Debate opens with tense disputes between Trump and Harris over economy, abortion

Sparring on politics and personality Kamala Harris and Donald Trump showcased their starkly different visions for the country as they met for the first time Tuesday for perhaps their only debate before Novembers presidential election a highpressure opportunity for the candidates after a tumultuous campaign summerThe matchup offered Americans their most detailed look at a campaign thats dramatically changed since the last debate in June Harris immediately pressed the Democratic case better than President Joe Biden did hitting the former presidents proposed tax cuts and tariffs and linking him to the conservative Project 2025 blueprint for a Republican administration and GOP efforts to restrict abortion access Trump in turn tried to link Harris to Biden questioning why she hadnt acted on her proposed ideas while serving as vice presidentHarris sharply criticized Trump for the state of the economy and democracy when he left office as the COVID19 pandemic ravaged the nation and after his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan 6 2021 in a bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election What we have done is clean up Donald Trumps mess Harris said She opened her answer by saying she expects voters to hear a bunch of lies grievances and name calling from her GOP opponent during their 90minute debateTrump meanwhile quickly went after Harris for abandoning some of her past liberal positions and said Shes going to my philosophy now In fact I was going to send her a MAGA hat Harris smiled broadly and laughed Harris has sought to defend her shifts away from liberal causes to more moderate stances on fracking expanding Medicare for all and mandatory gun buyback programs and even backing away from her position that plastic straws should be banned as pragmatism insisting that her values remain the sameAs the debate opened Harris walked up to Trumps lectern to introduce herself marking the first time the two had ever met Kamala Harris she said extending her hand to Trump who received it in a handshake the first presidential debate handshake since the 2016 campaign Harris in zeroing in on one of Trumps biggest electoral vulnerabilities laid the end of national abortion rights at Trumps feet for his role in appointing three US Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade leaving more than 20 states in the country with what she called Trump abortion bansHarris gave one of her most impassioned answers as she described the ways women have been denied abortion care and other emergency care and said Trump would assign a national abortion ban if he wins Trump declared it a lie and said Im not signing a ban and theres no reason to sign a ban The Republican has said he wants the issue left to the statesHarris used a question about her plans to improve the economy by saying she would extend the tax cut for families with children and a tax deduction for small businesses while attacking Trumps plans to impose broad tariffs as a sales tax on goods that the American people will ultimately pay Trump was stonefaced during her answer but retorted I have no sales tax Thats in incorrect statement She knows thatTrump continued to call Harris a Marxist and said Everyone knows shes a Marxist Harris eyebrows shot up and she made an amused face cupping her hand on her chin and stared at him Trump in turn is trying to paint the vice president as an outoftouch liberal while trying to win over voters skeptical he should return to the White HouseTrump 78 has struggled to adapt to Harris 59 who is the first woman Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president The Republican former president has at times resorted to invoking racial and gender stereotypes frustrating allies who want Trump to focus instead on policy differences with HarrisThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever