The Harris-Trump debate as told by social media: Memes, videos and viral posts

The countdown to the U.S. presidential election has begun, and the tension rose even further Tuesday night during the highly anticipated debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in Philadelphia. Social media was flooded with comments during and after the debate, which was marked by tense exchanges, sharp responses and moments fit for a comedy. Millions of Americans and viewers around the world followed every detail of the standoff, with social media providing the most amusing and biting critique of the event.

The handshake

This was one of the most talked about moments of the night. There was much speculation about whether the candidates would greet each other with a handshake. They did so in the middle of these formal introductions:

- Kamala Harris. Let’s have a good debate.

- Nice to see you. Let’s have fun.

Migrants are ‘eating pets’

Donald Trump on Tuesday was the same person his followers and the broader public have come to know so well. The candidate’s most controversial and outlandish statement was directed at migrants, whom he accused of “eating the pets” of residents in Ohio. The false claim was part of his broader message that the U.S. is in a dire state due to the immigration crisis — rhetoric intended to stir up fear and distrust.

Trump claims Democrat states ‘execute’ babies

One of the key issues of the debate and this year’s election is reproductive rights. At a particularly tense moment in the debate, the former president defended the Supreme Court ruling that revoked the federal right to abortion, saying the decision was possible thanks to the strength of “six Supreme Court justices.” He also falsely claimed that some Democratic states “have abortion in the ninth month,” and that the previous governor of West Virginia said the state would “decide what to do with the baby” after it was born. “In other words, we’ll execute the baby,” Trump claimed. These false statements were quickly refuted by moderator Linsey Davis.

Kamala's reactions

During the standoff, Kamala Harris’ facial expressions quickly became fodder for memes on social media. One of the most popular images shows the Democratic candidate with her right hand to her chin, in a gesture of astonishment, and a sarcastic smile as she listens to the Republican candidate.

Harris is a “Marxist”

During the first minutes of the debate, Donald Trump went on the attack by calling the Democratic candidate “a Marxist.” “Her father’s a Marxist professor in economics,” he added, while Harris looked at him in disbelief.

Moderators debunk Trump

Donald Trump came into Tuesday’s debate after beating President Joe Biden in the first standoff. Biden was harshly criticized for his performance, with serious concerns raised about his age. After facing weeks of pressure, Biden decided to drop out of the race for the White House. But unlike the first debate, where the moderators adopted a passive attitude, in Tuesday’s standoff, David Muir and Linsey Davis repeatedly corrected Trump’s misleading statements.

Trump grilled for questioning Harris’ race

Americans know Donald Trump very well, both for the good and the bad. When asked why he had questioned Kamala Harris’ racial identity, Trump replied: “I don’t care what she is. I couldn’t care less. Whatever she wants to be is okay with me.” He justified these attacks on the vice president by saying that he had simply read that she was “not Black.”

Harris paves her own path: “I am not Joe Biden”

The debate in Philadelphia pitted a former prosecutor — Kamala Harris — against a former president with a criminal record — Donald Trump. “I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump,” Harris responded when the Republican accused her of wanting to continue the current president’s policies.

Fact-checkers

The first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was an intense night for fact-checkers. The 90-minute debate was filled with false claims. Throughout the event, while addressing topics such as the economy, immigration, foreign policy and abortion, the former president made several claims that were classified as false.

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