The first and perhaps only presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is in the books. The pair took to the debate stage Tuesday in what Northeastern University political experts said was a clear contrast of style, policy and vision that saw both candidates tested in different ways. “Harris is clearly trying to channel authority, gravity and maturity — and I think she did that quite well,” says Martha Johnson, an associate professor of government at Northeastern.
It was the first debate after the 2024 election took an abrupt turn in July when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race following his disastrous debate performance the month prior. The debate was hosted by ABC News and held in Philadelphia. It comes as the race for the White House tightens, with the latest polls showing Harris and Trump within 1 percentage point of each other. Nick Beauchamp, an associate professor of political science at Northeastern who maintains an election aggregator, says Harris’ strategy seemed to be twofold.
