On September 11th, from 9:00 to 10:45 Beijing time, the United States presidential candidates - former President Trump and current Vice President Harris, participated in the television debate for the U.S. presidential election, which was also the first face-to-face confrontation between the two candidates.

Considering the very close poll support rates of the two candidates before the debate, their performance in this debate is likely to become an important factor affecting the undecided voters' decision, ultimately influencing the final outcome of the U.S. election.

Although the originally scheduled debate time was 90 minutes, due to frequent interruptions and rebuttals between the two candidates, the debate ultimately lasted for over 100 minutes. Trump spoke for about 42 minutes and 52 seconds, while Harris spoke for about 37 minutes and 36 seconds.

In this debate, the two candidates discussed various issues such as the economy, abortion rights, immigration, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Afghanistan issues, climate change, and more.

Compared to the debate with 81-year-old Biden in June this year, the debate with 59-year-old Harris this time added much more pressure on Trump.

This can be clearly seen from Trump's expression: during the June debate, whenever Biden spoke, Trump always had a mocking smile.

In today's debate, whenever Harris spoke to the camera, she appeared calm and composed, while Trump always had a serious expression.

So, let's take a closer look at how the two candidates performed in this debate. Which way will the balance of victory lean?

Comparison of the debate strategies of the two candidates

Overall, Trump's debate strategy is very similar to what it was in June: he uses a lot of exaggerated language to attack his opponent (even quoting a lot of incorrect data and false facts), and when faced with unfavorable topics, he chooses to divert the topic or shift the blame to his opponent.

For example, when the moderator asked about the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, which obviously put Trump in a disadvantageous position, he immediately chose to divert the topic by angrily criticizing Democrats for their handling of immigration issues, leading to the chaos at the US border, and so on.

And when the moderator repeated the question, he chose to shift the blame to the then Speaker of the House, Democrat Pelosi, claiming that Pelosi is also responsible for the riots.

Harris' performance in the debate was clearly much stronger than that of President Biden in June. Compared to the 79-year-old Biden's incoherent responses to Trump's attacks in June, the 59-year-old Harris was able to respond confidently and constantly point out that Trump was "spewing lies."

Furthermore, she can occasionally provoke Trump with comments like his supporters at the rally "always leave early," angering Trump and causing him to react angrily, appearing somewhat irrational.

According to Harris' debate assistant's comments, their provocative strategy has been hugely successful, with Trump 'taking the bait' at every turn. Some of Trump's allies also complain that they are frustrated by his multiple instances of losing his composure in tonight's debate.

In addition, Trump has been trying to tie Harris to Biden, heavily criticizing the Biden and Harris administration for governing ineffectively and making the United States "a failed country."

"Remember, she's Biden. You know, she wants to distance herself from Biden. She says, 'I don't know this man.' She's Biden."

Meanwhile, Harris emphatically distances herself from Biden, smiling and pointing to herself, saying, "Clearly, I'm not Joe Biden, and certainly not Donald Trump. I offer our country a new generation of leadership."

Specific debate content

So, specifically, what governance plans did the two candidates elaborate on?

On the economic front, Harris emphasized her "opportunity economy" plan and heavily promoted her proposals to make housing more affordable and expand the child tax credit.

Trump argued that his tariff plan would help Americans. He also proposed imposing tariffs of 10% to 20% on most imports to the USA, excluding Chinese goods - for which the tariffs would reach 60%. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, this would result in an annual loss of $2600 for Americans.

2025 Project: After Harris accused Trump of being associated with the conservative policy roadmap 2025 Project, Trump distanced himself from the project.

Abortion Issue: Trump defended his decision to support the six-week abortion ban in Florida and emphasized that his stance is that abortion should be a state matter.

Harris criticized Trump's abortion ban and stated that the former president "shouldn't be telling women how to treat their bodies".

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Harris stated that the war must end immediately to avoid harming more innocent people, while Trump stated, "If I were president, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would never have happened".

About the Russia-Ukraine war: Trump argued that he could "resolve" the conflict within 24 hours but refused to disclose whether he wanted Ukraine to win. Meanwhile, Harris claimed she would firmly support Ukraine, saying, "If Trump were president, Putin would already be sitting in Kyiv".

Medical care: Trump said he has a "conceptual plan" to replace the Affordable Care Act, which is something he promised to do before. Harris responded that Trump has tried dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act and praised the Biden administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs and restrict insulin costs. She said that if she is elected president, she will strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

Racial issues: When asked about his false accusations that Harris 'accidentally became black' for political purposes, Trump said he 'doesn't care at all' about his opponent's race. Harris called Trump's comments on her racial identity a 'tragedy' and criticized his record on race relations in America.

Closing Remarks

In the final closing remarks, Harris presented many positive visions, including protecting women's rights, protecting low and middle-income individuals, and protecting small and medium-sized businesses.

And Trump's closing remarks almost all attacked Harris: 'You have presented so many positive visions, so why haven't you achieved anything in the three and a half years you have been in power?'

Who won this debate in the end

Shortly after the debate ended, both Harris and Trump seemed to claim victory in this debate.

Before the debate was over, Trump's campaign team prematurely declared victory, with his senior advisors Chris Lasovita and Suzy Welch believing that his performance was 'excellent' and presenting a 'bold vision for America':

We saw President Trump outline his bold vision for the usa, as well as how he will continue to consolidate the success of his first term, promote economic development, ensure border security, and stop crime from ravaging communities across the country.

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign team also called for another round of debates after the debate ended:

“Under the spotlight, the American people see the choice they will face at the ballot box this autumn: whether to move forward with Kamala Harris or step back with Trump. This is what they saw tonight, and it's what they should see in the second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready to participate in the second debate. What about Donald Trump?"

However, considering that after the debate in June, it was the Trump team, who was then in the lead, that first proposed the second debate, the Harris team initiating the call for the second debate this time seems to indicate their advantage in this debate.

In addition, from voter feedback, the vast majority of voters believe that Harris performed better in this debate.

The Washington Post conducted a small-scale survey of 24 undecided voters in swing states, with 22 believing Harris performed better, while only 2 thought Trump performed better.

Most of the respondents believe that Harris had a clear train of thought, performed professionally, and successfully angered Trump, depriving him of many attacking opportunities. Of course, some respondents also think: "Harris did not provide real answers to any question in this debate."

Editor/Somer