Penn Dems and College Republicans debate presidential election at briefing event

The Penn Government and Politics Association hosted a new student orientation debate between the Penn Democrats and the Penn College Republicans.

The August 24 debate centered on whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former president and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump is the best choice for president. The Penn Dems were represented by third-year sophomore and Penn Dems president Ellie Goluboff-Schragger, third-year sophomore Selma Farsakh-Ulm, and third-year sophomore Declan Brady. Sophomore William Pallan and Wharton sophomore Finn Broder debated for the College Republicans.

The debate was divided into four sections: economy, foreign policy, immigration and abortion.

The Penn Dems and College Republicans began by introducing their clubs to the approximately 60 freshmen attending the event and explaining that their goals for the year were to work to get their respective parties’ presidential candidates elected.

After opening remarks from both sides, the debate began with a discussion of Trump and Biden’s economic policies. Farsakh-Ulm said Trump has made the U.S. more dependent on other countries for its energy supply, while Pallan mentioned Trump’s Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, “which has created 11,000 union jobs for hard-working Americans.”

Pallan also claimed that the Democratic Party had abandoned its democratic morals and called it “the least democratic institution.”

“Just a few months before the election [the Democratic Party] undermined the will of [its] “They convinced their own voters and put up a candidate who received zero votes for president,” Pallan said, referring to Harris’ sudden rise to the top of the ballot after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the race – after presidential primaries had already been held in all states.

A question from the audience brought up the topic of Project 2025, a presidential transition project launched by the Heritage Foundation to serve as a vision board for a second Trump term. Brady said Trump, who has publicly distanced himself from Project 2025, did so for “political reasons.” Members of the Penn Dems and College Republicans then discussed the economic and administrative proposals outlined in the project.

The debate then moved on to foreign policy and the war between Israel and Hamas. said Trump “did not start new wars and pursued a realistic foreign policy that put American interests first.”

Farsakh-Ulm disagreed, saying that the College Republicans panelists did not present any policy proposals that would prove that Trump’s presidency had helped prevent global conflict.

Responding to a question from the audience, Farsakh-Ulm, who identifies as a Muslim and Palestinian, spoke about the Uncommitted National Movement, saying that she “[hated] the way the DNC [Democratic National Convention] responded to some members of the Uncommitted [movement].” She explained that the platform of the uncommitted delegates was to urge Harris to [the Israel-Hamas war] take into account.”

“[Harris] has shown that it is capable of [Uncommitted concerns] “I think she’s going to connect with those voters,” Farsakh-Ulm said. “I think she’s been really disrespectful in the past to people chanting and talking about Gaza and Palestine and the children dying. But she’s a young candidate, and we’ve seen her change and evolve her policies in more progressive areas.”

After discussing the war between Israel and Hamas, the debate turned to the issue of immigration.

“When Kamala Harris appeals to the woke left by saying that illegal immigrants are not criminals, she is simply lying to your face. We have laws that these people have broken,” Broder read in his written opening statement.

In his opening remarks, Brady said that Trump had reduced the number of green cards available to people abroad and that the Trump administration had separated over 5,000 children from their parents.

After Broder said that illegal immigrants in the U.S. could commit violent crimes, Brady said that native-born Americans commit more crimes than illegal immigrants. Broder then argued that all illegal immigrants commit crimes by being in the country illegally.

Finally, the debate turned to the issue of abortion. Broder said Trump does not support a national abortion ban and said “the Democrats have taken an extreme position.” Goluboff-Schragger pointed out in her response that Trump nominated the Supreme Court justices who “paved the way for the implementation of strict abortion bans” and that he has been inconsistent in his stance on abortion in the past.

Broder subsequently claimed that New York State could allow abortion even after a baby is born.

New York State law allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy if the fetus is not viable or the patient’s life or health is in danger.

Both sides used their closing statements to reaffirm their support for their respective candidates and encourage freshmen to join their clubs.