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Trump, Harris exchange barbs on debate stage

In the U.S. presidential election, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, Donald Trump, clashed with his Democratic Party rival, Kamala Harris, Tuesday evening over issues such as abortion, immigration and foreign policy. VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman has details from the candidates’ first debate in Philadelphia.
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Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president after debate ends

WASHINGTON — Taylor Swift, one of the music industry’s biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night.

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post, which included a link to a voter registration website.

Swift has a dedicated following among young women, a key demographic in the November election, and her latest tour has generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales. In a half hour, the post received more than 2.3 million likes.

She included a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed the message “Childless Cat Lady.” The remark is a reference to 3-year-old comments made by JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, about women without children not having an equal stake in the country’s future.

A Harris senior campaign official said the endorsement was not coordinated with the campaign. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, appeared to learn about the endorsement in the middle of a live interview on MSNBC. As Rachel Maddow read the text, Walz broke into a smile and patted his chest.

“That was eloquent. And it was clear,” Walz said. “And that’s the kind of courage we need in America to stand up.”

Swift wrote that her endorsement was partially prompted by Trump’s decision to post AI-generated pictures suggesting that she had endorsed him. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, and the text said, “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.”

Trump’s posts “brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter,” Swift wrote. She added that “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice.”

The Trump campaign dismissed Swift’s endorsement.

“This is further evidence that the Democrat Party has unfortunately become a party of the wealthy elites,” said spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

“There’s many Swifties for Trump out there in America,” she said, herself included.

Swift’s endorsement was not exactly a surprise. In 2020, she supported President Joe Biden, and she cheered for Harris in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also was openly critical of Trump, saying he had stoked “the fires of white supremacy and racism.”

Swift is a popular figure nationwide, but especially among Democrats. An October 2023 Fox News poll found that 55% of voters overall, including 68% of Democrats, said they had a favorable view of Swift. Republicans were divided, with 43% having a favorable opinion and 45% an unfavorable one.

AP VoteCast suggests that a partisan divide on Swift was apparent as early as 2018. That’s the year Swift made her first political endorsement, supporting Tennessee Democrat Phil Bredesen for Senate over Republican Marsha Blackburn.

VoteCast found that among Tennessee voters that year, 55% of Democrats and just 19% of Republicans said they had a favorable opinion of Swift. Blackburn won by a comfortable margin in the deep red state.

Swift is the leading nominee at Wednesday’s MTV Video Music Awards. While it’s unclear whether Swift will attend the show in New York, she could use any acceptance speeches to elaborate on her support of Harris.
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Top takeaways from the Harris-Trump debate

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off on Tuesday night in Philadelphia in a debate that comes less than two months before the presidential election.

The race is tight between the two candidates. Among registered voters, Harris leads Trump by 1 point — 49% to 48% — according to the latest PBS/NPR/Marist poll. That result falls within the margin of error.

The ABC debate marks the first face-to-face meeting between Harris, 59, and Trump, 78.

A former prosecutor, Harris is the first woman, Black American and South Asian American vice president. Trump, a businessman who has been criticized for his sexist and racist remarks, is the first convicted felon to run for president and, if elected, would be 82 by the end of his term.

During what could be their only debate, Harris and Trump sparred on issues ranging from the economy and immigration to democracy, abortion and the Israel-Hamas war.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the debate.

Economy

The economy was the debate’s first topic, with Harris saying she wants to create an “opportunity economy.” She cited her plan to increase the tax credit for starting new small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000.

“I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class,” she said, adding that Trump wants to help the rich with tax cuts.

Trump has said he will further reduce the corporate tax rate from the current 21% to 15%. Harris wants to increase the rate to 28%. It was 35% before Trump’s 2017 tax bill.

Trump spent much of his answer on the economy talking about immigration. However, he also said he created one of the best economies in the United States, without offering specifics, and that he will do it again.

“Look, we’ve had a terrible economy, because inflation, which is really known as a country buster,” Trump said.

Immigration

Immigration has been one of the biggest issues in this presidential campaign. Throughout the debate, Trump lambasted the Biden administration’s handling of immigration – often when the moderators asked questions unrelated to immigration.

Trump repeated his false claims that immigrants are “taking over the towns. They’re taking over buildings. They’re going in violently.” He also cited baseless conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pet dogs and cats.

Harris criticized Trump for killing a bipartisan bill earlier this year that would have put 1,500 more border agents on the U.S. southern border. Harris has said she would support the bill.

Abortion

Trump and Harris grew increasingly combative when debating the question of abortion.

As president, Trump appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped form the majority that overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. That decision laid the groundwork for states to impose restrictive rules on abortion around the country.

“The Supreme Court had great courage in doing it,” Trump said during the debate.

When asked if he would support a national abortion ban, he said: “No, I’m not in favor of abortion ban. But it doesn’t matter because this issue has now been taken over by the states.”

He also said he would not oppose abortion in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk. He also falsely claimed that Democrats support abortions “after birth.”

In response, Harris emphasized the importance of women’s reproductive rights.

“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” she said. She added that she would support Congress passing a bill to codify federal abortion protections and, as president, sign it into law.

Rule of law, threats to democracy and Jan. 6

Harris was a prosecutor for a dozen years, first as San Francisco district attorney and then as California’s attorney general. A central component of Harris’ campaign has been portraying Trump as a threat to democracy.

During the debate, Harris highlighted Trump’s status as a convicted felon. Trump replied with the unsubstantiated accusation that Harris and the Biden administration are “weaponizing” the government to prosecute him

When asked by the moderator whether Trump would acknowledge that he lost the 2020 presidential election, he replied with the false claim that he actually won the election. On the Jan. 6 insurrection, Trump said, “I had nothing to do with that, other than they asked me to make a speech.”

“It’s time to turn the page,” Harris said.

“There is a place in our campaign for you to stand for our country, to stand for democracy, to stand for rule of law and to end the chaos and to end the approach that is about attacking the foundations of our democracy,” she added.

Russia-Ukraine War and Israel-Hamas War

In addition to domestic policy, the moderators also pressed Harris and Trump on foreign policy issues, including the ongoing wars between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Hamas.

On the Israel-Hamas war, Harris said the United States would defend Israel. She added that she supports a two-state solution. The war “must end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal, and we need the hostages out,” Harris said.

Trump claimed that “Israel will be gone” if Harris becomes president, which is unsubstantiated. Trump also repeated his claim that the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas in southern Israel would have never happened if he were president.

Trump said the Russia-Ukraine war would not have happened if he were president. When asked if he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russia, Trump would only say, “I want the war to stop.”

Harris replied: “If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now.”
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House speaker pushes funding bill that includes proof of citizenship mandate

washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed Tuesday to press ahead with requiring proof of citizenship for new voters as part of a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown in three weeks, though the measure appeared likely to be voted down. 

Democrats overwhelmingly oppose the measure. Enough Republicans were also coming out against the bill, though for different reasons, that its prospects of passing the House appeared dim. Even if it does pass the House on Wednesday, the bill would go nowhere in the Senate. 

Johnson said the issue of election security is too critical to ignore, though research has shown that voting by non-citizens is extremely rare. It’s also clear that Republicans see value in making House Democrats take another vote on the issue. The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in July 

“If you have a few thousand illegals participate in the election in the wrong place, you can change the makeup of Congress and you can affect the presidential election,” Johnson said. “The American people understand that.” 

The first test for the stopgap spending bill came Tuesday with a 209-206 vote that kept it moving ahead. But some Republicans who have said they will oppose the bill on final passage allowed it to proceed. 

The measure includes a six-month extension of federal funding to keep agencies and programs operating through March 28. 

But Democrats want a shorter-term extension so that the current Congress will set full-year spending levels for fiscal 2025 rather than the next president and Congress. They also want the proof of citizenship mandate stripped out of the bill, saying it’s unnecessary because states already have effective safeguards in place to verify voters’ eligibility and maintain accurate voter rolls. 

“Is it any surprise that the speaker’s purely partisan CR seems to be running into trouble?” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, using Washington parlance for the short-term continuing resolution needed to prevent a shutdown. “The answer is very simple. The House should stop wasting time on a CR proposal that cannot become law.” 

Schumer called on Johnson to consult with Democratic leaders and the White House on a bipartisan package that can pass both chambers. 

A few House Republicans have also come out against the bill. Some won’t vote for any continuing resolution. They want Congress to return to passing the dozen annual appropriations bills individually. Others say the continuing resolution funds programs at levels they consider inappropriate at a time of nearly $2 trillion annual deficits. 

“I’m a firm no on bankrupting the nation and a yes on election integrity,” said Representative Cory Mills in announcing his opposition. 

Representative Tim Burchett said Republican leadership was asking him to vote for what he called “a Nancy Pelosi-Schumer budget.” 

“I just think that’s a bad idea,” Burchett said. 

Republicans can afford to lose only four votes from their ranks if every Democrat votes against the bill. 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday seemingly encouraged a government shutdown if Republicans in the House and Senate “don’t get assurances on Election Security.” He said on the social media platform Truth Social that they should not go forward with a continuing resolution without such assurances. 

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell disagreed when asked about Trump’s post. 

“Shutting down the government is always a bad idea, no matter what time of the year it is,” McConnell said. 

House Republicans met behind closed doors Tuesday morning to discuss the path forward. Representative Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told colleagues “this is the best fight we’ve ever had,” said Representative Kevin Hern.

By holding another vote on the proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration, House Republicans are making Democrats in competitive swing districts take another vote on the issue ahead of the election. Last time, five Democrats sided with Republicans in support of the requirement. And their votes this time will be highly scrutinized. 

Lawmakers said no plan B was discussed for government funding and that Johnson was determined to hold a vote regardless of the likely outcome. 

“This is important to him,” said Representative Ralph Norman. “This is the hill to die on.” 
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Harris, Trump set for Tuesday debate

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Trump signals support for reclassifying pot as a less dangerous drug, in line with Harris’ position

washington — Donald Trump has signaled support for a potentially historic federal policy shift to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, putting his position in line with that of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

The commonality reflects a major shift toward broad public support for legalization in recent years and marks the first time that both major-party presidential candidates support broad cannabis reform, according to the U.S. Cannabis Council.

The Republican presidential nominee posted on his social media platform late Sunday that he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug,” and also said he would be voting “yes” on a proposal to allow the sale of marijuana to adults for any reason in Florida.

Coming shortly before the two will meet for a pivotal debate, Trump’s post sets up the possibility that he could criticize Harris for her past cannabis prosecutions when she was district attorney in San Francisco. Because drug prosecutions disproportionately affect nonwhite defendants in the U.S., the line of attack could also fit with Trump’s efforts to increase his support among nonwhite men.

Harris backs decriminalization and has called it “absurd” that the Drug Enforcement Administration now has marijuana in the Schedule I category alongside heroin and LSD.

Earlier in her career, she oversaw the enforcement of cannabis laws and opposed legalized recreational use for adults in California while running for attorney general in 2010.

Harris has absorbed attacks on her prosecutorial record on the debate stage before, most notably from Democrat-turned-Trump supporter Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and announced in 2022 that she was leaving the party.

Trump said during his 2016 run that pot policy should be left up the states. During his term in the White House, though, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions lifted an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the marijuana trade in states where the drug is legal.

The DEA process to change the drug’s federal classification is already underway, kickstarted by President Joe Biden’s call for a review. But the DEA hasn’t made a final decision on the shift, which would not legalize recreational marijuana outright. It may not decide until the next presidential administration, putting a spotlight on the candidates’ positions.

Federal drug policy has lagged behind that of many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing recreational use.

About 70% of adults supported legalization in a Gallup poll taken last year, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 3 in 10 who backed it in 2000. Support was even higher among young voters, a key demographic in seven main battleground states.

“We believe cannabis reform is a winning issue,” said David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs at the U.S. Cannabis Council, in a statement Monday.

The federal policy shift wouldn’t legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Instead, it would move marijuana out of Schedule I to the Schedule III category, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids.

The proposed shift is facing opposition from advocates who say there isn’t enough data and from attorneys general in more than a dozen states, according to the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Trump chimed in on the ballot question on the same day that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a fellow Republican who previously challenged him for the 2024 presidential nomination, spoke at City Church Tallahassee, where he ardently opposed two ballot initiatives this November: one to enshrine abortion rights and the other to legalize recreational marijuana.

For months DeSantis has publicly opposed the marijuana amendment, saying it would reduce the quality of life in Florida cities by leaving a marijuana stench in the air.

The Florida Republican Party has also formally denounced the amendment, saying in a May resolution that it would “benefit powerful marijuana special interests, while putting children at risk and endangering Florida family-friendly business and tourism climates.”
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Philadelphia gears up for Harris-Trump debate with protests expected 

philadelphia — It is the birthplace of U.S. independence, the “City of Brotherly Love,” and the hometown of beloved fictional boxer “Rocky” Balboa. 

Now Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will be center stage again when Kamala Harris and Donald Trump meet in a highly anticipated televised debate that could weigh heavily on the November election. 

The two, who have never met in person, will square off at 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT) for a 90-minute debate hosted by ABC News. 

Police are bracing for protests, with pro-Palestinian groups angry with Harris’ continued support of Israel planning to demonstrate. Barricades have been erected around the National Constitution Center, the site of the debate, barring access to the historic area that includes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was signed. 

Meanwhile, several of the city’s bars and universities are planning watch parties. Top Democrats will gather at a hotel for a watch party that Harris is expected to attend after the debate ends. Trump’s plans after the debate are not yet public. 

Some Philadelphia residents said they hoped to learn more about Harris. 

“I wasn’t, like, super impressed with her in 2020 when she had the presidential debates and for the primary,” said Dan Bessler, a Philadelphia resident and sales worker. “But she is a prosecutor. … I think she’ll be able to hold her own better than Biden was able to at his age.” 

President Joe Biden’s faltering debate performance against Trump in June essentially ended his political career, sparking powerful Democrats to convince him he should step aside ahead and allow Harris, his vice president, to run instead. 

Since then, Harris has broken fundraising records and sparked new enthusiasm in the party, but opinion polls suggest a tight race looms with Trump. 

With 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is the biggest prize of the basket of battleground states expected to decide the election. Most pundits predict whoever wins Pennsylvania will win the White House. 

Democrats historically win Pennsylvania by running up huge margins in Philadelphia, to offset losses throughout much of the rest of the state. 

In 2020, the city saw its highest turnout since 1984 — 68% — but it paled beside the statewide figure of 76.5%. 
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Harris, Trump meet face-to-face for crucial debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump square off Tuesday in Philadelphia for their first presidential debate. Analysts say this rhetorical slugfest, which pits a prosecutorial puncher against one of America’s best-known counter punchers, could be decisive as they vie for the presidency. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.
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Presidential firsts quiz

Test your knowledge of the U.S. presidents. Take the quiz.
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International students share diverse views on 2024 US elections

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Presidential debates that sparked change

President Joe Biden’s poor performance during the debate against Donald Trump in June led to his withdrawal from the race and the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Here’s a look at other presidential debates in history that shifted the direction of the campaign.
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Harris, Trump to debate Tuesday in pivotal moment of campaign

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Anxiety, uncertainty build in Ukraine as US election nears

Many Ukrainians are hoping the outcome of the U.S. elections will help bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. While some worry that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will take a softer approach on Moscow, others are concerned that under the policies of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, aid – while significant -will be slow to arrive. Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. VOA footage by Vladyslav Smilianets.
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