Five memorable moments from the Trump-Harris debate

Former President Trump and Vice President Harris clashed violently in their first head-to-head debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday night – a turning point for both campaigns.

The debate lasted longer than the planned 90 minutes and was characterized by numerous controversial arguments and exchanges that will certainly be talked about well into November.

Here are five memorable moments from the Trump-Harris debate.

Trump fact-checked the pet-eating conspiracy

Trump wasted no time in bringing up conspiracy theories about immigrant gangs in Aurora, Colorado, and false accusations that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eat pets. Later in the debate, he persisted, falsely claiming that people in Springfield “eat dogs.”

About 25 minutes into the debate, the former president shared the unsubstantiated Internet rumor about Haitian migrants that had gained attention in recent days and was amplified by his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). The Ohio senator added the caveat that “the rumors could be false.”

“They’re eating the dogs, the people who came here, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people who live there, and that’s what’s happening in our country, and it’s a disgrace.”

The claim was verified by ABC News anchor David Muir, who clarified, “We checked with the city manager” and officials in Springfield, Ohio, have found no evidence of immigrants eating pets.

Harris appeared to laugh off the microphone and said, “What? This is unbelievable,” the vice presidential pool report said.

Harris criticizes Trump over abortion

One of the most notable exchanges between Harris and Trump revolved around an issue that motivates Democrats and makes the Republican Party politically explosive ahead of the November elections: abortion.

Trump took credit for ending the Roe v. Wade case and praised the “genius, heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices” who voted to strike down the constitutional right to abortion.

Harris, meanwhile, went on the attack over his claims that Democrats wanted to allow women to have abortions after nine months. As she spoke, she looked directly at Trump, who was staring unwaveringly forward.

“Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, who have a miscarriage, who are denied treatment in the emergency room because their doctors are afraid they’re going to go to jail, and then she bleeds to death in a car in the parking lot – she didn’t want that. Her husband didn’t want that,” Harris said.

She added that she would sign a bill to codify Roe v. Wade if Congress passed it.

At the beginning of the exchange, Trump began his response by claiming that Democrats wanted to legalize abortions until after birth, misrepresenting comments by former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D-R), falsely referring to him as the former governor of West Virginia.

Trump tells Harris: “I’m talking now”

Trump cited a notable moment from Harris’ debate against former Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, when she told him, “I’m speaking.”

“I’m speaking now, if you don’t mind, please. Does this sound familiar?” Trump said to Harris.

At the beginning of the exchange, Harris commented on the relief of NATO leaders over Trump’s absence and his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Our NATO allies are so grateful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever seen, NATO,” Harris said.

Trump told Harris to “please be quiet” when she interrupted during a response to Putin.

Harris responded to a comment, but her microphone was turned off when Trump argued that the Russia-Ukraine conflict would not have broken out if he were in office.

“Quiet, please,” he said. “He would be much happier in Moscow than he is now. But then he has something that other people don’t have. He has nuclear weapons. Nobody ever talks about that.”

Trump refuses to veto a national abortion ban

The former president refused to commit to vetoing a national abortion ban when asked directly whether he would do so if re-elected to the White House.

Trump praised himself and the Supreme Court justices who voted to abolish abortion rights.

“I did a great service in doing this, it took courage. The Supreme Court had great courage to do it. And I give those six justices tremendous credit,” Trump said.

Vice President Harris attacked him for the current patchwork of abortion laws across the country. Nearly two dozen states ban or restrict abortion, and Harris repeatedly referred to the laws as “Trump abortion bans.”

“The government, and certainly Donald Trump, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” Harris said.

Trump says he has “concepts for a plan” to replace Obamacare

When asked about his previous failure to repeal the landmark Obamacare health care reform law, Trump stumbled with an answer.

“We are working on it. We will do it. We will replace it,” Trump said.

However, he added that he currently has no plan.

“I have concepts for a plan. Right now I am not president,” Trump said.

Trump said the law was a failure and cost Americans too much money, adding that Republicans only repealed it by one vote in 2017.

Biden officials said Tuesday that nearly 50 million Americans have signed up for ObamaCare insurance since 2014.

Notably, Republicans were one vote away from repealing the Affordable Care Act in 2017, but failed to do so after the late Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), along with Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), broke with his party to give Democrats the three Republican votes needed to keep the law.

Bonus moment: The long-awaited Taylor Swift endorsement deal is coming

Shortly after the end of the debate, the highly anticipated endorsement of pop superstar Taylor Swift followed, speaking out in favor of Harris’s presidential candidacy.

She signed the post as “childless cat lady” and said she supports the vice president because “she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a fighter to represent them.”

“I consider her a calm and gifted leader and I am convinced that we can accomplish much more in this country if we are guided by calm, not chaos,” Swift wrote.

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