10 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
By NICKI MAYO
Black Women Unmuted Editor-at-large
There’s a lot to unpack from the first presidential debate between Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here are 10 takeaways to consider that center Black women.
Making ‘HERstory’ Face-to-Face
The September 10 ABC presidential debate represents the first face-to-face meeting between Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. They greeted shaking hands and then the gloves were off for about 90 minutes of verbal sparring on key campaign hot topics. Harris’ presidential run and her participation in the debate as the first Black woman to do both are historic.
Roe v. Wade
The candidates’ responses to abortion showed a stark contrast as to how knowledgeable they are about the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade 1973 ruling.
“Under Roe v. Wade you can do abortions in the seventh month, the eighth month, the ninth month.” -Trump
“I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade… Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not happening. It’s insulting to the women of America.”– Harris
The 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling states:
A person may choose to have an abortion until a fetus becomes viable, based on the right to privacy contained in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Viability means the ability to live outside the womb, which usually happens between 24 and 28 weeks after conception.
IVF Leader?
“I have been a leader on IVF, which is fertilization.” – Trump.
IVF is the abbreviation for “in vitro fertilization,” not fertilization.
Late August Trump announced plans to require insurance companies to cover IVF procedures or federally fund it. Some Congressional Republicans, noted for traditionally being fiscal conservatives, are skeptical and question how this will logistically be funded.
Haitian Hate
Trump echoed his running mate Senator J.D. Vance’s allegations that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio are abducting and eating cats, ducks and geese. This internet rumor has been debunked by Springfield City officials. About 15,000 Haitian migrants are in Springfield to escape unrest in the Caribbean country. Neither of the two highly circulated incidents being attributed to Haitian migrants, are actual Haitians.
Black Women Unmuted reported on the struggles of Haitian, Cameroonians, Hondurans and other Pan-African diaspora immigrants in our “Immigration and Temporary Protective Status” story and panel.
The Legal Ladies
“They weaponized the Justice Department. Every one of those cases was involved with the DOJ. From Atlanta and Fani Willis to the Attorney General of New York [Letitia James] and the DA of New York [Alvin Bragg].” -Trump
Trump took aim at Black women in the judicial system prosecuting his election interference case in Georgia and his $450 million dollar civil fraud case in New York.
This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted WIllis and James. Black Women Unmuted previously reported on this in our Sistas Under Siege story and panel discussion.
Jan. 6 Blame Game
“It would have never happened if [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of Washington [Muriel Bowser] did their jobs.” -Trump
Trump attributed the January 6 insurrection getting out of hand and storming the Capitol, to the former House speaker and Washington, D.C. leadership.
Child Tax Credit and First-Time Homebuyers
“I have a plan [for] $6000 for young families for the first year of your child’s life to help you in the most critical stage of your child’s development. I have a plan that is about allowing people to pursue what has been fleeting in terms of the American dream by offering help with a $25,000 down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.” -Harris.
Harris explains her child tax credit and housing affordability plans.
Most Divisive Presidency?
“This is the most divisive presidency in the history of our country.” -Trump
Trump described the Biden-Harris White House administration as the most divisive in history. Multiple political science think tanks have analyzed and ranked the most divisive presidents—Trump tops the majority of the lists.
1 – Donald Trump
2 – Abraham Lincoln
3 – James K. Polk
Sorority Party?
“She wouldn’t even meet with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a very important speech… She refused to be there because she was at a sorority party of hers. She went to go to the sorority party. -Trump
Trump questioned Harris’ absence from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s July 24, 2024 address to Congress. Vice President Harris skipped the congressional joint session and met face-to-face with the Prime Minister the following day.
On July 24 Harris addressed Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated’s Grand Boulé in Indianapolis, Ind. The public service organization responded to Trump’s “sorority party” remarks via social media.
“Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine the credibility of the importance of our national convention is not only disheartening, but also disrespectful to us and the other historically Black Greek Letter Organizations that make up the Divine Nine. Collectively, our organizations have been in the forefront of historic social action and change that have helped Black Americans, women and other disenfranchised communities gain access to the same civil rights that were once legally denied our communities.”
-Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc official statement.
ABC’s AKA Night
Vice President Kamala Harris and ABC debate moderator Linsey Davis are both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Davis is an Emmy award-winning correspondent and New York Times best-selling author. The 1999 University of Virginia alumna was initiated into the Theta Kappa chapter at UVA.
