Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took to the stage in Philadelphia Tuesday evening for their first and only scheduled presidential debate. The event was hosted by ABC News and did not include any third-party candidates. Harris repeatedly put Trump on the defensive as they debated abortion, immigration, Israel’s war on Gaza, race, January 6 and other issues.

Vice President Kamala Harris: “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.”

Donald Trump repeated his false claim that he won the 2020 election. He also doubled down on a baseless, racist lie that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating people’s pets in the city of Springfield, Ohio. 

Donald Trump: “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’s remarks came even after Springfield’s town manager confirmed there had been “no credible reports” that pets or other animals had been harmed by immigrants. Following the debate, the legendary pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Harris, calling her “a steady-handed, gifted leader.” She signed her endorsement in an Instagram post as “Childless Cat Lady,” referring to comments by Trump’s running mate JD Vance. After headlines, we’ll air clips of the debate and hold a roundtable discussion.