Presidential debates throughout modern history have had their memorable moments: Reagan’s age joke, Ford’s baffling Russia gaffe, Romney’s meme-able “binders full of women” phrase. But Tuesday’s debate surpassed all expectations when it came to the unpredictable.
Vice President Kamala Harris came out swinging with a strategy to provoke Trump, seizing an opportunity early on in the debate to note that attendees of his rallies leave early “out of exhaustion and boredom.” The taunt proved irresistible to the former president, for whom size remains uniquely and monumentally important. He quickly retorted, “We have the biggest rallies,” before devolving into a rant about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating people’s dogs and cats: “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
The claim – which, incidentally, is baseless – successfully turned the debate into a Harris triumph by even Fox News viewers’ standards. (In fact, one Fox viewer called Trump “an old suit from 1987” in a post-debate focus group.) Harris followed up with more jabs, saying military leaders have told her that the former president is a “disgrace,” and asserting that “world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump.”
Voters at home – most decided, some not – got to see a fiery, calculating-yet-empathetic side of Harris that hadn’t been visible in her role as vice president these past four years (in large part because VPs rarely get made-for-television moments during their terms). From her, we saw a fierce demeanor but also disbelieving laughter – especially as Trump spouted off about people eating pets. From him, meanwhile, we saw pursed lips, sullen scowls and what might best be described as an orange resting bitch face.
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It was also a rare moment in history, to watch a prominent woman candidate get under an aging macho superstar’s skin. At the very beginning of the debate, Harris crossed over to Trump’s side of the stage and stuck out her hand. “Kamala Harris,” she said. It was an unmistakeable power move that Trump never fully recovered from. Throughout the evening, she often stared straight at him. He rarely – if ever – looked at her, less a dismissal than possibly an act of fear.
Suffice it to say, it was a joy for most women to watch – at least, women who plan to vote for Harris (and surveys now show a distinct gender gap when it comes to this year’s presidential election). There is a concrete pleasure in watching a smart, educated, powerful woman disassemble a man who could very well be the avatar for every buffoonish asshole ever to bluff and swagger and steal his entitled way into every job or multimillion-dollar deal or supreme leadership position he’s ever been handed.
Will it impact the results of the election? That remains to be seen. Historians and pundits often say debates – for all their instant-classic moments – rarely actually change the course of presidential races. One could argue, though, that we’ve already seen an exception to that rule this very year, following Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in June and subsequent departure from the race. But recent history shows that winning a debate – many say Hillary Clinton won all three matches with Trump – doesn’t necessarily translate into success at the polls.
It’s only the Wednesday after the debate. Much remains to be played out in the 50-something days till Nov. 5. There will be more memes, more endorsements, perhaps an October surprise or two. Hopefully no tragedies.
But for right now, this is a moment that will go into the history books, which surely the likes of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are enjoying: That time one of the most powerful male politicians in the U.S. went off the rails about migrants eating cats and dogs. And the woman who could be the first woman president laughed in his face. ◼️
