Trump-Harris debate updates: Candidates go on attack in zinger-filled showdown

Harris and Trump sparred in the high-stakes showdown.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Emily Chang, and Brittany Gaddy
Last Updated: September 11, 2024, 12:52 AM EDT

The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump turned into a heated matchup that lasted more than 90 minutes.

The night started with a handshake initiated by Harris, but quickly escalated as the vice president bashed Trump over his policies and comments, contending that it was time to "offer is a new generation of leadership for our country."

Trump criticized Harris throughout the debate on topics such as Afghanistan and immigration issues, drawing comparisons between the vice president and President Joe Biden.

With Election Day just eight weeks away, the debate came at a critical point as polls show a neck-and-neck race between the candidates.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing:
Sep 11, 12:12 am

A transcript of the Harris-Trump debate

Harris and Trump met for their first presidential debate on Tuesday night. The consequential matchup was hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Read a transcript of what was said in the 90-minute debate here.

Sep 10, 2024, 9:21 PM EDT

Fact-checking Harris' claim that 16 Nobel laureates say Trump's plan would increase inflation and land us in a recession

Fact Check: Mostly True.

Harris correctly describes what the Nobel laureates said about inflation during a Trump presidency: “There is rightly a worry that Donald Trump will reignite this inflation.” But while the group describes Harris’ agenda as “vastly superior” to Trump’s, their letter doesn’t specifically predict a recession by the middle of 2025. Rather, the group wrote: “We believe that a second Trump term would have a negative impact on the U.S.’s economic standing in the world and a destabilizing effect on the U.S.’s domestic economy.”

The 16 economists are George Akerlof, Angus Deaton, Claudia Goldin, Oliver Hart, Eric S. Maskin, Daniel L. McFadden, Paul R. Milgrom, Roger B. Myerson, Edmund S. Phelps, Paul M. Romer, Alvin E. Roth, William F. Sharp, Robert J. Shiller, Christopher A. Sims, Joseph Stiglitz and Robert B. Wilson.

— PolitiFact's Louis Jacobson

Sep 10, 2024, 9:19 PM EDT

Trump says he did 'phenomenal' job with pandemic

Trump complained that people haven't given him enough credit for the "great job" his administration did in response to the pandemic.

"We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic," he said, touching on providing ventilators and other supplies.

Sep 10, 2024, 9:15 PM EDT

Harris subtly tries to get under Trump's skin

Harris is clearly trying to get under Trump's skin, albeit subtly.

She is mentioning Project 2025, whose popularity his campaign is frustrated by, and mentioned criticism of his economic plan by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania -- Trump's alma mater, which he frequently cites as evidence of his business bona fides.

And most significantly, Harris panned his record as a "mess."

"Let's talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the great depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess," she said.

Sep 10, 2024, 9:13 PM EDT

Harris argues Trump will use 'same old playbook' tonight

After a first question on the economy elicited a back-and-forth from Harris and Trump, with Trump veering the conversation toward immigration and attacking the Biden administration's record, Harris took a moment to try to rebut Trump's comments.

"But I'm going to tell you all in this debate tonight, you're going to hear from the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and and name-calling," she said.