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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris squared off for the first time on the debate stage Tuesday night, with a lively 90-minute exchange as the candidates talked about the economy, race, immigration and foreign policy.
Vice President Harris started the televised debate by walking over to former President Trump’s podium to shake hands, which helped set the tone for the night as she kept the energy high and controlled the narrative.
Trump seemed to be on the defensive when talking about the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, health insurance and abortion rights, but made effective statements about the vice president’s policy changes, especially about her position on fracking for oil.
Harris seemed to be looking to capture the attention of moderates and conservatives when she said she would not ban fracking, a big industry in Pennsylvania where the debate took place, and that she was a gun owner.
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Most Brooklyn voters interviewed by BK Reader on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning said Harris presented herself as a candidate for the whole country, while Trump seemed like he would only represent a small segment of the public. That said, not everyone was on board with Harris, either.
Juliete James, a 30-something school teacher and artist living in Clinton Hill, said Trump simply talked a lot.
“Each candidate had a tendency to throw each other under the bus, which is fine, but I feel like [Harris] showed more understanding of what she wants to do, and Trump was trying to deflect from his wrongdoings,” James said, who added that she does not support all of the vice president's policies.
“At least she knows what she’s doing and is more qualified, and I feel like that was definitely displayed this evening,” said James, who watched the debate with friends at a watch party in Clinton Hill.
Midwood resident Aleksander Morozova said he remained undecided after watching about 45 minutes of the debate.
The 29-year-old construction worker was not happy to hear Harris mention government handouts, referring to the vice president’s plan to give first-time homeowners $25,000 for a down payment to purchase a home.
“I think, in this country, there’s opportunity if you work hard,” said Morozova. “The government doesn’t need to hand out money.”
He said he finds Trump funny and amusing, but found Harris smarter. That said, Morozova said it didn’t matter who was in office, a Republican or a Democrat: “It doesn’t make my life that different.”
However, California resident Raquel Sefton, 57, thought Harris “crushed it.”
“I think [Harris] really laid a plan and showed that she is trying to keep what's best for Americans,” said Sefton, a lawyer who watched the debate in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.
Leotha Bailey-Allert, a retired teacher and artist, agreed, noting that Harris seemed to understand the plight of the working- and middle-class, because that’s how the vice president also grew up.
“I liked that she talked about children and mothers because it’s hard raising a family, especially if you have several jobs,” she said, recalling the periods in her life when she worked numerous overtime shifts and at night while raising her children.
“I feel like Harris is looking out for the common man, while Trump only cares about those who already have enough,” she said.
The Windsor Terrace resident said she found it hard to follow the debate at times because of Trump's repeated deflection tactics.
“He just repeated his usual negative remarks and didn’t stay on topic,” Bailey-Allert, 82, said.
In addition, she did not agree with Trump on his plan to deport illegal immigrants.
“America was built off of immigrants and foreigners,” said Bailey-Allert, who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago in the mid-1960s. “How can Trump talk about deporting people? It’s terrible.”
Crown Heights resident Andrew Plews thought the vice president did much better than expected.
“I think she went on the attack early and threw [Trump] off his stride, and I think she did extremely well,” the 66-year-old retired journalist said.
Reiley Johnson, a 27-year-old tattoo artist, said she didn’t think “that there's any politician a lot of people my age will ever be in love with.”
Johnson, a Ridgewood, Queens resident, said some of her friends, whom she chatted with online during the debate, said they didn’t originally agree with Harris and her presidency plans.
“I think that watching this debate made me feel more in the corner of ‘No, there's far worse alternatives’ for our government, our democracy,” said Johnson, who was disappointed that neither candidate talked about issues her generation cares about.
Clinton Hill resident Max Bueso, the founder of a blockchain company, thought Harris stepped up and looked very presidential.
“I believe she turned the tide in this election,” Bueso, 37, said. Even though the crypto community is excited to see what policies Trump could offer, he said, Harris had better policies that could help more Americans.
While it is too soon to see how the debate will affect the minds of independent voters and those in swing states, like Georgia, Michigan and Arizona, Sefton said she was concerned about overall voter turnout.
“I'm really concerned that people feel like the government doesn't matter, voting doesn't matter,” Sefton said. “And I think you see the different choices you should be inspired to vote, because they’re very different. One person has a vision, one person has a grievance.”
