking will continue. The fracking industry might be the biggest winners of the debate.
