Kamala Harris or Donald Trump: Who won the 2024 debate? - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Kamala Harris or Donald Trump: Who won the 2024 debate?

Arko Deep - CollectLo

Arko Deep

Content Writer

6 min read . Sep 12

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Everything was in place. Anxieties permeated the red, blue, and purple-hued audience. Many were eagerly anticipating this meeting because it would be the first major confrontation between Trump and Harris. This appeared like a turning point in their history, notwithstanding their earlier disagreements on philosophy and policy. Two giants, each with their own vision for America, poised on the edge of the political arena, ready to sway millions.

The nation anxiously awaited the lights going out and the cameras zooming in.

A Clash of Titans

Right off the bat, you could tell this convo was gonna be anything but basic when the moderators brought out the contenders. Former president Donald Trump rolled up with his usual vibe: super loud, kinda savage, and totally focused on keeping his squad on lock. On the flip side, VP Kamala Harris was totally down to back her own vibe while throwing shade at Trump’s legacy.

The vibes were totally off with all that pressure and crazy energy in the air. Lowkey, someone’s been curious: Who’s gonna be the ultimate winner?

Opening Statements: Setting the Tone

So, to kick off the night, Trump dropped a speech that felt like a throwback to his 2016 vibes, flexing on his wins as president, like those tax cuts and judicial picks. The hype from the crowd totally pumped him up. He’s saying America was vibing hard when he was in charge, but now it’s totally flopped under the current squad. “America was vibing, and now we’re totally flopping,” he said, squinting as he walked up to Harris.

On the flip side, Harris brought a whole new energy. In her first speech, she totally vibed with her epic rise to VP, pointing out that she’s the first woman and the first person of color to snag that role. Major milestone! She totally vibed while laying out the Biden admin's moves to tackle climate change, bounce back the economy post-pandemic, and boost social justice. She was like, super confident but also chill, saying, “We’ve put in the grind to bring America back from the edge, and there’s still more to tackle.”

From the jump, it was clear this was a whole vibe for the nation’s identity, not just some talk.

Key Moments: Where the Debate Took a Turn

Debates are often won or lost in key moments. And this night was no different. Let’s take a closer look at the most pivotal exchanges:

1. The Economy: Trump’s Strong Suit

When the economy came up, Trump seized the moment. Talking about his wins — like super low unemployment, rising paychecks, and a lit stock market — was totally his vibe. “If I’m back in the White House, it’s gonna be a whole vibe again.” I totally built the most lit economy this country has ever seen. That was his no cap message.

But Harris was totally not holding back. She clapped back by pointing out how uneven the economic glow-up was, saying that a bunch of Americans got totally left in the dust while Wall Street was vibing with mad gains. She totally highlighted how the government is vibing with investments in renewable energy jobs and leveling up the infrastructure for a fairer economy. “Bruh, check out this chaos we’re in now, Kamala, you had your shot,” Trump chimed in with that classic line.

Even with all the drama, Harris stood her ground, vibing hard on the need for justice and putting in those long-term investments. Still, a bunch of peeps thought this part was a win for Trump, since he was vibing on those nostalgic feels for the good old economic days before the pandemic hit.

2. Immigration: A Heated Exchange

The whole vibe around immigration was honestly the most lit part. Trump straight up jumped into his wild ideas, like the “Remain in Mexico” plan and that wall at the border. “We totally handled the whole illegal immigration vibe and kept the U.S. safe,” he flexed.

Harris, totally feeling it, clapped back by dropping stories about refugee and immigrant families, saying that diversity is America’s biggest flex. She totally roasted Trump’s border policies, calling them super harsh and brutal. She was totally vibing for immigration reform that keeps it real with both security and compassion.

Some peeps in the crowd were totally vibing with Trump’s strict immigration stance and were all about that applause, while others who were more into a chill approach were giving Harris some serious claps. It was a total vibe check that had everyone feeling all kinds of validated in their stance.

3. Race and Social Justice: Harris’s Moment to Shine

When the convo switched to race vibes, Harris was totally the main character. She was spitting facts, being the first woman of Black or South Asian descent to be on a major political party's ticket. That's iconic! She was totally calling out for racial equality and police reform, referencing the George Floyd protests and the systemic oppression that Black communities face. Justice is cool and all, but like, we gotta do something for real. “We gotta keep it moving.”

In his usual no-nonsense vibe, Trump was all about that law-and-order life in his response. He totally backed his crew's support for the cops while throwing shade at the whole defund-the-police vibe. Voters in the burbs and the sticks, who are basically his squad, totally backed his vibe.

But this is when Harris really started to flex. By flexing her vibes as a change-maker, she totally connected with peeps who felt overlooked and left out, just like her. Harris hit up folks who were kinda lost on the whole country vibe, while Trump was all about that base life.

Who Won the Debate?

Both candidates had already snagged their wins when it was time for the final thoughts.

Trump came in hot with vibes of strength and control, rallying his squad and flexing his dominance on topics like immigration and the economy. People who vibe with the idea that the country was lit during his time are totally feeling his throwback quotes. His speech was totally Trump vibes: bold, self-assured, and no cap.

On the flip side, Harris totally showed she can vibe with people, especially when she was talking about major issues like climate change and racial justice. She vibed with the youth vote and all the peeps wanting a better, more inclusive America. As a leader, she was totally vibing with that chill and intentional energy, which was like, super different from Trump’s more in-your-face style.

Your vibe totally shapes if there's a clear “winner” at the end, you feel me?

For Trump’s fans, he totally won because he brought back all the vibes from his presidency that everyone loved. Harris was totally the vibe for anyone looking for a new kind of leader who's all about that compassionate governance life.

The Long-Term Impact

Everyone in the political game felt the vibes in the weeks after the convo. Feeling hyped by Trump’s vibes, his squad turned up the support, while Harris snagged the young crowd and those independent peeps. The debate didn’t just switch up opinions; it totally locked in those vibes that were already brewing.

Looking back, the first debate between Trump and Harris was totally a vibe check for America’s future, not just some political beef. Even with their vibes being totally different, both candidates showed up ready to throw down and bounced off the stage like champs.

The true champs will be decided when a ton of Americans reflect on last night and cast their votes for the vibe, they want their country to ride with.

The first debate was just the kick-off of what’s gonna be a long saga between Trump and Harris.