On September 12, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris (Kamala Harris) and former President Donald Trump held their first debate on Tuesday evening, September 10th. This debate could possibly be their only debate in the 2024 election.
The debate began with a handshake. The Vice President took the initiative to step forward and shook hands with the former president, who is 19 years her senior, introducing herself as “Kamala Harris.” It was their first meeting. Trump smiled and shook her hand, but the harmonious atmosphere lasted only for a moment, as the two quickly engaged in a heated exchange.
The first topic of the debate was economic issues, including tariff matters.
Trump refuted Harris’s claim that he would tax the middle class to fund tax cuts for billionaires, stating that his focus was on imposing high tariffs on other countries. He said, “75 years later, other countries finally have to pay us back for everything we’ve done for the world.”
Naturally, he discussed changing the U.S.-China relationship and the global landscape through the trade war with China, proudly stating, “As you know, I received billions of dollars from China. I am the first president to receive billions of dollars from China and other countries have too.”
He pointed out that President Biden’s administration retained the tariffs, proving that imposing tariffs is effective.
Harris criticized the “Phase One” trade agreement reached with China in 2020, stating that it did not address structural issues with China but instead “essentially sold American chips to China, helping them improve and modernize their military.” She believed that this was a betrayal.
Compared to Trump, Harris appeared more prepared, speaking eloquently and showcasing a broader, deeper strategic vision. She believed that the U.S. should focus on laying the groundwork to ensure America’s success in the 21st century competition, echoing her speech at the Democratic National Convention.
She emphasized the need to pay attention to details, relations with allies, and investing in U.S.-based technology to win in the competition in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
She also stressed the need to focus on supporting the American workforce so that they do not lose out on workers’ rights.
She mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, mocking Trump for praising Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the outbreak. She said, “Look at his tweets, it says ‘Thank you, Chairman Xi, exclamation point.'”
She condemned China’s cover-up of the pandemic’s origins and the risks it posed to the world, stating that “We know Xi Jinping lacks transparency on the origin of COVID, and he must be held accountable.”
During the debate, Trump did not have the opportunity to defend his tweets.
Despite Trump’s tough stance on imposing tariffs on Chinese products, he exhibited a different kind of diplomatic wisdom in maintaining relationships with other world leaders, including Russian President Putin.
The debate touched on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Afghanistan war, and the conflict in the Middle East.
Trump did not directly answer the host when asked if he wanted Ukraine to win, instead saying, “I want the war to stop.” He criticized Biden for not knowing how to communicate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, promising to resolve the issue before taking office if he wins.
Harris rebutted by saying that the Biden administration had established a broad alliance and provided Ukraine with various weapon systems, including air defense, ammunition, artillery, and tanks. She stated that thanks to this support, “Ukraine stands strong as an independent and free country,” and warned that if Trump were to be elected president, “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv looking at other European countries, starting with Poland.”
Jennifer Kavanagh, military analysis director at the U.S. foreign policy think tank “Defense Priorities,” expressed dissatisfaction with the debate. She said, “Both candidates did not provide substantive answers on China’s threat issues, or even on the Ukraine issue.”
She believed that Harris’s domino theory was a “rehash of old arguments.” She stated, “Putin has not shown interest in occupying all of Europe or attacking NATO countries; clearly, he lacks military capability.”
Kavanagh also found Trump’s response unsatisfactory as he did not explain how he would resolve the over two-year-old conflict.
(Reference: “Asia Economics News”)