Students and organizations hosted watch parties across campus on Sept. 10, 2024, to view the first  presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. In the 90-minute debate hosted by ABC, the candidates discussed a range of topics from immigration to abortion.

Trump is the candidate for the Republican Party while Harris is running for the Democratic Party after President Joe Biden dropped from the race in July. Trump also stated that he is unwilling to debate Harris again, calling the Vice President ‘comrade Harris’. In addition to individually organized watch parties and those put on by student organizations, Residential Colleges hosted one in the Commons Center open to all students. 

Who “won” the debate?

Sophomore Jose Ruiz-Zepeda said he believed Harris won the debate. 

“Throughout the night, her [Harris’] points were mainly in line with the questions that were asked,” Ruiz-Zepeda said. “She stretched beyond just the questions and connected them to a broader context for the everyday American, and overall contained her temper very well compared to her opponent.”

Junior Isaiah Eby echoed this sentiment, expressing interest in the policies shared by Harris.

“I think Harris won this debate because she demonstrated that she has real plans to combat the issues on the minds of most Americans, and she demonstrated that she has a vision for the U.S. that would benefit everyone,” Eby said.

Sophomore Bryce Ware said he saw Harris lead the conversation while Trump struggled to stay on topic.

“I feel that Harris was able to bait Trump into the issues she felt she had an advantage in, leading him into situations where he would talk in circles and avoid direct answers,” Ware said.

Sophomore Samuel Bodwell, vice president of Vanderbilt College Republicans, said he did not see a clear definition of a platform from either of the candidates. 

“President Trump got caught in the weeds often with unnecessary jabs such as his crowds being bored, as Vice President Harris put it. Trump should have ignored the attacks and focused on policy,” Bodwell said. “Harris, on the other hand, did not provide any real information on how her administration will differ from President Biden’s, particularly regarding the economy and high levels of inflation.” 

Some students said they wished the candidates had elaborated further on policy issues such as inflation, foreign relations, abortion rights and immigration. Sophomore Abigail Barner expressed disappointment with Harris’ performance, saying she focused more on appearing relatable to the public rather than discussing her policy platform.

“While she referenced her policy supporting small businesses, I do not feel that that will alleviate swing voter’s holistic concerns about the economy,” Barner said. “Additionally, her intentions to reinstate Roe v. Wade — while hugely important to voters — was not new information, and I do not believe it is a new deciding factor for swing voters.”

Bodwell similarly said he wished Harris had discussed her plan for the economy more in depth.

“Trump on the other hand should have expanded on the deal he is going to make with Putin and Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The same goes for negotiating with Hamas,” Bodwell said. “I believe many people have doubts as to whether or not he can successfully end both wars, and he needs to earn people’s trust that he can.”

Sophomore McClain Chesser said he hoped for more discussion of immigration policy.

“I wish Kamala would talk more about her stance on immigration,” Chesser said. “It seems like she dodges the question every time it’s brought up.”

Looking back and ahead

Some students believed that Harris did a better job overall in debating Trump on Tuesday than Biden did last June during the Biden-Trump debate hosted by CNN. First-year Suhani Joshi was in attendance at the Commons watch party and expressed satisfaction with Harris’ overall presence at the debate compared to Biden. 

“I think that because of just her ability to articulate well, her younger age and her relatively clean record — at least with interpersonal relations compared to Joe Biden — I do believe that she provided a stronger performance in this debate,” Joshi said.

Sophomore Ryan Paul also mentioned Harris’s ability to “push Trump to his edge,” something he does not believe Biden was able to do. Paul said Harris’s overall demeanor led to success in the debate.

“I think Kamala Harris won the debate because she was able to completely and clearly articulate her points while getting under Trump’s skin and showing her dominance,.” Paul said. “I watched the debate this past June, and Kamala provided a much stronger performance in this debate compared to Joe.”

A flash poll by CNN published early on Sept. 11 resulted in large margins in favor of Harris’ performance in the debate, but sophomore Iris Li advised voters to remain civil as we head towards Election Day, regardless of which candidate is leading.

“All I know is that this is going to be one hell of an election,” Li said. “We came together as a nation to cheer for the U.S. Olympic team, and now I just hope we don’t tear each other apart because of the election.”
Vanderbilt College Democrats did not immediately respond to The Hustler’s request for comment about the debate.