US Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party concluded their first live debate on September 11 (Vietnam time) at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Former US President Donald Trump (left) and Vice President Kamala Harris at a live debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the evening of September 10, 2024. Photo: THX/VNA
This event is seen as an opportunity for former President Trump to reshape the landscape of the White House race, while Vice President Harris can capitalize on her political success after weeks of impressive gains in opinion polls. Like previous elections, the United States is witnessing a close, exciting, and potentially unpredictable race between the two presidential candidates representing the Democratic and Republican parties. Vice President Harris's baggage before the debate includes the momentum her campaign has built since officially launching. After the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, her campaign announced it had raised over $500 million. According to a nationwide poll released on September 8th by the New York Times in collaboration with Siena University, Trump's approval rating is now only 1% higher than Harris's (48% - 47%). Numerous other polls also showed the two candidates differing by approximately 1-2 percentage points. With the polls having a margin of error of up to 3 percentage points, it could be said that both were in a "tie." This close contest forced them into a showdown, determined to create a difference and attract voter support, especially from undecided voters. As expected, the 90-minute debate between the two candidates was intense, revolving around many national issues such as the economy, immigration, abortion, and foreign policy related to pressing security issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Hamas-Israel conflict. Chris Wallace, CNN's host, commented that he had "never seen a debate as fierce as the one in June between Trump and Biden." Despite being a seasoned speaker with a longer speaking time than his opponent, Trump seemed to lack that "experience" in this live debate. In fact, in the early part of the debate, Trump appeared to be somewhat overshadowed by his opponent. As for the Democratic candidate, Harris appeared calm, well-prepared, and proactively pressed, targeting what she considered weaknesses in the former president's policies, such as mentioning the scale of Trump's campaign rallies and listing some former officials who had switched sides. Upon taking the stage, she proactively shook hands with her opponent and frequently looked at Trump while speaking. Nick Beauchamp, associate professor of political science at Northeastern University (USA), initially observed that Harris was trying to create a distinction between herself and both President Biden and Trump. She then delved into the debate topics and related issues to force Trump to speak more and reveal his weaknesses. As a result, Trump had to make efforts to counter her arguments and was reprimanded by the ABC News moderator at least three times for making statements deemed untrue. However, this did not mean a victory for Harris in this round of the debate. Although lacking the explosive style of previous presidential debates, candidate Trump still demonstrated some flexibility in his responses. He blamed President Joe Biden's administration for the unprecedentedly high inflation rate, criticized his views on abortion and immigration policies as harmful to America. The former president also asserted that his tax cut plan would improve the face of the American economy. Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist, noted that while Harris may have somewhat flustered former President Trump, it remains unclear whether the Democratic candidate will be able to convince voters to make a final decision after this debate. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe assessed that although Vice President Harris repeatedly asserted her differences from incumbent President Biden, she failed to present concrete arguments to clarify those differences. According to the newspaper's assessment, through the debate, she presented herself as an "equal match" with Trump, rather than a clear superior opponent. As for Trump, the Boston Globe assessed the Republican candidate's debate performance as neither bad nor excellent. The extent of the debate's impact remains questionable, as many voters, even before casting their ballots, have already made their choices. History has shown that the winner of a debate doesn't always guarantee a White House. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was considered the favorite to win all three debates against Trump, but ultimately lost. David Lazer, a political science professor at Northeastern University, commented: "I predict there won't be a major shift in the vote." According to experts, while the debate may not immediately change the course of the election, it has at least provided important insights into the views, style, and strategies of the two candidates. However, given the unpredictable nature of US presidential elections, regardless of the outcome of the debate or which side is currently in the lead, the final answer will only be known on that fateful day, November 5th.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/phan-tichnhan-dinh/ngang-tai-can-suc-20240911162605003.htm
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