Harris, Trump face off for first time in presidential debate

PHILADELPHIA, the United States - US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off for the first time Tuesday night in a 2024 US presidential debate in the city of Philadelphia.

The debate, hosted by ABC News, started at 9 pm Eastern Time Tuesday (0100 GMT Wednesday) at the National Constitution Center.

Harris shook hands with Trump after they were introduced on stage. During their over 90-minute debate, they clashed over key issues, including the economy, abortion, immigration, and US foreign policies, aiming to appeal to voters across the country.

Both Harris and Trump touted plans to strengthen the economy and bring down the cost of living. Harris vowed to build an "opportunity economy", citing plans to make housing more affordable and expand the child tax credit. Trump repeated his claim that he would put tariffs on other countries and also criticized the high inflation rates under the Biden-Harris administration.

Abortion is a vital issue for both candidates in the debate. Trump emphasized his position that abortion should be a state issue. Harris criticized what she referred to as the "Trump abortion bans" since Roe v. Wade fell. She also highlighted cases where women have been unable to get abortions after being raped or struggled to get miscarriage care.

They also sparred over US foreign policies regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Trump repeatedly mentioned US President Joe Biden during the debate, and Harris reminded him, "You're not running against Joe Biden; you're running against me."

The fiery debate also included personal attacks.

"The back-and-forth at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia was riddled with false and misleading comments, including on job growth and a baseless claim about Haitian immigrants," NBC News reported.

The debate was the second presidential election debate of the 2024 election, following the first one between Biden and Trump in June.

Biden bowed out of the race in July due to concerns over his age, health, and debate performance. He passed his torch to Harris, who secured the Democratic presidential nomination in August.

Tuesday's debate was critical as polls show a tight race with election day just two months away.

Pennsylvania is one of the key battleground states that could significantly impact the election. Surveys of the key battleground states show that Trump and Harris are within a few points of each other and the polls' margins of error.