On Sept. 10, 2024, Americans across the country tuned in to watch the second and final presidential debate of the 2024 election. After President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump went head-to-head in a debate lasting nearly two hours. Topics such as border control, the nation’s economy and reproductive rights were discussed.
Presidential debates are crucial in the election process because they provide U.S. voters with an understanding of who the candidates are and what they support.
Americans have varying opinions on which candidate’s performance in the debate showed more promise. Some believe Harris “won” the debate because of her poised demeanor and eloquent speaking style. Alexi Cohan of GBH News claims many young voters agreed that Harris’s performance in the debate far exceeded Trump’s. New voters noticed how Trump often deflected questions and diverted the conversation to immigration and border control.
Others argue Trump’s performance was successful in reinforcing his policies on immigration and inflation, particularly in his defense of tariffs. Anthony Zurcher of BBC news claims, “Trump distanced himself from the project and defended his tariff plan, noting that the Biden administration had kept many of the tariffs from his first presidency.” By making a point of targeting the Democratic Party, Trump showed his stance, gaining support from people who agreed with those issues.
Still, many Americans support Harris because of how well-composed she was during the debate. Caitlin O’Kane of CBS claims, “It wouldn’t have mattered if they were discussing the COVID-19 response, Russian election meddling or even global warming. The debate came down to which candidate Americans connected to. Kamala Harris won the debate right then and there.” Others, though, criticized the Vice President’s responses, claiming she did not directly answer what was being asked of her.
Both candidates had quotable moments, but one comment Trump made about immigration in Springfield sparked controversy.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating—they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said.
Communications High School students expressed mixed feelings about the debate.
Sophomore Sawyer Ernish of Ocean Township stated, “I think it was better than the last debate because Kamala Harris is a much better-spoken person than Joe Biden.”
Sophomore Eric Wazeka of Howell claims watching the debate led him to raise concern for the future of authority in the country. “It was funny for like the first three minutes but then it was just sad,” Wazeka said. “Then it just hit me—these are the people that are in charge of us and they’re arguing up there like middle schoolers.”
The debate offered some voters clarity, while others were left with questions and concerns about the next presidency.
