Debate recap: How Trump, Harris addressed key issues

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris met for the first time on the debate stage on Tuesday night, and while most voters have seen Trump debate before, this was the first – and perhaps only – chance for Vice President Harris to go head-to-head with the former president.

Their 90-minute debate covered a wide range of topics. Here’s what both candidates said on topics that are of highest interest to voters.

Immigration

What Harris said

Harris brought up her previous experience prosecuting "transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs and human beings," and recalled supporting a border security bill which she claimed Trump had killed in Congress. 

What Trump said

Throughout his campaign, Trump has leaned on illegal immigration, an issue that has bedeviled Biden and Harris with rising numbers of illegal border crossings and the arrivals of thousands of people needing shelter in Democratic-led cities. He accused Democrats of abetting large numbers of unauthorized crossings — though they have dropped in recent months in part due to new asylum restrictions by the Biden administration.

But as he often does in his rallies and on his social media account, Trump reeled off a series of falsehoods or unproven claims about migrants. One of those claims was a debunked rumor that Trump and his allies have spread online in recent days, alleging Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town are hunting and eating pets. Officials in Springfield, Ohio, say they have no evidence of that happening.

MORE: Immigration and Border Security: Harris vs. Trump

Abortion rights

What Harris said

Harris came out swinging in defense of abortion rights, perhaps the strongest issue for Democrats since Trump’s nominees created a Supreme Court majority to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. Her sharp arguments provided a vivid contrast to President Joe Biden's rambling comments on the issue during his June debate with Trump.

"The government, and Donald Trump, certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body," Harris said. She painted a vivid picture of women facing medical complications, gut-wrenching decisions and the need to travel out of state for an abortion.

"You want to talk about ‘This is what people wanted?’ Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she’s bleeding out in a car in the parking lot?" Harris said.

Harris still hedged, however, on providing details about what type of restrictions – if any – she supports around abortion. Instead, she pivoted: saying that she wants to "reinstate the protections of Roe," which prohibited states from banning abortions before fetal viability, generally considered around 20 weeks.

What Trump said

Trump was just as fierce in defense, saying he returned the issue to the states, an outcome he said many Americans wanted. 

"I did a great service in doing that. It took courage to do it," Trump said of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and its constitutional protections for abortion. "And the Supreme Court had great courage in doing it. And I give tremendous credit to those six justices."

He struggled with accuracy, however, repeating the false claim that Democrats support abortion even after babies are born. He stuck to that even after he was corrected by moderator Linsey Davis.

Trump also sidestepped questions about his intentions to further restrict abortion. He would not say whether he would sign a national abortion ban as president, the AP noted.

MORE: Abortion access 2024: Here’s where the laws stand in your state

Crime

What Harris said

Harris turned to Trump’s personal criminal record when the topic of crime was brought up. 

"I think this is so rich coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes," she said when Trump claimed that immigration was causing a rise in crime in the country.

What Trump said

Trump repeated claims throughout the night during various topics that crime rates were "way up" in America compared to the rest of the world.

"We have a new form of crime," he said. "It’s called migrant crime and it’s happening at levels that nobody thought possible."

"Crime is down all over the world except here," he said. 

Moderator David Muir stepped in to say that the FBI says overall violent crime is actually down in the country, to which Trump said that was a "fraud." 

Economy

What Harris said

The debate opened with an unexpectedly wonky exchange on the economy: Harris took on Trump for his plan to put in place sweeping tariffs and for the trade deficit he ran as president; Trump slammed Harris for inflation that he incorrectly said was the worst in the country’s history.

Harris flatly told viewers, "Donald Trump has no plan for you."

"I am offering what I describe as an opportunity economy," she continued, and said she intends on extending a tax cut for families to $6,000 and give a $50,000 tax deduction to small businesses. 

What Trump said

At the top of the debate, Trump said inflation has been "a disaster on the middle class" before pivoting the topic to immigration, claiming that "we have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums, and they're coming in and they're taking jobs that are occupied right now by African-Americans and Hispanics and also unions. Unions are going to be affected very soon."

He later elaborated, saying "everybody knows what I’m going to do." 

"I’m going to cut taxes substantially and create a great economy like I did before."

MORE: Where Trump, Harris stand on the economy, wages, and taxes