In a fiery debate on Tuesday night, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off in their only scheduled debate ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
Harris delivered sharp rebuttals and punchlines throughout the evening, drawing on a range of issues from the economy to foreign policy, and even personal jabs.
Here are some of the most memorable moments.
- Rally Exits
“It’s a really interesting thing to watch. You will see, during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”
- Autocrats & Dictators
“These dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again, because they’re so clear, they can manipulate you with flattery and favors.”
- Women’s Rights
“The government, and Donald Trump, certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”
- The Economy
“My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations.”
- Israel-Gaza Conflict
When Trump accused Harris of hating Israel, she countered:
“That’s absolutely not true. I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people.”
- World Leaders
“World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump.”
“If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now.”
- I’m Speaking (Again)
When Trump interrupted, Harris shot back,
“It’s important to remind the former president, you’re not running against Joe Biden, you are running against me.”
- January 6 Attack
Recalling the Capitol attack, Harris said:
“I was at the Capitol. I was the vice president-elect. I was also a senator and on that day, the president of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation’s capital.”
“But what Donald Trump did, let’s talk about this, with COVID, is he actually thanked President Xi for what he did during COVID.”
Throughout the debate, Harris used sharp critiques, fact-based responses, and memorable lines to highlight her contrasts with Trump, setting the stage for a showdown in the coming election.
