Where Is the Harris-Trump Debate Taking Us?
One of the major issues for many people going into the Harris-Trump debate on September 10, 2024, was the question, “Who is Kamala Harris?” And one of the main issues that many commentators noted was Harris’ track record of changing her position on multiple issues, including fracking, the Medicare for All Act, and gun control.
Notably, Trump has a history of flip-flopping for political expediency himself, particularly abortion, where prior to needing the votes of evangelicals, he described himself as “very pro-choice.” I think it is safe to say that both of their track records speak volumes about them, including in relation to their debate performance.
Trump was true to form with numerous sensationalist lies, from immigrants in Springfield eating people’s pets, fact-checked by debate moderators, to babies being executed after birth as part of Harris’s plan for protection for women’s right to choose, again fact-checked by debate moderators. He also claimed that Harris was a failed border czar when Trump personally killed a border bill in Congress and claimed that he had nothing to do with January 6, except that they have been mistreated compared to immigrants.
I will first take out of order the point that most interests me from this presidential debate.
The war on Palestine
Harris was the first person to speak on the situation in Palestine. She stated that the war was due to the attacks on October 7, 2023, and that while Israel has a right to defend itself, it must follow international law. She stated that she believes in a two-state solution and that Palestinians have a right to self-determination, and referenced the thousands of lives, including women and children that have been lost in Gaza, and that there needs to be an immediate cease-fire.
Trump, on the flip side, had no clear claims, other than repeating “She hates Israel” and that “She hates Arabs too.” He also claimed that if Kamala was elected, all of Israel would be bombed. Trump stated, “Israel will not exist within two years from now” and “the whole place is going to get blown up.”
However, it is clear that the business-as-usual approach of the Biden-Harris administration has done nothing to prevent violence in the Middle East generally, or in Gaza specifically.
For me, Trump’s rhetoric about immigration is frightening for the Muslim community, and as a woman, the rhetoric about the right to choose as well. It is noticeable that in his first term, Donald Trump ran with Mike Pence, who was radically pro-life. And that is how Roe v. Wade was repealed. Now, J.D. Vance is his running mate, and we are facing the ongoing crisis in Palestine.
I am deeply concerned about the fact that Vance is radically anti-Palestine, given the most recent attacks on the West Bank; and Trump’s history of pro-Israel policies, including stopping diplomatic ties with Palestine and emboldening anti-Palestine factions in the Israeli government.
Given what we saw with Pence and abortion, Trump’s ties to evangelicals, and Vance’s stance on Israel, including the religious nature of being anti-Palestine, it is frightening to think of the consequences for the situation of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank.
The continual propping up of the Israeli regime … has been the consistent response of the Biden-Harris administration … without any consideration of their role as the primary bad actor in the Middle East.
However, it is clear that the business-as-usual approach of the Biden-Harris administration has done nothing to prevent violence in the Middle East generally, or in Gaza specifically. The continual propping up of the Israeli regime in the face of unified international opposition has been the consistent response of the Biden-Harris administration, with continued funding of arms to Israel without any consideration of their role as the primary bad actor in the Middle East.
This includes major questions about the support of Israeli aggression toward Israel, or what difference Kamala’s lip service to Palestinian self-determination will make in policies in Washington.
Other topics that were debated were as follows:
The economy
Many people are most concerned with the economy. While there were accusations on both sides about the other’s failed policies, Kamala made a point that I rapidly fact-checked and it turned out true. Wharton Business School, as well as a letter from 16 Nobel Prize winners, have stated that Trump’s economic policies would reignite inflation and that Kamala’s plans seem to be more benign.
Kamala’s arguments that she was raised by a working mother and is a “middle-class kid” definitely would make one believe her policies are inclined to be friendlier to the middle class than Trump as a billionaire.
She argued for concrete things like home ownership, and support for small businesses, and there was virtually no substance to Trump’s responses about the economy other than false claims that under the Biden administration inflation is the worst it has ever been, which is false.
Additionally, Trump’s response to the economy was marked by an extended rant about immigrants, and their criminality, that it has been a disaster for every class, with millions of people pouring into our country, jobs being taken, immigrants taking over towns, going in violently everywhere and causing destruction.
While in many ways this is aimed at concerns about immigration across our southern border, it is hard as a Muslim to forget that one of the first things that Trump did in his first time in office was enacting the infamous Muslim Ban, based on exactly this type of xenophobic hysteria, and that while these attacks are primarily directed at Latinos, Muslim fared horribly around the issue of Islamophobia with Trump as president.
Abortion
Trump made the argument that he is proud that he is responsible for the repeal of Roe v. Wade, and that this has been wanted by the majority of Americans. Kamala fiercely argued for a woman’s right to choose.
The issue in large part depends on who is elected to Congress in November. However, we all know that Trump is radically pro-life in his policies and that Kamala supports a woman’s right to choose.
It is also significant that the majority of Americans support abortion rights in some way. Trump continuously ranted about the fact that Kamala was in favor of late-term abortions and that she would execute babies if she had her way, again, fact-checked by the debate moderator.
Border security
Kamala made the important point that Trump has recently worked to kill a bill that would strengthen border security in Congress.
Trump had nothing concrete to say about immigration other than continuous xenophobic ranting about criminality and how crime rates have gone down around the world because other countries are sending us all their criminals. He also ranted about Springfield and a conspiracy theory about how pets are being petnapped and eaten by illegal immigrants.
Crime
Harris brought up her record as a prosecutor and called out Trump’s criminal record. She also brought up the fact that she has the endorsement of hundreds of Republicans. Trump ranted about immigration again.
Democracy
Trump continued to claim he won by a landslide in 2020. Harris made the point that Trump supports dictators and that the role of the United States needs to be to support democracy.
Granted the Biden-Harris administration has supported the apartheid regime in Israel and has refused to make any meaningful stand for democracy.
Granted the Biden-Harris administration has supported the apartheid regime in Israel and has refused to make any meaningful stand for democracy. Nor have they done anything concrete to be a responsible member of the international community on this issue.
Trump denied having anything to do with the January 6 events, denied anyone being hurt, except one of the people who attacked the Capitol, and bemoaned the unfairness of how harshly the January 6 attackers were treated relative to immigrants.
Kamala stated he is a disgrace and that it is deeply troubling that he has a temperament that he is confused about facts. Trump called Biden a weak, pathetic man.
Afghanistan
The next topic that was debated was Afghanistan. Kamala made the point that Biden withdrew U.S. troops, and Trump negotiated with the Taliban at Camp David. She said that there was no active duty member in any combat zone in any country as of today.
She stated that Trump negotiated a weak, terrible deal and that he bypassed the Afghan government. Trump argued that he was smart to deal with the Taliban, and other leaders had been dealing with the wrong people.
He said he met with Abdul, who is still the head of the Taliban and after him for 18 months nobody was killed. He stated that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was the most embarrassing moment in U.S. history.
Race
Trump stated he did not know Kamala was black. Kamala pointed out Trump’s ties to white supremacy and that Trump continuously attempted to use race to divide the American people. Trump claimed the Biden administration was the most divisive presidency in American history.
Environment
Kamala mentioned the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump made claims about Biden taking money from the wife of the Mayor of Moscow and China, and how he is letting jobs go to Mexico.
He stated Biden lost 10,000 manufacturing jobs to big auto plants in Mexico, and now they can sell their cars into the United States and that they will kill the United Auto Workers. Kamala again claimed she was a middle-class kid and that the United Auto Workers endorsed her.
My final verdict
As far as what will be best for the Muslim community, women, and minorities, if I was not already convinced of how dangerously xenophobic Trump continues to be, this was a vivid reminder. However, the high-level questions about Harris’s capacity to solve the widening conflict in the Middle East remain.
The apathetic, vapid, incompetent, and inept responses of the Biden-Harris administration to Israeli aggression definitely raise the question of whether Trump’s radically isolationist approach to foreign conflict would open the door for Russia and China and other strong governments to solve the ongoing conflict, as happened in Syria, Afghanistan, and other places with his departure from business as usual in Washington during his first term in office.
Whether or not the decades of activism to promote black power are sufficient reason for people on the left to ignore the genocidal policies of the Biden administration remains to be seen but we can tell where it’s most probably heading.
Whether or not the decades of activism to promote black power are sufficient reason for people on the left to ignore the genocidal policies of the Biden administration remains to be seen but we can tell where it’s most probably heading.
At present, it seems insufficient for many. It’s also clear to anyone at this time that there’s a chance that the best candidate for the Muslim community — both nationally and internationally — is outside of these two major parties. As Imam Marcellus Williams said so well, “All praise be to Allah in every situation”
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