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Trump-Harris debate live 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 10, 2024, 11:41 PM 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:
8 hour and 4 minutes ago

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.

8 hour and 47 minutes ago

Trump says he had a great debate

Trump entered the spin room after the debate, claiming he had a great debate and continued to slam Harris over her policies.

He also said he was open to debating Harris again.

8 hour and 47 minutes ago

Sen. Murphy says Trump ‘was a puddle by the end of the night,’ Harris looked like a leader

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy offered a scathing critique of Trump’s performance, telling reporters that viewers “only saw one president on stage” and that “Donald Trump was a puddle by the end of the night,” while “Kamala Harris got stronger as the debate went on. She looked like a leader, not just of the United States of America, but of the free world.”

—538's Tia Yang

8 hour and 56 minutes ago

CLAIM: 'As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is an active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.'

Fact check: False

Harris appears to be using a narrow definition of what constitutes a combat zone, because there are U.S. military troops in the Middle East who have come under deadly fire over the last year.

There are currently 2,500 U.S. military troops in Iraq and more than 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria who are on a mission to support local forces to prevent a resurgence by ISIS. While the troops in both countries are mostly involved in an advisory role some of them are also engaged in risky counterterrorism missions against ISIS.

But the real threat to these troops over the past year were the repeated attacks against U.S. bases in both countries by Iranian-backed militia groups that launched more than 170 rocket and drone attacks. But it was an attack on a U.S. base in neighboring Jordan this past January that has proven to be the most costly. Three U.S. Soldiers were killed and 34 others were wounded when a drone launched by those militia groups made it past air defense systems. That attack led the Biden administration to order large-scale retaliatory airstrikes against the Iranian-backed militia groups.

42 minutes ago

JD Vance dodges question about Trump's stance on national abortion bill

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who earlier said that Trump would veto a national abortion bill if it came to his desk, was asked by ABC News' Jonathan Karl to clarify Trump's non-commitment to that veto.

Vance contended that Trump has made it clear that Trump opposes a national abortion ban.

"Why are we asking about a piece of legislation that will never happen?" he asked.

Vance, Trump's running mate, went on to criticize Harris over what he claimed was a lack of strong policies.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance discusses the performance of his running mate, former President Donald Trump, following ABC News' debate.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance discusses the performance of his running mate, former President Donald Trump, following ABC News' debate.

"She's been the vice president for three and a half years and can not run on her record," he said.

When asked again about Trump's lack of commitment to vetoing a national abortion ban bill, Vance again claimed that it wasn't an issue.

"I think it's so preposterous for the media to focus on the issue," he said.