Presidential debate highlights: Harris and Trump spar over abortion, immigration and economy in first faceoff of 2024 race

Vance insisted in an interview that there is evidence of immigrants' eating animals in Springfield, Ohio, despite comments from local police and officials that there is no evidence to support the claims.

"A lot of residents on the ground have said that there is. That just means the city manager, I think, isn’t fully in touch with what’s going on on the ground there," he said. "I’ve heard from many of my own constituents who have seen these things with their own eyes, who’ve seen these abductions with their own eyes, who have seen geese being taken out of local parks and slaughtered in front of their eyes."

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“Her father's a Marxist professor in economics, and he taught her well."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Harris’ performance and said he would love to see a second debate between Harris and Trump. He also discussed the significance of Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris, which she posted on social media after the debate.

Watch highlights from the first 2024 presidential debate between Harris and Trump in Philadelphia. The candidates debated issues facing the nation, such as the economy, abortion and immigration.

During multiple interviews with reporters after the debate, Trump would not commit to debating Harris again, saying at one point, "maybe I shouldn't do it."

"She wants it because she lost," Trump said during an appearance on Fox News shortly after the debate.

When asked again if he has an answer on whether he would debate Harris again, he said he'd "have to think about it." He then added, "If you won the debate, I sort of think maybe I shouldn't do it. Why should I do another debate?"

Romeo Navaro, 22, an operations specialist from Phoenix who is undecided, said Trump doesn't want to take "any responsibility" for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

"I think when he called for a peaceful protest, or whatever he called it in the debate, I don’t think he realized what his words, the effect they can have on people," he said. "And I think it got out of hand. And I think in general he didn’t know how to handle it at the time. And now he doesn’t want to take any responsibility for him being kind of careless with how he decided to speak towards, you know, his base."

But that hasn't swayed Navaro, who is leaning toward voting for Trump. He said that "the door is definitely a lot more open" for Harris to become an option for him but that the Jan. 6 comment wasn't enough for him to change his mind completely.

Trump criticized the ABC News debate moderators, saying that he believed they were unfair and that "it was obviously three-on-one."

Asked about whether Republicans' complaining about moderators indicated that he had a bad night, Trump said the moderators were "very unfair." He added, "I assumed the moderators would be bad."

He frequently criticized ABC News and its correspondents in the lead-up to the debate.

During a brief visit to the spin room after the debate, Trump was asked about his message to Black voters.

"I love Black voters," Trump said. "I love them, and they love me, too."

No mention of Taylor Swift's endorsement during Harris’ remarks at the debate watch party … but Swift’s “The Man” came on immediately after she wrapped up her speech.

Trump told reporters in the spin room that he thinks it was his "best debate ever," arguing it made Harris look "weak."

He touted unspecified polls supporting his purported success but did not provide details about where his numbers came from, seeming to quote online polls on conservative websites that he shared on his social media page.

Trump said he thought "it was a great night."

Asked for reaction to Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris, he said, "I have no idea."

He also criticized the moderators, saying the debate was "three-on-one."

Trump said he believes Harris' team wants a second debate because she "lost."

In a post-debate interview with ABC News, Vance addressed the topic of IVF, directing criticism toward Democrats.

"Democrat policies have made it harder to afford children, made it harder to afford a home to put those children in, made it harder to afford the groceries with which to feed those children," he said.

He added, "Their policies have been a nightmare, and so they’re trying to scare Americans with promises and threats that Donald Trump is going to take away their fertility treatment, when, in reality, they’re saying that because they don’t have any solutions."

He dodged the question about whether or not he supports IVF treatments. His stance on the procedure is unclear. While he said in August that there's "nothing wrong with having a baby through IVF," he also voted against the Senate Right to IVF Act to expand access to fertility treatments.

Taylor Swift has 283 million global followers on Instagram, where she posted her endorsement of Harris tonight. That’s substantially more people than voted in the last presidential election — nearly two times as many, in fact. About 155 million people voted in 2020, according to the Census Bureau.

Harris and Trump spent the most time in the debate talking about their own character and each other’s, followed by the economy, followed by abortion. See the full chart and data here:

The Swift endorsement came as a surprise, two Harris campaign officials said.

An official said it added to what they view as a “decisive victory” tonight and speaks to Harris' ability to attract support.

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“We wouldn’t have left $85 billion worth of brand-new, beautiful military equipment behind.”

Biden watched with family and staff members at a hotel in New York. Aides don’t expect him to release a comment tonight and will defer to the campaign to amplify its own message.

Taylor Swift has endorsed Harris on her Instagram account, saying she watched the debate and prompting her followers to "do their research."

Swift says she is aware of the fake AI images Trump circulated claiming she was endorsing him and said, "The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."

"I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election."

Swift included a photo of herself holding her cat, Benjamin Button, and signed off the post with the title "Childless Cat Lady," referring to attacks from Vance.

Read the full story here.

While Republicans were happy with how Trump started the debate, subsequent answers raised concerns.

A Republican operative said that the economic section that kicked off the debate was "fine" for Trump but that the subsequent abortion section "was a disaster."

The operative said that Harris was able to "bait" Trump with her comments about his rallies and that "he hasn't been off the ropes since. It's like his kryptonite."

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"She wants to confiscate your guns."

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"Donald Trump said he was going to create manufacturing jobs. He lost manufacturing jobs."

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I believe Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours. It's because he would just give it up. And that's not who we are as Americans.

NBC News’ Kate Snow asked undecided voters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — Andrew Wallace, Hannah Reed and Lynne Kelleher — to pick one word to describe this debate.

Wallace said, “Lies.”

Reed said, “Fluff.”

Kelleher said, “Same old, same old.”

All three said they remain undecided after tonight’s debate.

Trump ended the debate with five minutes more talking time than Harris.

The candidates left the stage after 90 minutes of tense debate without shaking hands again.

Trump argued that Harris and Biden have had 3½ years to achieve her priorities.

"So she just started by saying she's going to do this, she's going to do that. She's going to do all these wonderful things," he said. "Why hasn't she done it?"

Trump went on to argue that the country was in "serious decline," asserting that it would end up in World War III, with nuclear weapons. He called Harris the "worst vice president."

Harris promised in her closing statement to make the U.S. military "the most lethal fighting force" in the world — re-using a term she used in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.

The debate has ended after more than 90 minutes.

Statement

"And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.

In her closing statement, Harris told viewers they heard “two very different visions for our country” tonight, adding, "[To] the American people, know we all have so much more in common than what separates us."

After listing several of her policy positions and plans, Harris highlighted her résumé as a prosecutor, a senator and vice president and told viewers, "I've only had one client, the people."

She added, "And I'll tell you, as a prosecutor, I never asked a victim or a witness, 'Are you a Republican or a Democrat?' The only thing I ever asked them: 'Are you OK?' And that's the kind of president we need right now."

During the second part of the debate, Harris spoke for 12.5 minutes and Trump for 11.3 minutes. In total, Harris spoke seven times, while Trump spoke 12 times.

Both candidates were given the opportunity to address the issue of climate change.

"Well, the former president has said that climate change is a hoax," Harris said.

She then touted the Biden-Harris administration's investments in the clean energy economy while increasing domestic gas production. She also pointed to union endorsements, saying building a clean energy economy was tied to expanding manufacturing opportunities.

During Trump's time to answer, he did not address climate change. Instead, he talked about manufacturing and made unfounded allegations about administration corruption.

Right before the second ad break, Trump let rip with a series of generalized allegations that appeared to hint at conspiracy theories about foreign money.

"You know, Biden doesn’t go after people because, supposedly, China paid millions of dollars," he said. "He’s afraid to do it — between him and his son, they get all this money from Ukraine. They get all this money from all of these different countries. And then you wonder why is he so loyal to this one, that one, Ukraine, China? Why did he get $3.5 million from the mayor of Moscow’s wife? Why did she pay him $3.5 million? This is a crooked administration, and they’re selling our country down the tubes."

None of that appears to be based in fact. The most concrete claim appears to point to a debunked claim that Hunter Biden received $3.5 million from the wife of the former mayor of Moscow. The claim was included in a GOP report but without any evidence.

Trump claimed he saved the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

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“Do I save it and make it as good as it can be, or do I let it rot, and I saved it.”

Trump did not lay out specific plans when asked about an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

"Obamacare was lousy health care, always was. It’s not very good today," Trump said, adding that he had "inherited" it from Democrats.

Pressed by moderator Linsey Davis about his plans, Trump said: "I have concepts of a plan."

Harris, rebutting Trump's claim that she would infringe on Second Amendment rights, said she and Walz both own firearms.

"Tim Walz and I are both gun owners," Harris said. "We’re not taking anybody’s guns away."

Walz frequently talks about recreational shooting in campaign speeches. Harris' gun ownership is far less known, perhaps even to people who follow politics closely.

Harris said her plan for her presidency involves restoring the "American Dream" and helping young families and first-time homebuyers.

"I have a plan that is about allowing people to be able to pursue what has been fleeting in terms of the American Dream," she said. "That's the kind of conversation I believe, David, that people really want tonight, as opposed to a conversation that is constantly about belittling and name-calling. Let's turn the page."

As Harris railed against Trump's efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act while he was president, she invoked "the late, great John McCain" and lauded him for voting, as a Republican senator from Arizona, against GOP efforts to eliminate Obamacare.

Harris called out Trump for constantly bringing up race and accused him of sowing division throughout the country. See invoked the "Central Park Five," who were wrongfully accused of a crime they did not commit.

"I think the American people want better than that," she said. "We all have the same dreams and aspirations and want a president who invests in those, not in hate and division."

New York City Council member Yusef Salaam, one of the "Exonerated Five," previously known as the "Central Park Five," will be in the spin room for Harris after the debate.

Asked by moderator David Muir about his much-criticized comments at a Black journalism conference that Harris "happened to turn Black," Trump told viewers: "I don't care what she is. I don't care. You make a big deal out of something. I couldn't care less. Whatever she wants to be is OK with me."

Pushed on his comments, Trump added: "All I can say is, I read somewhere she was not Black ... and then I read that she was Black, and that's OK. Either one was OK with me."

Asked to respond, Harris blasted Trump for being "someone who wants to be president who has consistently, over the course of his career, attempted to use race to divide the American people."

She pointed specifically to his advocacy for the death penalty to be used against five Black men who were falsely convicted of beating and raping a jogger in New York City in the late 1980s. Trump defended his past comments.

During the commercial break, Hannah Reed, 30, said she is feeling “annoyed.”

“They’re doing a half-answer. They’re beginning to answer the question that’s given to them, and then they’re reverting back to their most valued talking point,” she said.

Reed voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020. She is an independent.

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"No judge looked at it. ... They said we didn't have standing. That's the other thing. They said we didn't have standing. Can you imagine a system where a person in an election doesn't have standing? The president of the United States doesn't have standing? That's how we lost if you look at the facts, and I'd love to have you do a special on it. I'll show you Georgia, and I'll show you Wisconsin, and I'll show you Pennsylvania."

Harris defended Biden's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in 2021.

"Four presidents said they would, and Joe Biden did," Harris said in response to Muir, who asked whether she bears any responsibility for how the withdrawal played out.

"I will tell you I agreed with President Biden’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan," Harris said, adding that American taxpayers are no longer carrying the financial burden of "that endless war."

The Biden administration has faced significant criticism for how the withdrawal was carried out, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members.

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“They've destroyed the fabric of our country. Millions of people let in and all over the world, crime is down all over the world, except here, crime here is up and through the roof, despite their fraudulent statements that they made, crime in this country's through the roof, and we have a new form of crime. It's called migrant crime. I like that. It's happening at levels nobody thought possible."

Even though the mics are muted, Trump has called out Harris twice so far for interrupting him.

In the first half of the debate, Trump told Harris "I'm speaking" and asked her whether that quote sounded familiar — a call back to Harris' vice presidential debate against former Vice President Mike Pence, when she called Pence out for interrupting her with the same words.

In the second half, Trump once again called Harris out, saying, "Quiet, please."

A woman on NBC News’ voter panel grimaced in reaction.

Harris’ answer just now on Ukraine was forceful and what many Democrats wanted to hear from her: that she could convey leadership but also stand up to Trump.

Harris charged that Putin “would eat you for lunch,” looking over at Trump, and he still did not look back at her.

Dismissing Trump's claim that she has never met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Harris underscored the importance of helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

She highlighted her visits to NATO's eastern flank, plus the air defense, ammunition, artillery and tanks.

"Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president," she told Trump.

"Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland," she added, daring Trump to "tell the 800,000 Polish Americans" in Pennsylvania about his apparent support for Putin.

Putin’s comments last week that he supports Harris was dripping in sarcasm.

"Our ‘favorite,’ if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. Biden," Putin said. "He recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. Well, we will do so — we will support her."

What Russia truly wants during this election is unclear. Dmitry Medvedev, who is close to Putin, this week suggested it doesn’t matter to the Kremlin who wins. Putin’s overriding aim may be simply to sow chaos in U.S. elections.

Even when Trump referred to Harris multiple times just now, even pointing his finger at her, he still did not look over at her.

Harris delivered a forceful defense of Ukraine, explaining why she believes it is important for the U.S. to stand with the ally.

After Trump did not say he wanted Ukraine to win the war with Russia, Harris called him out, saying he "adore[s] strongmen instead of caring about democracy."

"That is very much what is at stake here. The president of the United States is commander in chief, and the American people have a right to rely on a president who understands the significance of America's role and responsibility in terms of ensuring that there is stability and ensuring we stand up for our principles and not sell them for the benefit of personal flattery."

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“We have to have borders, and we have to have good elections. Our elections are bad. And a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they're trying to get them to vote. They can't even speak English. They don't even know what country they're in, practically. And these people are trying to get them to vote, and that's why they're allowing them to come into our country."

After Trump dodged answers, deflecting to talk about Biden's mental acuity, Harris tells Trump he's not running against Biden.

"It's important to remind the former president you're not running against Joe Biden; you're running against me," Harris said.

Harris deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty posted on X that in the 9 p.m. hour, "71% of our Grassroots donors were women."

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“If she won the election, the day after that election, go back to destroying our country and oil will be dead. Fossil fuel will be dead. We’ll go back to windmills, and we’ll go back to solar, where they need a whole desert to get some energy to come out. You ever see a solar plant? By the way, I’m a big fan of solar, but they take 400-500 acres of desert soil.”

Asked directly whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russia, Trump simply answered, "I want the war to stop."

Then he railed at Harris and the Biden administration, telling Harris, "Look, we're in for $250 billion or more because they don't ask Europe, which is a much bigger beneficiary to getting this thing done than we are. They're in for $150 billion less because Biden and you don't have the courage to ask Europe."

Then Trump said he would end the war by meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, with few specifics, "I will get it settled before I even become president — if I win — when I'm president-elect."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., compared Trump’s debate performance to someone yelling in the streets of Manhattan.

Ocasio-Cortez posted on X, “He sounds like a guy yelling at random people on 34th Street with a karaoke speaker.”

Harris was asked about how she would handle the Israel-Hamas war if given the chance to seize the reins from Biden.

"Israel has a right to defend itself," Harris said, adding that the U.S. would also defend itself in similar circumstances.

Harris also said, without going into much detail, that how Israel defends itself matters, noting that "far too many" innocent Palestinians have also been killed.

“What we know is that this war must end, it must end immediately,” she said, adding, “We need a cease-fire deal, and we need the hostages out.”

The Israel-Hamas war has been a major political vulnerability for Harris, and while she has called for a two-state solution and said the war should end, she hasn't budged much from Biden.

Statement

"Donald Trump, the candidate, has said, in this election, there will be a bloodbath if this and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let's turn the page on this. Let's not go back. Let's chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past.

An hour into the debate and Trump has five minutes more speaking time, counting more than 27 minutes to Harris’ 22 minutes, according to an NBC News analysis of the event.

An Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson responded to Trump's comment that Buckeye State voters by a wide margin approved a state constitutional amendment last year to codify abortion rights.

Trump called the vote "somewhat liberal."

"Last year, Ohio voters went to the polls to overwhelmingly reject years of extreme Republican policies that aim only to control women’s bodies and restrict access to healthcare," state party spokesperson Katie Seewer said tonight. "Behind the 'somewhat liberal' results are voters who refuse to tolerate out-of-touch policies that don’t work for Ohio voters. We’ll see that again at the polls this November when voters reject extreme Republicans up and down the ballot in Ohio and across the country."

Republicans and conservative activists are slamming the ABC News moderators, who have fact-checked Trump from the stage and pressed him with tough questions.

"The moderators might as well be on the DNC payroll," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tweeted. "This is ridiculous. This is the worst moderated debate in history."

Graham wasn't alone in his comments, as others joined in.

The comments are a sign of how Trump's performance is being viewed. One hour in, Trump has absorbed hit after hit from Harris and taken the bait from her while landing only a few punches of his own.

Trump sought to take credit for booming American fossil fuel production, which today is at all-time highs.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the boom began under the Obama Administration. The trend continued during Trump's term and furthered under Biden. The result: Over the past six years, the United States has produced more crude oil than any nation at any time, ever, the EIA said.

In 2020, the United States became a net exporter of petroleum for the first time since at least 1949, according to the EIA. In 2023, the U.S. set a new oil export record.

"I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you, and they say you're a disgrace," Harris said.

Harris went on to say Trump's continued conduct during the debate "leads one to believe that perhaps we do not have in the candidate to my right the temperament or the ability to not be confused about fact. That's deeply troubling, and the American people deserve better."

In response, Trump said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán thinks he should be president.

"They call him a strongman," Trump said of Orbán. "He's a tough person."

Orbán has been described as a strongman, meaning an authoritarian leader.

Trump devolved into a rant about Biden, calling him a "weak, pathetic man" who should be running instead of Harris.

"And you know what? I'll give you a little secret. He hates her. He can't stand her, " he said. 

Trump turns nearly all of his responses to immigration — no matter what the moderators are asking.

Interestingly, though, he did not respond to one of Harris' comments about immigration earlier. She said Trump only wanted to run on immigration, not solve the problem, pointing to his call to kill a bipartisan immigration package she supports.

Harris followed up by mocking Trump's rallies. In response, Trump focused on the bit about his rallies, not her point on immigration.

Muir is repeatedly trying to correct Trump's false statements.

At the end of Trump's answer about the 2020 election, Muir corrected him and said Trump still believes he did not lose the election to Biden. He fact-checked Trump in real time, correcting him on what Trump claimed to be a sarcastic comment about losing to Biden by a whisker.

He also fact-checked Trump's baseless claims about Haitian immigrants.

Natasha Korecki writes: Trump appears visibly rattled by Harris’ declaration that world leaders were laughing at him. She keeps baiting him, and he’s taking it.

Monica Alba chimes in: Other examples of baiting so far: Project 2025, people leaving his rallies, Covid, bankruptcies and former staff that rejected him after leaving the White House.

Baiting was part of what Hillary Clinton advised Harris to consider as a strategy heading into tonight's debate.

Statement

“Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.”

Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, a native of Ohio and a Haitian leader, responded to Trump's comments about Haiti and debunked claims about cats.

“Trump doubles down on repulsive, denigrating, dangerous lies about hard-working immigrants in Springfield, Ohio," Pierre-Louis told NBC News. "Enough is enough! Now we need to show him who we are on Election Day in November. Dog whistle. It’s dangerous rhetoric, and he should be condemned.”

Ariel Dominique, executive director of the Haitian-American Foundation for Democracy, says she is “heartbroken” over the way Trump talked about immigrants.

"It's deeply disappointing to hear such misleading and harmful rhetoric about Black immigrants, especially in a country built by immigrants," Dominique said. "Americans of Haitian descent are proud contributors to this nation and do not deserve this onslaught of demonization. We are shocked that a presidential candidate would resort to this.

"His portrayal of us could not be further from the truth," she continued. "We are a hard-working people, making meaningful contributions across all sectors, guided by strong values and ethics. This obsession with using Haitian immigrants as scapegoats is putting our community at risk of hate crimes; some members of our community have expressed fear for their safety. The American people deserve better than fearmongering and division."

Harris addressed the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, squarely placing the blame on Trump, who she said stood by as his supporters stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of Biden's electoral victory.

"We don’t have to go back. Let’s not go back. We’re not going back. It’s time to turn the page. And if that was a bridge too far for you, well, there is a place in our campaign for you to stand for country, stand for our democracy, to stand for rule of law and to end the approach that is about attacking the foundations of our democracy because you don’t like the outcome," she said.

In response to a question about his recent comments that he lost the 2020 presidential "by a whisker," Trump told viewers, "That was said sarcastically."

He said he had "so much proof" of election fraud, adding, "All you have to do is look at it, and they should have sent it back to the legislatures for approval. I got almost 75 million votes, the most votes any sitting president has ever gotten."

Moderator David Muir said he watched the interview and didn't think Trump sounded sarcastic.

Trump was asked whether he regrets anything from what he did on Jan. 6.

He began by defending the Jan. 6 rioters and tried to pivot to migrants and border issues.

"Nobody on the other side was killed. Ashli Babbitt was shot by an out-of-control police officer that should have never, ever shot her. It's a disgrace," he said.

He added that people who broke into the Capitol have been "treated so badly."

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died hours after defending the Capitol.

Asked again whether he has regret over his conduct, Trump did not answer, saying he just delivered a speech. Instead, he tried to blame former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Statement

“They didn't fire anybody having to do with Afghanistan and the Taliban and the 13 people who were just killed, viciously and violently killed. And I got to know the parents and the family. They didn't fire, they should have fired all those generals, all those top people, because that was one of the most incompetently handled situations anybody has ever seen.”

Harris drew a distinction between Vance and former Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to block certification of Trump's 2020 election loss.

"Understand what it would mean if Donald Trump were back in the White House with no guardrails, because certainly we know now the court won't stop him," Harris said, referring to a recent Supreme Court ruling in his favor. "We know JD Vance is not going to stop him. It's up to the American people."

In a February interview on ABC News' "This Week," Vance said that had he been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he "would have told the states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there."

And asked in a CNN interview this year about the threats of violence against Pence on Jan. 6, Vance said he was "extremely skeptical that Mike Pence’s life was ever in danger."

Harris drew contrasts with Trump, saying she was raised in the middle class while Trump was born with money.

"I grew up a middle-class kid raised by a hard-working mother who worked and saved and was able to buy our first home when I was a teenager," Harris said, adding a jab at Trump that "not everybody got handed $400 million on a silver platter and then filed bankruptcy six times."

Harris' comments about Trump's wealth and bankruptcy filings are an effort to get under his skin — a strategy she’s been landing, in her team’s view.

Statement

“You can look at the governor of West Virginia, the previous governor of West Virginia — not the current governor, who is doing an excellent job, but the governor before — he said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we'll execute it. And that's why I did that, because that predominates, because they're radical. The Democrats are radical. ... Her vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth is execution no longer abortion because the baby is born OK, and that's not OK with me.”

Asked whether she supported any restrictions on abortion access, Harris replied: "I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade."

She went on to criticize Trump for claiming Democrats supported abortions for babies in the ninth month of terms or after babies were born, a false claim he has repeatedly made.

But while Harris' answers and forceful criticism of Trump on the issue of abortion help put her on the offensive, it dodged the question posed by moderators because it leans on Roe v. Wade, which actually did allow states to restrict access to abortion after fetal viability, around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

So while Harris regularly pivots such questions about abortion law specifics to Roe, it's important to note that the policy she's touting does allow for restrictions after fetal viability.

On several policy fronts, like fracking, guns and immigration, Trump called Harris a "radical left liberal."

He also said Harris has shifted several of her policy positions since her 2020 presidential campaign.

"She gave up at least 12 and probably 14 or 15 different policies," Trump said, adding: "She was big on defund the police in Minnesota. ... She did things that nobody would ever think of now. She wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison. This is a radical left liberal that would do this." 

"I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me," Trump told Harris during an especially heated exchange.

Police investigating the July shooting said the assassination attempt was more likely a crime of opportunity. The gunman had also searched for Biden rally locations and looked into the history of JFK's assassination, as well as info about the Democratic and Republican conventions.

The issue Republicans can’t or won’t grapple with on IVF is that the anti-abortion-rights view that life begins at conception is in direct tension with the concept of fertilized embryos, especially those that ultimately might not be used. That's a huge piece of the policy puzzle.

A key pillar of Trump's economic plan is imposing higher tariffs. In tonight's debate, Trump reiterated his plan, saying countries like China would have to pay more to export goods into the U.S.

The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank, said in a report this summer that tariffs raise prices and reduce economic growth.

"A tariff may be passed on to producers and consumers in the form of higher prices," it wrote. "Tariffs can raise the cost of parts and materials, which would raise the price of goods using those inputs and reduce private sector output. This would result in lower incomes for both owners of capital and workers."

The right-leaning Cato Institute, which is generally aligned with the GOP, said something similar.

"If elected to a second term as president, Donald Trump says he will impose a 60% tariff on all goods from China and a 10% tariff on all goods from other countries," it wrote. "He calls it a 'ring around the country.' He should call it a ring around consumers because the tariffs will raise prices, limit choices, harm productivity, and act as a tax on importing businesses, too."

Follow along with the NBC News topic tracker.

One phrase has already become a refrain from Harris tonight: "Let's talk about extreme."

She has used it multiple times, most recently to condemn the Supreme Court's ruling that Trump is immune to prosecution for certain actions he took as president.

"Let's talk about extreme and understand the context in which this election in 2024 is taking place," Harris said, adding, "The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president would essentially be immune from any misconduct if he were to enter the White House again."

Trump criticized the legal cases against him, saying without evidence that the government was weaponizing the Justice Department.

"They used it to try and win an election. They're fake cases," he said, without evidence.

Trump responded to criticism from his former staff about his first administration by touting how many books have been written about him.

"When somebody does a bad job, I fire him," Trump said.

He specifically named his defense secretary Mark Esper, saying, "He was no good."

An ally writes to say Trump is pivoting well, but another texts to say he’s on defense too much.

"For example, instead of border czar we had eating pets," one said.

Harris mocked Trump by encouraging voters to watch one of his rallies, saying Trump rambles about the fictional character Hannibal Lecter and conspiracy theories such as windmills' causing cancer.

"What you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom," Harris said. "And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you."

"And I'll tell you I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will," Harris said.

Katherine Doyle says: "Harris is working hard to bait Trump, talking about his supporters leaving his rallies early and pre-empting his attacks against her over her handling of the border."

Olympia Sonnier adds: Harris hitting him where it hurts. Trump takes his rallies, attendance, the “fun” factor very seriously. This is personal to him.

Notes Andrea Mitchell: "She got under his skin saying people are leaving his rallies. He takes the bait and says people in Ohio are eating people’s pets. Muir tells him that’s not true. Trump insists it is."

Those rumors, embraced by Trump and Vance, are baseless, and police in Ohio say they have not received any credible reports about immigrants' harming pets.

Big laughs and groans of disbelief at the Harris debate watch party in Philadelphia following Trump’s claim that Harris buses attendees into her events and pays them to be there.

After Trump spent several moments insisting that undocumented immigrants are harming pets, Harris chuckled and eyed Trump as she said, "Talk about extreme."

Then she touted the scores of Republicans who have endorsed her campaign, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, the former GOP House member, both of whom endorsed Harris this month.

Trump, reminded that Vance suggested recently on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that Trump would veto a national abortion ban, downplayed his running mate's perspective.

"Well, I didn’t discuss it with JD," Trump said when he was pressed for a yes-or-no answer about whether if he would issue a veto.

"I don't mind if he has a certain view," Trump added of Vance.

Baseless rumors have spread on social media for days claiming that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are abducting and eating pets. Most of the rumors involve Springfield, Ohio, which has a large number of Haitian immigrants, but police there knocked down the stories yesterday in a statement saying they hadn’t seen any documented examples.

“There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” the statement said.

Republicans, including Vance, have pointed to the claims as evidence that immigrants are causing chaos. Vance, though, hedged somewhat in a statement on X earlier today, saying, “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”

Statement

"[T]he only jobs they got were bounce-back jobs. These were jobs bounce back, and it bounced back, and it went to their benefit, but I was the one that created them."

During a tense exchange on abortion, it appeared that both candidates' microphones were unmuted. The campaigns went back and forth for weeks about that and eventually agreed that microphones would be muted for the candidate not answering a direct question from moderators.

For a few moments, viewers could hear both candidates speaking interchangeably.

Trump claimed that he's "been a leader" on in vitro fertilization.

"I have been a leader. In fact, when they got a very negative decision on IVF from the Alabama courts. I saw the people of Alabama and the Legislature two days later voted it in," Trump said.

"I've been a leader on it. They know that, and everybody else knows it," he added.

Harris laid into Trump on his views on abortion and pledged that she would sign a bill to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. Trump had argued that under his watch, the Supreme Court achieved what everyone wanted with Roe.

"I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about 'this is what people wanted'? Pregnant woman who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room, because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot?" Harris said. "She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that."

"A 12- or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that," she said.

Adds Yamiche Alcindor: Harris is more comfortable talking about abortion than Biden was. She is talking specifically about the issue and even citing graphic complications and consequences of the overturning of Roe v Wade. It’s very striking.

Trump says he's been a leader on IVF.

But he chose not to repeat his promise that the government would pay for IVF or that insurance companies would be mandated to cover the procedure — a plan he announced in an interview with NBC News in August. Trump didn't provide any details about that plan, and his campaign hasn't, either.

Statement

“Look, we've had a terrible economy because inflation has— which is really known as a country buster. It breaks up countries. We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in our nation's history.”

Statement

“I have nothing to do with Project 2025. That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely. I'm not going to read it. This was a group of people that got together. They came up with some ideas, I guess, some good, some bad, but it makes no difference."

Statement

"But when you look at what she's done to our country, and when you look at these millions and millions of people that are pouring into our country monthly, where it's I believe 21 million people, not the 15 that people say."

A lot can be gleaned from the candidates' body language and eye contact.

Harris is delivering her answers into the camera and looking at Trump while he gives his answers.

Trump is looking at the moderators and refusing to look at Harris while she answers questions.

He has at times grimaced as she speaks, while she looks at him while he's talking.

While Trump has an advantage on the economy in recent polling, Harris consistently fares better on the issue of abortion. Here are three polls released this week that show her edge on the issue:

• NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll: 56% of registered voters say Harris would better handle the issue of abortion, while 42% say Trump.
• Pew Research Center poll: 56% say they are "very" or "somewhat" confident that Harris would make good decisions about abortion policy, while 43% say the same of Trump.
• New York Times/Siena College poll: 54% say Harris would better handle the abortion issue, while 39% say Trump.

Trump, answering a question about why voters should trust him on reproduction rights given his shifting stances on the issue, proceeded to make a false claim about Democrats — including Walz — supporting abortions after babies are born.

The former president, who appointed three of the six Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, took credit for that decision. He said it was a good thing that states are now voting on the issue of abortion rights via ballot measures.

Trump appeared confused describing Harris' economic plan, saying it's "four sentences, like, 'run, Spot, run' — four sentences that are just, 'Oh, we'll try and lower taxes.'"

"Run, Spot, run" is just three words, no?

Trump claimed that rising immigration had been hurting the economy, but many experts have found that recent growth and lower inflation were due to immigration that boosted labor force growth.

“Recent immigrants have flowed disproportionately into the parts of the labor force that were particularly tight in 2022, contributing to labor supply in places where it was most badly needed,” Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a note to clients in May.

This false attack line on executing babies is based on one out-of-context quote from former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat. It has nothing to do with West Virginia, and it is entirely, wholly inaccurate.

Harris has gotten heat over the last six weeks for not fully outlining her plans to the American people.

How's she combatting that criticism? In part, by repeatedly stressing her "plans."

"I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America," she said at the beginning of her first comments.

She went on to say the word "plan" at least 13 times in the first 13 minutes of the debate.

Harris has been rolling out more policy specifics in recent weeks on issues like housing, food, medicine and child care. But she has faced criticism for the slow rollout — the campaign just recently put up its “issues” section on her website, and she has answered few questions from the media.

Trump called Harris a Marxist, a claim for which there is no evidence.

"She's a Marxist. Everybody knows she's a Marxist," he said as Harris looked on, appearing amused.

Harris invoked China in one of answers, telling viewers that Trump "basically sold us out."

She added: "A policy about China should be in making sure the United States of America wins the competition for the 21st century, which means focusing on the details of what that requires, focusing on relationships with our allies, focusing on investing in American based technology so that we win the race on AI, on quantum computing, focusing on what we need to do to support America’s workforce."

Statement

"My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in $5 trillion to America's deficit. My opponent has a plan that I call the Trump sales tax, which would be a 20% tax on everyday goods that you rely on to get through the month. Economists have said that that Trump sales tax would actually result for middle-class families in about $4,000 more a year."

The debate is focusing in on the economy, a key area where Harris is looking to make some gains. Trump has had an advantage over Harris in recent polling on the issue. Three national polls released just this week underscore that edge:

• NPR/Marist/PBS NewsHour poll: A majority of registered voters (52%) say Trump would better handle the economy, while 48% say the same of Harris.
• Pew Research Center poll: 55% say they are "very" or "somewhat" confident Trump would make good decisions about economic policy, while 46% say the same of Harris.
• New York Times/Siena College poll: 55% say Trump would better handle the economy, while 42% say Harris would better handle it.

A senior aide said Harris decided earlier today she would shake Trump's hand even if he went straight to his podium at the start of the debate.

Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025, the conservative transition plan and policy blueprint for a future administration that has become the focus of Democratic attacks, after Harris brought it up onstage.

Trump said that he "purposely" hasn't read the plan and that he does not want to.

It was written by dozens of former Trump administration staffers to ready for a potential second Trump term, but, amid Democratic attacks, Trump and his campaign have disavowed it.

For the first time this evening, Trump spoke while his microphone was muted, saying: "She doesn’t have a plan. She got the Biden’s plan, and it’s like four sentences."

His mic was subsequently unmuted, and he spent a few moments continuing to rail against Harris' plan to fight inflation.

It had been unclear whether Harris would bait Trump, but it feels very intentional for her to bring up Project 2025 so early, and the same with specifically citing Wharton in the economic discussion — that’s Trump’s alma mater. He immediately responded on both.

Walz took aim at Trump and Vance over gun rights at a campaign event in Mesa, Arizona, tonight a week after a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school.

"You know what’s a fact of life? The sky is blue. That’s a fact of life," Walz said. "You want to know another fact of life? Trump got his a-- kicked in the 2020 election; that's a fact of life."

"This stuff happens nowhere else in the world. These guys do not believe in America," Walz said. "They tell us we have to accept this, even though it doesn't happen anywhere else. But I'll tell you what, we're not going to roll over. This is America, for God's sakes, and we can fix this epidemic of shootings. We can do it if we have Kamala Harris in the White House."

Vance said in remarks last week that he regretted the reality of school shootings.

“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said days after the shooting, before he suggested that more efforts are needed to "bolster" security in schools.

Moderating a presidential debate can make or break a career for journalists, and it can change the course of a campaign, NBC News veterans Lester Holt and Kristen Welker said.

Holt moderated a debate in 2016 and Welker in 2020. They both experienced a feeling of total stillness and isolation onstage, but also the weight and privilege of the moment.

"You're asking questions on behalf of the American people," Welker said. "The best thing you can say about a moderator is you don't remember a moderator."

Trump offered a new spin on his “Black jobs” comment, saying immigrants are taking the jobs of African Americans. Harris gives a disappointed look, smiling. This has become a meme in liberal circles after Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention calling out Trump for referring to “Black jobs.”

NBC News is tracking what Trump and Harris are talking about and how long they spend on each topic. Follow along with the live updating graphic here.

In her second answer of the night, Harris tells viewers, "Let’s talk about what Donald Trump left us."

She continued, "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."

Trump said that countries would pay Americans back through tariffs, though tariffs are paid by the importer.

The former president railed against high prices as Harris watched him intently, shaking her head in disagreement at times.

Trump pivoted to immigration, arguing that migrants "taking over" towns "violently," a claim that is not backed up.

Tariffs aren’t paid by other countries. They’re paid by American consumers. Trump repeatedly misrepresents this when he talks about his economic plans.

Harris, asked whether Americans are better off financially than they were four years ago, highlighted her working-class roots and pointed to her plans to lift up everyday families through an "opportunity economy." She mentioned policies to lower the cost of housing and support small businesses. In her answer, Harris did not directly address the premise of the question.

In her first answer, Harris delved right into her agenda: housing and small-business support. This is exactly what strategists have said she needs to do: come out right away and define herself and her agenda before Trump can knock her off track.

Trump and Harris have never met in person or spoken to each other, so it will be interesting to see what their personal interactions look onstage tonight. Will there be any chatter during commercial breaks?

Harris attended some of Trump’s State of the Union addresses when she was a senator, but otherwise, they’ve never been in the same vicinity. In 2016, Hillary Clinton shook hands with Trump in the first and second debates but then skipped it for the third one.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant Biden and Trump didn’t shake hands for either debate in 2020, as stipulated by the commission rules back then.

The two candidates shook hands as they walked onto the stage, with Harris moving to Trump's side of the stage to initiate.

That was quite the power move by Harris, going right up to Trump and extending her hand. He seemed a bit reluctant or surprised for a moment.

Harris got the first question tonight, asked whether Americans were better off than they were four years ago.

And as has become a debate tradition for various candidates, she completely ignored the question. She instead touted her plan for an "opportunity economy," accompanying her plan with criticism for Trump.

But it sounded far more like an opening statement than anything responsive to the direct question posed by moderators.

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy talks to NBC News’ Tom Llamas about how he believes Harris and Trump will perform.

The two candidates took the stage moments after the anchors explained the rules of the debate.

Lynne Kelleher, 66, does not know whom she will vote for in November. She told NBC News’ Kate Snow she views the election as “a decision between economics and morals.”

Kelleher, who voted for Trump in 2016 and the libertarian candidate in 2020, said she likes some of Trump’s economic policies but added, “I abhor him, quite frankly, because of his morals or lack thereof.”

She said she is also not a fan of Harris, saying she is “talking a lot of fluff.”

“She hasn’t said anything substantive,” Kelleher said. “I don’t know that she has the experience or the wherewithal to lead this country out of the economic situation that we’re in.”

For all the hand-wringing about Gavin Newsom as a Harris surrogate as opposed to a Biden one, no Harris backer has taken more questions from more reporters in the spin room pre-debate than the California governor.