The most consequential event of the US election campaign has just taken place in Pennsylvania between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
It’s the first time the pair met face to face. In the ABC News studio in front of two journalists and no audience, Harris offered a new generation of leadership for the US and said she wants to turn the page for good.
“We can chart a new way forward,” she said. “I intend to create an opportunity economy.”
Below, we share Harris’ top takeaways from the 90 minute debate, during what was one of the first key opportunities she’s had to outline what a Harris presidency would look like.
On Abortion
Harris said she “absolutely supports reinstating the protections of Roe V Wade.”
“Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion that is not happening,” she said, correcting Trump’s earlier statement.
“It’s insulting to the women of America. Understand what has been happening under Donald Trump’s abortion bans — couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments. Working women who are working one or two jobs who can barely afford childcare as it is have to travel to another state to get on a plane, sitting next to strangers to go and get the health care she needs and barely can afford to do it.”
She turned to her opponent and continued: “What you are putting her through is unconscionable and the people of America believe in a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.”
On Immigration
Harris identified herself as the only person on the stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organisations for the trafficking of guns, drugs and human beings.
“The United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate came up with a border security bill which I supported and that bill would have put 1500 more border agents on the border to help those folks who are working there right now.”
“Over time trying to do their job, it would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States. I know there are so many families watching tonight who have been personally affected by the surge of fentanyl in our country.”
“That bill would have put more resources to allow us to prosecute transnational criminal organisations for trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings.”
“But you know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone called up some folks in Congress and said, kill the bill and you know why? Because he’d prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. Understand this comes at a time where the people of our country actually need a leader who engages in solutions [and] who actually addresses the problems at hand.”
“But what we have in the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.”
“I’m going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies because it’s a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills causing cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”
“I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams and your desires. I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will be that president.”
On her values
Harris spoke on fracking, oil and home ownership.
“My values have not changed,” she said. “My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil.”
“We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognises that we cannot over rely on foreign oil as it relates to my values.”
“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. The values I bring to the importance of homeownership, knowing not everybody got handed $400 million on a silver platter and then filed bankruptcy six times is a value that I bring to my work. We are going to work with the private sector and home builders to increase 3 million homes increase by 3 million homes.”
“By the end of my first term, my work that is related to having a friend when I was in high school, who was sexually assaulted by her stepfather. And my focus then on protecting women and children from violent crime is based on a value that is deeply grounded in the importance of standing up for those who are most vulnerable.”
“My work is about protecting social security and Medicare it is based on long standing work that I have done protecting seniors from scams. What is important is that there is a president who actually brings values and a perspective that is about lifting people up and not beating people down and name calling.”
“The true measure of the leader is the leader who actually understands the strength is not in beating people down, it’s in lifting people up. I intend to be that president.”
“One who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people. I believe in what we can do to strengthen our small businesses, which is why I have a plan.”
On her policy plans
“I have a plan to give start up businesses, $50,000 tax deduction to pursue their ambitions, their innovation, their ideas, their hard work.”
“I have a plan $6000 for young families for the first year of your child’s life to help you in that most critical stage of your child’s development.”
“I have a plan that is about allowing people to be able to pursue what has been fleeting in terms of the American dream by offering a help with down payment of $25,000 down payment assistance for first time homebuyers.”
“That’s the kind of conversation I believe that people really want tonight as opposed to a conversation that is constantly about belittling and name calling.”
On Race
“Trump has attempted to use race to divide the American people. I do believe that the vast majority of us know that we have so much more in common than what separates us. And we don’t want this kind of approach that is just constantly trying to divide us and especially by race.”
“Let’s remember how Donald Trump started. He owned land, he owned buildings and he was investigated because he refused to rent property to black families.
“Let’s remember this is the same individual who took out a full page ad in the New York Times calling for the execution of five young black and Latino boys who were innocent.”
“This is the same individual who spread birther lies about the first Black president of the United States. And I think the American people want better than that, want better than this.”
“We want someone who understands as I do. I have travelled our country. We don’t want a leader who is constantly trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other.”
“I meet with people all the time who tell me, can we please just have discourse about how we’re going to invest in the aspirations and the ambitions and the dreams of the American people. Knowing that regardless of people’s colour or the language their grandmother speaks. We all have the same dreams and aspirations and want a president who invests in those not in hate and division.”