Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debated on Tuesday evening for the first time since the vice president and Democratic candidate for the American presidential election entered the scene.
• Also read: A debate that will pave the way for “the most important election in recent American history”
• Also read: What to expect from tonight’s debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris?
While this was a first debate for Kamala Harris, it was the second time this campaign that Donald Trump took part in the game, having previously spoken with President Joe Biden last June.
At the end of this first debate in June, the American president was forced to abandon the race and gave up his place to his running mate Kamala Harris.
The ABC debate was not presented in front of an audience and the microphones were turned off when it was not the candidates’ turn to speak.
The facial expressions of both candidates, however, spoke volumes throughout the clash.
The two candidates were not allowed to have prepared notes in front of them before this big evening.
Watch the full exchange in the video above.
And here, live, is the thread of events from this first debate between the Republican and Democratic candidates:
10:43 p.m. | Donald Trump makes his final statement
“She talks about what she’s going to do, but why hasn’t she done it already?”
“We are a failing nation. We are the laughing stock of the world. We are no longer leaders.”
10:40 p.m. | Kamala Harris makes her final statement
“I want to be the president of all Americans.”
10:20 p.m. | Donald Trump defends himself against having judged Kamala Harris’ racial identity
“I don’t care,” the Republican candidate said. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. I read at one point that she said she wasn’t black. Then I read that she was black.”
10:01 p.m. | Harris says she supports Israel, accuses Trump wants to be a dictator
“It is well known that Donald Trump is weak” and can be manipulated by dictators, says the Democratic candidate.
“He admires dictators, he wants to be a dictator from the first days if he is elected,” she said, adding that Putin “would make short work” of Trump.
9:59 p.m. | Trump accuses Harris of “hating” Israel
The Republican candidate assures that “Israel would disappear” under a Harris presidency. “The whole region will explode: the Arabs, the Jews and Israel,” he says.
9:49 PM | Trump continues to refuse to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election
9:46 p.m. | Donald Trump says he “probably took a bullet to the head” because of his opponents’ attacks
9:43 p.m. | “It’s my turn to speak,” Trump tells Harris
“It’s my turn to speak,” Donald Trump tells Kamala Harris, who laughs when she hears his statements.
9:29 p.m. | Migrants ‘eat dogs and cats’
Donald Trump accuses migrants of eating Americans’ pets.
“In Springfield, they eat the dogs, they eat the cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there,” he says.
9:17 p.m. | Debate on abortion
The two candidates accuse each other of lying during heated exchanges about abortion.
AFP
9:15 p.m. | Candidates talk about “Project 2025”
Kamala Harris accuses Donald Trump of being linked to this “dangerous plan”. The Republican candidate defends himself by saying that he “has nothing to do with Project 2025”.
9:13 p.m. | Donald Trump accuses Harris of having “copied” Joe Biden’s program
9:10 p.m. | Kamala Harris says she has “cleaned up the mess” left by Donald Trump
9:01 p.m. | A handshake to start the debate
The two candidates exchange a handshake before taking their places behind a lectern.
AFP
9 p.m. | The debate begins
The candidates are in place and are preparing to launch their first attacks against their opponents.
8:15 p.m. | Kamala Harris arrives at the National Constitution Center
The vice president and Democratic nominee’s motorcade arrives at the National Constitution Center for the debate.
6:40 p.m. | Donald Trump arrives in Philadelphia
Donald Trump’s plane lands in Philadelphia ahead of highly anticipated debate with Kamala Harris.
