The highly anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump was an epic showdown that many debate watchers said will set the tone for the next few months going into the general election.
At a debate watch party held at the Bleu Nuk restaurant in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 10, dozens gathered with food and drinks. They arranged fun bingo cards of expected Harris and Trump sayings.
A few were eager to hear what points Harris would raise and to watch her verbally joust with Trump — someone known for his name-calling, deflection with humor, and intimidation tactics.
“I’m waiting for Trump to embarrass himself,” said one Riverdale middle school teacher. She said she encouraged her seventh grade students to tune in and hopefully engage in conversation.
The debate covered a wide range of issues, including housing, the need to build a stronger economy, inflation, Project 2025, and abortion.
RELATED: Project 2025: Another knee on our necks
To recap, Harris said she is passionate about providing $50,000 tax deductions for small businesses and building up the U.S. workforce; proposing a $6,000 child tax cut to help families; reinstating the protections that federal abortion had under Roe v. Wade; continuing to crackdown on gun and fentanyl trafficking; supporting affordable housing production, the Affordable Care Act, fracking, and diverse energy sourcing; investing in clean and renewable energy sources; working on a ceasefire deal in Gaza that will see Israeli hostages returned, adding that she believes in Israel’s “right to defend itself” and supports a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel.
“I think she took him to task. She stuck to the facts, and made sure to put out her plan because that was a big criticism that she didn’t have one,” said District Leader Anthony Beckford. “A lot of the undecided have become decided.”
“She crushed it,” said another attendee, adding that “it was totally different from Biden and Hillary.”
Trump spoke about immigration, tariffs on China, and Biden being “weak” on national security policies as he tried to distance himself from Project 2025. Moderators had to repeatedly fact check some of his responses on late stage abortion, infanticide, and his assertion that crime is down globally.
Most egregiously, Trump kept falsely saying that immigrants are eating pets in Ohio. This infuriated many of the debate watchers in the Brooklyn restaurant, particularly because many present were of Caribbean descent. “I think Kamala showed that she was the stronger candidate and that she was giving a lot of facts over fiction,” said Jeanick Williams, 40, a Haitian Brooklynite. “America was built on slavery, on migrants, on immigrants, and everbody coming here to make a difference. That’s the only way that we’re going to thrive. That’s what we’re about. The Statue of Liberty stands for [something] and if you don’t understand what that is, then what’s the point? And if you don’t have a president that understands what we are as a melting pot and can’t respect it — then he doesn’t need to be our president.”
Williams added that Haitians don’t eat dogs or cats, contrary to Trump’s insistence.
“I used to be surprised by that level of racism but I think it’s a precursor of what will come. It’s a dog whistle,” said Unified Political Association (UPA) President Hassan Bakiriddin about Trump. “Someone’s taking your jobs, committing crimes, and stealing. Others have said it in the past because those dog whistles might work when you don’t have substance.”
After the debate wrapped, singer Taylor Swift posted her official endorsement of Harris.