The 2024 presidential debate kicked off with a handshake between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Hosted at the National Constitution Center and aired by ABC News, the debate highlighted the significant differences between the two candidates on key issues.

Economy and fracking

At the beginning of the debate, Kamala Harris criticized Trump for lacking a clear economic plan, accusing him of focusing solely on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

Harris emphasized her commitment to investing in diverse energy sources to reduce dependence on foreign oil, stating, "I made it very clear in 2020, I will not ban fracking." She highlighted her role in the Inflation Reduction Act, which supported new fracking leases, while also stressing the need for sustainable energy investments.

She said, "Trump left us with the worst economy, the worst health problem, and the worst attack on democracy since the Civil War.. and he left us with Project 2025."

Donald Trump rebutted Harris's points by asserting his detachment from Project 2025, a conservative initiative aimed at overhauling the federal government.

Trump claimed ignorance of the project and dismissed it as a collection of ideas from others, clarifying, "I have nothing to do with Project 2025. I haven’t read it, I don’t want to read it."

Tech race: China vs. US

Harris sharply criticized Trump, underscoring the critical need for the US to lead the technology race against China. She called for a boost in microchip production and greater investment in American technology.

Harris accused Trump of enabling the transfer of vital American technology to China during his presidency, asserting that his actions undermined US technological leadership, in which he argued that the US has stopped creating chips and that Taiwan was behind the transfer. 

Immigration and border policy 

Trump made controversial statements regarding immigration, claiming that immigrants are "taking over towns and buildings" in the US and alleging that crime rates have increased due to the Biden-Harris administration’s policies. 

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"What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country and look at what's happening to the towns all over the United States and a lot of towns don't want to talk," Trump said of the Biden-Harris administration at the debate.

"They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," he added.

Foreign policy and 'Israel' 

Concerning "Israel", Harris assured that she would continue to support "Israel", stressing, "I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, particularly against threats from Iran."

Trump warned that "Israel" could cease to exist within two years if Harris becomes president, stating, "If she's president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now."

With regard to the NATO-orchestrated war in Ukraine, Harris said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be sitting in Kiev right now if Trump were in the White House.

"If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kiev right now," Harris said during the first presidential debate with Trump on Tuesday night.

In response, Trump emphasized his desire for an immediate end to the Ukraine conflict, asserting that he could swiftly broker a peace plan if reelected.

"I want the war to stop, I want to save lives," Trump said.

Roe v. Wade

The debate addressed one of the most contentious issues: Roe v. Wade.

During Tuesday night's presidential debate, Trump doubled down on his claim of credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, while also asserting that he would not sign a national abortion ban if reelected.

He has wavered on his abortion position, shifting from initially supporting a national abortion ban to advocating for states' rights. Meanwhile, Harris has made abortion rights a central issue in her campaign.

Trump argued that the issue of abortion should be managed at the state level, stating, "Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative—they all wanted the issue of abortion to be brought back to the states." In response to Harris’s claim that he would sign a national abortion ban into law, Trump denied it, saying, "It's a lie. I'm not signing a ban... because we've gotten what everybody wanted." When pressed by moderator Linsey Davis on whether he would veto a ban, Trump suggested he hadn't discussed the issue with GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who had made such a claim.

Trump also made the assertion that Democrats support the "execution" of babies after birth. Davis refuted this, clarifying that "It's not legal to kill a baby after it's born in any state."

On the other hand, Harris criticized Trump's position, arguing that the government and Trump should not have control over a woman's choices regarding her body. She committed to signing legislation to reinstate Roe v. Wade if Congress passes a bill to enshrine federal abortion protections.

Next debate could be in October

The first official debate between Trump and Harris highlighted the deep ideological divides between the two candidates, setting the stage for a contentious campaign season as the November election approaches.

Harris has stated that the second debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump should be scheduled for next month, according to a statement from Harris-Walz campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.

"Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris or going backward with Trump," O’Malley Dillon said after the first presidential debate concluded on Tuesday night.