In debate, Trump rants, cites conspiracy theories as Harris pushes back, touts her vision for future

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris contrasted her vision for America with that of her opponent, former President Donald Trump , while the Republican nominee remained focused on attacks and unfounded claims in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The first presidential debate between Harris and Trump opened with a handshake as Harris approached the former president and introduced herself at his podium. Decorum, however, was quickly set aside by the former president as he launched into tirades about immigrants, abortions after birth and people eating dogs.

The highly anticipated debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia with the Democratic nominee for president, Harris, and the Republican nominee challenging her for White House, Trump, was moderated by two ABC network faces, "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and ABC News Live "Prime" anchor Linsey Davis.

Muir and Davis pushed back on multiple false claims made by Trump throughout the debate.

Trump claimed, as he did in the first debate and multiple times on the campaign trail, that Democrats support abortion up to and after birth. He specifically said Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, says abortion in the ninth month of pregnancy is "absolutely fine. Execution after birth is OK."

Davis immediately fact-checked Trump, clarifying that there is not a state in the nation where this is legal.

The first question from the moderators was about the economy, but Trump moved the subject to immigration . He did the same with subsequent questions that were unrelated to immigration. When Muir finally asked a question about immigration, the former president instead first addressed attendance at his rallies.

After a short off-ramp on rallies, Trump alleged that people who have migrated across the southern border to Springfield, Ohio, are eating residents' pets. Muir interjected, saying there are no credible reports of pets being harmed.

Trump has expressed his intention to take another harsh stance on illegal immigration, vowing to undertake mass deportations. Muir asked Trump if he would have authorities going door to door to deport migrants. Trump did not answer this question.

Muir later pinned Trump down on false claims that he won the 2020 election. Muir quoted Trump at recent rallies saying he "lost by a whisker," implying that he was acknowledging the results were legitimate. Trump said he was being sarcastic in those instances. Muir noted that Trump lost all of his challenges to the election results.

On that, the vice president answered emphatically.

"I have traveled the world as vice president of the United States and world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump," Harris said. "I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you, and they say you are a disgrace. And when you then talk in this way in a presidential debate and deny over and over again court cases you have lost, because you did in fact lose that election, it leads one to believe perhaps we do not have in the candidate to my right the temperament or the ability to not be confused about fact. That's deeply troubling and the American people deserve better."

Harris stayed focused on laying out her policy vision while presenting herself as a unifying president. She called for the country to "turn the page" on Trump's "old, tired rhetoric" and "address the needs of the people."

The vice president placed the blame on Trump for killing a border security bill that the Biden administration supported that would have increased the number of border patrol officers and resources at the southern border.

On the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas , Harris voiced her support for a two-state solution. She said a cease-fire and the release of hostages would be her priority. She contrasted her position on international affairs with Trump, who she said looks fondly upon dictators.

Harris also contrasted her economic policy with her opponent's. Like President Joe Biden 's economic policies, Harris is focused on bolstering the middle class. She plans to pursue a $50,000 tax deduction for startup small businesses, a $6,000 child tax credit for the first year of a child's life and $25,000 downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers.

Trump, meanwhile, has discussed extending the corporate tax cuts that he enacted in 2017 and new 10-20% tariffs on imported goods, plus 60% tariffs on imports from China. According to Muir, economists estimate that the costs of these tariffs will be passed on to consumers, increasing the annual costs for the average family by $4,000.

Trump disagreed that there would be higher prices.

"We're going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars," Trump said.

The former president emphasized that the Biden administration has not rolled back the tariffs he imposed on China in in 2018.

On abortion, Harris said if Congress passed a bill to restore the protections of Roe vs. Wade she would sign it into law. She seized on Trump's role in abortion rights being stripped following the U.S. Supreme Court 's Dobbs decision in 2022.

Trump was asked if he would veto a national abortion ban if it reached his desk as president. He did not answer, instead shifting his response to the Biden administration's student debt relief plans. Davis mentioned that Trump's running mate JD Vance had said he would veto a national ban. Trump said he has not discussed his plans for abortion with his running mate.

Trump confirmed that he now supports a six-week abortion ban. He had previously said banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy is too restrictive. He explained that he changed his position because "Democrats are radical." Trump then launched into the debunked claims of late-term and post-birth abortions.

One of the final questions of the evening was about Trump's recent comments at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago last month, in which he questioned Harris' race.

"Why do you believe it's appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of your opponent," Muir asked.

"Whatever she wants to be is okay with me," Trump said.

Muir asked again, to which Trump said "I don't know."

Harris recalled Trump's history of divisiveness on the topic of race, dating back to his alleged discrimination against Black families at his rental properties and the full-page ad he took out in The New York Times calling for the death penalty for the Central Park Five. The Central Park Five were four children and one 18-year-old that were Black and Hispanic, that were convicted of the rape and attempted murder of a female jogger in New York. They served sentences of five to 13 years in prison before being exonerated.

On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his stance on the Central Park Five, saying that they "admitted -- they said, they pled guilty. Then they pled 'we're not guilty.'" He then abruptly changed topics to discuss the economy.

The debate concluded with starkly different closing statements from the candidates. Harris revisited her economic plan and her call for unity.

"I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us and we can chart a new way forward," Harris said. "And a vision of that includes having a plan, understanding the aspirations, the dreams, the hopes, the ambition of the American people, which is why I intend to create an opportunity economy, investing in small businesses, in new families, in what we can do around protecting seniors, what we can do that is about giving hard-working folks a break in bringing down the cost of living."

Trump's closing statement was another attack on Harris and a grim view of where he believes America stands today.

"We're a failing nation. We're a nation that's in serious decline," Trump said. "We're being laughed at all over the world. All over the world, they laugh, I know the leaders very well. They're coming to see me. They call me. We're laughed at all over the world. They don't understand what happened to us as a nation. We're not a leader. We don't have any idea what's going on."

As the debate ended, Taylor Swift gave her highly anticipated endorsement, throwing her support behind Harris. In a post on Instagram, Swift called Harris a "steady-handed, gifted leader." She signed off the post with "Childless Cat Lady," a nod to controversial comments made by Trump's running mate.

The 90-minutes debate was broadcast on multiple television networks and live-stream platforms -- such as ABC News Live , Disney+ , Hulu , Paramount and CBS platforms. Additionally, SiriusXM users could listen on Channel 370.

Among the debate rules and stipulations, there was no live audience in attendance.

Two minutes were given to answer questions by the two ABC moderators, two minutes for rebuttals and one extra minute for any follow-up or clarifications.

An Oct. 1 date is set for the two vice presidential candidates, Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio's Republican Sen. JD Vance, to face off in a New York City debate moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and the network's chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.