Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off last Tuesday in their first, highly anticipated 2024 Presidential Debate. Their fiery exchange took place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center on September 10th. The Presidential Debate traditionally showcases candidates’ policies, stances, and opinions to American voters.
Letting the People Know Who They Are
“It’s the first time most people will get to see both candidates side by side. It’s an opportunity for the voters to see what both candidates actually represent and see if they actually want to vote for this person,” said Tanmay Mirashi (‘25).
Many critics claimed that Harris was at a disadvantage due to her lack of screen time but some felt differently.
“She’s made first impressions before, but this is a place where people of all backgrounds and political affiliations are watching. It was important for to to say ‘this is who I am, this is what I stand for, this is my background, and this is my vision’” said Lekha Anand (‘25).
Critics said that it was imperative that she made a good first impression on the public.
“I do think it was an opportunity for [Harris] to increase her visibility…. the Vice President is often more in the shadow of the President, so this was really the first opportunity she had to get her platform out there to the voters,” said Competition Civics Advisor Stacey Sklar.
Voter Concerns
One of the many concerns that voters around the country expressed was the economy. When asked about the economic state of the United States, Harris and Trump both provided insight.
“I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy. My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to… provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in [adding] $5 trillion to America’s deficit,” said Harris.
On the contrary, Trump proposed imposing tariffs on other countries to combat inflation and improve the economy.
“We’re doing tariffs on other countries…. We’ve had a terrible economy because inflation has… [broken] up countries.… Many things are 50, 60, 70, and 80% higher than they were just a few years ago. This has been a disaster for people,” said Trump.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
One of the most visually apparent aspects of the debate was the body language, demeanor, and nonverbal communication of the two opponents.
“The first thing I noticed was when [Harris] went up for the handshake. It spoke a lot [from her]. I did think that those small, subtle gestures really spoke even more than perhaps what they were saying,” said Anand.
Although this was one of the most anticipated presidential debates, some viewers seemed relieved at the relative absence of drama between the candidates.
“There weren’t the fireworks that I expected to see … [but] there certainly were colorful moments,” said Sklar.
