What Does Kamala Harris Want to Do as President, Exactly?
Onstage at the presidential debate last night, Kamala Harris gave the kind of substanceless performance that has characterized her campaign so far, seemingly designed to keep the country from knowing what she would actually get done in the White House.
Kamala Harris during the presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
Last night, it felt like the country went backward.
No, not because of Donald Trump’s erratic and meandering performance, though that will deservedly get most of the attention today. Trump gave a masterclass in how not to debate, carrying out missteps like he was systematically making his way through a list of them.
He wouldn’t give a straight “no” when asked if he would veto a national abortion ban. He brought up the bizarre and made-up right-wing rumor that Haitian migrants are eating people’s pets. He repeatedly attacked President Joe Biden, who is no longer in the race. He once more spent precious debate minutes defending his claim that the 2020 election was stolen. He did damage control over his comments questioning his opponent’s racial identity, only to immediately express doubts about her racial identity again.
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