By Qasim Rashid
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump met for their first presidential debate, and for the first time ever, in Philadelphia. Below, I provide a comprehensive analysis on 14 of the most salient questions and subjects.
Kamala Harris focused on passing a $6,000 child tax credit, a $25,000 credit for first-time home buyers, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and building on national unity under her “Opportunity Economy.” In contrast, Donald Trump said that nine years after he first began running for office he now finally has a concept of an idea for healthcare, said his crowd sizes are bigger than Harris’s, repeated the Big Lie about a stolen 2020 election, and says criminal immigrants are getting transgender surgeries in prison while eating your dog. No, that’s not hyperbole. That’s a quote.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive in.
Claim 1: Immigrants are harming the country
Donald Trump’s favorite scare tactic throughout his speech was to claim there’s an “invasion of immigrants killing hundreds of thousands of people a year.” Let’s break down this blatant falsehood:
.There’s no “invasion.” Notwithstanding the absurdity of labeling immigrants as “invaders,” undocumented crossings are at a three year low. Trump refused to explain his policy of deporting 11M undocumented immigrants, namely how he plans to execute such an undertaking.
. Immigrants are not “killing hundreds of thousands of people a year.” In reality, all murders in America combined total around 21,500 annually. Trump fabricated data to fear monger and hope it wins him votes.
Far from record crime rates, as Trump alleged, America’s murder rates are at historic lows and falling. Again, the facts are inconvenient to Trump, so he makes up his own alternative facts as he goes along.
. Trump never mentions that murder rates are 40% higher in red states than in blue states, and 8 of the top 10 states with highest murder rates are red states. This is in part due to failed “tough on crime” policies that red states espouse. Trump demonizes immigrants to avoid dealing with failed Republican policies.
. Trump is on record that he wants more white immigrants from ‘nice’ countries like Norway, but condemns immigrants from “sh*thole countries,” i.e. his pejorative for Haiti and African countries. He claims he will support immigration reform, but when this Congress had a bipartisan immigration bill—Trump told GOP to kill it. When asked why he killed the bill, Trump repeatedly refused to answer.
Finally, immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, have significantly lower crime rates than do born U.S. citizens. This has in fact always been the case. You are statistically safer living next to an immigrant than you are living next to a born U.S. citizen. In fact, a study over a 150 year period found that immigrants have never had a higher crime rate than born U.S. citizens.
Claim 2: Tariffs will benefit Americans
Donald Trump has made tariffs a centerpiece of his economic policy, claiming they benefit American families by protecting U.S. jobs.
Fact check: Trump fundamentally misunderstands how tariffs work, or, he thinks Americans are too stupid to understand he’s lying. Tariffs on imports, such as those imposed on Chinese goods, result in higher prices for American consumers. Experts estimate that Trump’s tariffs have cost American families approximately $4,000 per year due to price increases passed down to consumers. His approach has hurt the U.S. economy, raising the cost of living for middle-class families while providing little long-term benefit to domestic industries.
Claim 3: Post-birth abortions
One of Trump’s most inflammatory claims is that some states allow “post-birth abortions,” a claim he made repeatedly all night long.
Fact check: This claim is patently false. There is no such thing as a “post-birth abortion.” The very concept is a contradiction of medical and legal definitions. Similarly, Trump’s claim about so-called “ninth-month abortions” is misleading. Abortions at that stage of the pregnancy are incredibly rare, never voluntary, and occur only when the life of the mother or the fetus is at risk. The refusal of GOP states to provide this critical life saving healthcare contributes to GOP states representing 16 of the top 17 states with high maternal and infant mortality rates. Asked twice if he would sign a national abortion ban, Trump refuses to answer the question and instead ranted about student loans.
In contrast, Kamala Harris was clear she would sign a national law to protect abortion access and reproductive rights, and ensure government could not supersede a woman’s right to personal autonomy.
Claim 4: America was deeply divided under Roe v. Wade
Donald Trump recently claimed that the U.S. was deeply divided on abortion rights under Roe v. Wade, and he helped unify the country by overturning Roe.
Fact check: Polls show Trump’s claim is a lie. More than 72% of Americans supported Roe v. Wade and the right to reproductive healthcare. Contrary to Trump’s assertions, abortion is one of the few issues that unites a vast majority of Americans in support of women’s rights .
Claim 5: The cases against Trump are political weaponization
Trump insisted that the multiple criminal cases against him, including those for fraud and sexual assault, are part of a politically motivated effort to weaponize the Department of Justice against him.
Fact check: These cases were brought based on substantial evidence, not political motivations. Trump has been convicted of fraud and sexual assault, and is facing multiple other charges based on his actions while in and out of office. These are not politically driven accusations, but criminal charges that resulted from judicial investigations. He was convicted not by Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or any political operative, but by a jury of his peers.
Though, Harris did make it a point to point out that for as much as Donald Trump professes to oppose crime, he’s a convicted criminal guilty of numerous fraud and sexual crimes.
Claim 6: Biden botched the Afghanistan withdrawal
Donald Trump claimed that his administration ended the war in Afghanistan, criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal.
Fact check: Trump’s own administration negotiated the deal with the Taliban, which bypassed the Afghan government and led to the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners . While the Biden administration followed through with the withdrawal, the framework was set under Trump’s leadership. Trump’s failure to prepare for the transition significantly contributed to the chaotic aftermath. Trump himself admits that he set things in motion that Biden could not stop.
Harris said she supported Biden’s decision to continue with the Afghanistan withdrawal, and acknowledged the tragic deaths of 13 soldiers.
Claim 7: Transgender surgeries for immigrants
Trump has baselessly accused Kamala Harris of supporting transgender surgeries for undocumented immigrants.
Fact check: There is no policy or proposal from Harris or any other Democrat that suggests public funding for transgender surgeries for immigrants . This false narrative is designed to mislead voters, has no grounding in reality, and is nothing more than divisive bigotry.
Claim 8: Immigrants are eating dogs
Trump claimed immigrants on Ohio are eating dogs, and that it must be true because he saw it on television. Yes he is actually dying on this hill.
Fact Check: The moderators quickly fact-checked Trump that they’d spoken to the city manager of the alleged dog eating claims, and found that no such thing happened in any capacity. Trump insisted that it must have happened because he saw it on television, which speaks most to his gullibility or utter incompetence, or perhaps a combination the two. The truth is that if your elderly father or grandfather told you criminal immigrants are getting transgender surgeries in prison while stealing and eating your dog—you’d consider heavy medication or maybe even having them committed. MAGAs want him elected President.
Harris responded to this and other similar claims by pointing out just how extreme Trump is, and how Americans want unity instead.
Claim 9: Israel and Palestine
The moderators asked both candidates how they would end Israel’s siege on Gaza. Neither had a particularly good answer.
Fact Check: The moderators pressed Harris on how she would end the siege on Gaza, given that Netanyahu has continued to obstruct a deal and refuses to abide by deals. Harris simply restated that she and Biden are working hard to secure a ceasefire and release of all hostages. However, she refused to entertain any notion of stopping arms to Netanyahu, even as he commits war crimes with those arms. I believe Harris must distance herself from Biden on this issue. More than 61% of Americans want to stop arms to Netanyahu, as do 77% of Democrats.
Trump ranted about how Harris hates Israel and he he would have prevented 10/7 from happening in the first place—again—without any evidence or tangible policy to back up his wild claims. Trump also claimed Harris “hates Arabs.” This is likely a ploy to try to attract Arab voters upset about Biden’s handling of Israel’s siege on Gaza.
Claim 10: Trump could end the war in Ukraine
Trump has repeatedly claimed that if he were in office, the war in Ukraine would never have happened, or that he could quickly bring it to an end. There’s no evidence of this.
Fact check: Trump’s foreign policy record contradicts these claims. During his presidency, Trump weakened U.S. alliances by repeatedly criticizing NATO, an essential counterbalance to Russian aggression. His cozy relationship with authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin emboldened Russia’s actions, leading to instability in Europe. Moreover, Trump’s withdrawal of support for Ukraine and failure to hold Russia accountable for its actions would likely have worsened the situation, not prevented it. Experts agree that the unity of NATO, strengthened under Biden’s leadership, has been a critical factor in Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and maintain its sovereignty.
Despite being asked repeatedly if he wants Ukraine to win this war, Trump refused to answer, or give any explanation exactly how he would bring about an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “even before he would be inaugurated.”
Claim 11: The U.S. economy was better under Trump
Trump often touts his economic record, claiming that the U.S. economy was at its strongest during his presidency. The opposite is true.
Fact check: While it’s true that the economy saw growth before the COVID-19 pandemic, much of that success was built on policies put in place by previous administrations. Even then, Trump’s job growth even prior to the pandemic was slower than Obama’s job growth during his first or second term.
Trump’s tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy added trillions to the national debt without delivering significant benefits to the middle class or working Americans. Furthermore, the U.S. lost millions of manufacturing jobs during his presidency, despite his claims to the contrary. His trade wars, particularly with China, also hurt American farmers and industries by increasing costs and reducing market access. Economic growth under Trump was not as exceptional as he claims, and the recovery has been shaped more by global trends than his policies.
Claim 12: Trump had a better healthcare plan than the ACA
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Affordable Care Act (ACA), claiming he would implement a superior healthcare plan.
Fact check: Throughout his presidency, Trump failed to offer a comprehensive healthcare plan that could replace the ACA. His administration attempted to repeal the ACA multiple times, more than 60 times in fact, but these efforts were blocked in Congress, most notably by Senator John McCain.
Trump’s only healthcare “plan” was to dismantle the ACA, which would have left millions of Americans without health insurance, especially those with preexisting conditions. Despite claiming to have an alternative, Trump never presented a viable replacement. In contrast, the ACA continues to provide essential coverage for millions of Americans, while recent reforms under the Biden/Harris administration have reduced prescription drug prices and expanded access to affordable healthcare.
Claim 13: Peaceful transfer of power
On peaceful transfer of power Trump asked about watching the violence and waiting two hours before telling supporters to go home. He accepted no wrongdoing.
Fact Check: Asked if he has any regrets on January 6, Trump refuses to answer the question. Instead he brought up Ashlee Babbit, a violent insurrectionist who was killed by law enforcement after refusing to comply with lawful orders to stop invading the Capitol. Trump instead condemned law enforcement for protecting the Capitol from Ashlee Babbit and other insurrectionists. Trump defended the January 6 rioters, who he has promised to pardon and release if reelected, and blamed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not giving 10K national guard troops. This is also a lie, of course, as ordering the troops was within his jurisdiction and he declined to do so.
Kamala Harris responded that she was at the Capitol that day, and put the blame squarely on Trump for inciting violence. She noted that 140 police officers were injured that day and that some died. She also pointed out Trump was impeached for his violence.
Claim 14: The big lie
Donald Trump was asked about his recent remarks saying that he “lost by a whisper.” He claimed he was being sarcastic, and still won the 2020 election.
Fact Check: Trump stated that he stands by the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. He went on to claim our elections our “bad and Democrats are getting illegal immigrants to vote.” Both of these claims are lies. Our elections are secure and there is zero evidence that non-citizens can vote. The moderators correctly noted to him that 60+ judges looked at the evidence and ruled against him on the merits—a fact Trump still refuses to acknowledge.
Asked about Trump’s threats to prosecute his political opponents, Kamala Harris responded that “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million Americans.” This clearly got under Trump’s skin. Harris went on to point out that world leaders are laughing at Trump, and that court cases show Trump has lost the election repeatedly.
Conclusion
Throughout the debate, Harris continued to bait Trump, and Trump continued to take the bait. Harris baited Trump on crowd size, on his $400M inheritance, on John McCain, and on his felony convictions. Harris continued to stare Trump down when she spoke, while Trump continued to look down when she spoke to him. Harris ignored several notable questions, namely, are you better off now than four years ago, and why she no longer supporters universal healthcare. However, she thoroughly portrayed her vision of a future built on economic justice, American unity, and giving working people a fighting chance. It was a clear, inviting vision.
Trump largely refused to answer any question at all. He instead used his time to repeatedly attack Harris with what you would find on a Q-Anon post. I mean, I still can’t believe Trump actually claimed and then insisted that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating dogs.
Make no mistake. Donald Trump’s return to the White House with a Project 2025 agenda will invite fascism to America. Of note, Trump also lied and claimed he knows nothing of Project 2025 because he sees how toxic those fascist policies are.
He is not to be trusted with the office of the presidency—not if we care about the economy, the environment, immigration reform, reproductive health access, and government accountability. We must see through Trumps’s smokescreen of lies, understand the real threats to our nation’s future, and work with actual productive policy for economic, social, and climate justice. Reject the rhetoric. Reject the hate. Reject Donald Trump. Our country deserves better.
