Harris baits, debates Trump in feisty Philly face-off
The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris quickly grew combative


What happened
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris squared off last night for their first, maybe only, debate before November's presidential election. The 90-minute debate began with Harris walking up to shake Trump's hand but quickly grew combative, with the vice president frequently putting Trump on the defensive. Minutes after the debate ended, pop megastar Taylor Swift endorsed Harris, saying she had watched and "done my research," and Harris is a "steady-handed, gifted leader" who would lead "by calm and not chaos."
Who said what
"Kamala Harris planted traps," and for much of the debate, "Donald Trump stepped on them," David Weigel said at Semafor. Trump "had a bad night," Fox News analyst Brit Hume said, rising "to the bait repeatedly when she baited him, something I'm sure his advisers begged him not to do." The "attack line that seemed handcrafted by a team of Trumpologists to enrage him" was about crowds "leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom," Matt Flegenheimer said at The New York Times. That was when Trump "seemed to lose his way — the temptation he could not resist."
Yes, "Trump took the bait — over and over again," Politico said, but at a cost for Harris, "leaving her with less time to introduce herself to unfamiliar voters" on her biggest stage. "On paper," the Harris campaign "got exactly what it wanted" and "Trump was terrible," Jim Geraghty said at The National Review. But he has been like this "year after year," so it isn't a given "the poll numbers shift at all." A CNN-SSRS snap poll found that 63% of registered voters who watched the debate thought Harris won.
What next?
Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said immediately after the debate that "Harris is ready for a second debate," adding, "is Donald Trump?" Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity he would "think about it." Tim Walz and J.D. Vance are scheduled to meet Oct. 1 for a vice-presidential debate on CBS.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
Carney and Trump come face-to-face as bilateral tensions mount
IN THE SPOTLIGHT For his first sit-down with an unpredictable frenemy, the Canadian prime minister elected on a wave of anti-Trump sentiment tried for an awkward detente
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
How does the Alien Enemies Act work?
Feature President Trump is using a long-dormant law to deport Venezuelans. How does it work?
-
Baby bonus: Can Trump boost the birth rate?
Feature The Trump administration is encouraging Americans to have more babies while also cutting funding for maternal and postpartum care
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Deportations ensnare migrant families, U.S. citizens
Feature Trump's deportation crackdown is sweeping up more than just immigrants as ICE targets citizens, judges and nursing mothers
-
Trump shrugs off warnings over trade war costs
Feature Trump's tariffs are spiraling the U.S. toward an economic crisis as shipments slow down—and China doesn't plan to back down