5 takeaways from the Harris-Trump presidential debate

Today’s highlights include:

• Taylor Swift endorses Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Harris challenges former President Donald Trump to a second debate.
• Cobb County Commission declares Jerica Richardson’s seat is vacant.

Credit: Eric Gay/AP

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump shook hands before Tuesday night’s debate in Philadelphia. But that was the end of any show of friendliness between the two rivals. They spent the next 90 minutes pummeling each other on abortion, the economy and foreign policy.

Here are five takeaways from the debate:

1. Harris set the bait, and Trump took it.

Harris repeatedly called the former president a “disgrace” and said that world leaders mocked him behind his back. She said attendees of his rallies regularly leave early. And in an unusual move, she invited voters to attend a Trump campaign event so they could see for themselves how extreme some of his statements are. Trump went on the defensive each time, responding to the latter jab by falsely accusing immigrants in Ohio of “eating the pets of the people who live there.” Harris couldn’t help but crack a smile.

2. Do you remember?

Polls consistently show the economy to be one of the biggest worries for voters, and Trump leaned into that hard. Several times, he referred to his presidency saying, “I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country. I’ll do it again, and even better.” Harris pledged to build what she called “an opportunity economy,” highlighting her proposal to cut taxes for young families.

3. Eyes of the world.

Some of the clearest contrasts of the night were on foreign policy. Trump said he wanted Russia’s war in Ukraine to end, but he wouldn’t say which side he wanted to win. Harris said she wouldn’t give in to Russia because “that’s not who we are as Americans.” On Israel’s war with Hamas, Harris called for a cease-fire and a two-state solution while saying Israel has a right to defend itself. Trump said if he were president, the war would never have started, although he wasn’t clear about how he would have preemptively prevented it.

4. It’s immigration, stupid

Whatever the question was, Trump’s answer often involved immigration. On the economy, he said “millions of people are pouring into” the country “and they are taking jobs.” Asked if he regretted anything about the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Trump’s response included, “She was the border czar. She knows what a bad job they’ve done.” Harris answered a question about why the Biden administration waited so long to take action on the border by pointing out Trump’s role in getting a bipartisan immigration deal killed.

5. Abortion could be a deciding issue.

Trump has walked a delicate line on abortion, taking credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade while also trying to reassure voters worried about the effects of abortion restrictions passed in some Republican-led states. He falsely claimed that Democrats wanted the decades-old constitutional right to abortion to be reversed — they don’t — and said he doesn’t support a national abortion ban. But he wouldn’t say if he would veto such a proposal, arguing the bill would never make it to his desk given the partisan divide in Congress. Harris, who champions reproductive rights, said in an appeal to evangelicals that “one doesn’t have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs” to agree that the government “should not be telling her what to do with her body.”

***

MORE COVERAGE. The Politically Georgia crew stayed up late to record a bonus podcast recapping the debate. Go download it !

Other stories:

• Relive the debate with the AJC’s liveblog .
• Recapping the Georgia references .
• Roundup of Georgia reactions .
• The Trump campaign held a watch party at a Georgia gun range, days after a school shooting.
• From Opinion page: What AJC contributors thought of the Harris-Trump debate

***

Credit: TNS

SWIFTIES FOR HARRIS. Taylor Swift’s ability to mobilize her legion of fans is well documented. After she posted a nonpartisan voter registration site last year it immediately received 35,000 sign-ups . So, speculation on whether she would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president had been swirling for weeks.

Swift broke her silence on the issue after watching Tuesday night’s debate, posting an endorsement of Harris just minutes after it ended.

“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift wrote in a post on Instagram . “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Swift signed off on her message by calling herself a “ childless cat lady ,” a reference to 2021 comments about prominent Democrats made by U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Former President Donald Trump’s staff and surrogates were caught off guard as they navigated the “spin room” and were asked to respond to the announcement. But Harris’ team was well aware, although they were cautious not to be too giddy about the superstar’s backing.

“It means a lot to us,” said chief deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks. “But we’re going to continue to do exactly what the vice president did tonight, which is to put in the work, get across this country speaking to voters.”

After leaving the debate, Harris made a surprise stop at a Philadelphia watch party. And she immediately put her new endorsement to use. After delivering brief remarks, she exited to Swift’s song “ The Man ,” which is a critique of gender dynamics.

***

PART TWO? Minutes before their presidential showdown ended, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign challenged former President Donald Trump to a second debate.

The timing and other details of the potential meetup are uncertain, as is whether Trump would accept the challenge. But some of his Georgia allies are on board.

“You want to know who won?” asked U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, on social media . “Find out who refuses to do a 2nd debate.”

***

Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

SORRY, GEORGIA. Democrats are using the Philadelphia debate as a springboard for a fresh tour of battleground states this week. Georgia, however, won’t be one of them.

Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, the wife of vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, was scheduled to campaign in Georgia this week. But a campaign deputy said the trip has been postponed and that she “looks forward to returning to the state soon.”

***

Credit: AP

FINAL PRIMARIES . Tuesday wasn’t just debate day. It was also Election Day in Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — the final three state primaries of 2024.

• In Delaware, voters set the stage for possibly electing the nation’s first transgender member of Congress.
• In New Hampshire, former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte will face former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, a Democrat, in the governor’s race.
• In Rhode Island, Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will face Republican state Sen. Patricia Morgan in November.

***

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

HEAVE HO. Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson, call your office — if you still have one.

On Tuesday, Richardson’s fellow board members reluctantly voted to remove her from her seat. But Richardson says she’s not going anywhere and plans to ask a state judge to intervene, the AJC’s Reed Williams reports .

The issue is where Richardson lives. The Republican-controlled state Legislature redrew Richardson’s district so she no longer lives there. The commission sued, but they lost. Now, the county’s attorneys say Richardson has to leave.

Her supporters disagree, arguing Richardson can stay because she lives in the district as it existed when she started her term.

Richardson will stay in office until her appeal is finished.

***

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

BALLOT SHUFFLE. In less than a week, Georgia will mail out its first ballots of the 2024 presidential election. It’s still not clear who will be on them.

On Tuesday, three judges held a total of five hearings on whether to bar Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Claudia De la Cruz, the Green Party’s Jill Stein and independent Cornel West from appearing on Georgia’s presidential ballot.

The legal action from Georgia Democrats is part of a national strategy to block lesser-known candidates from draining votes from Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential nominee.

Time is short. Georgia mails ballots to overseas and military voters next week.

***

LISTEN UP. Today on “ Politically Georgia ‚” you get two episodes. First is a bonus episode — you can download it now — featuring the AJC’s political insiders offering their expert analysis of the presidential debate.

Next, our regularly scheduled program will feature PolitiFact chief correspondent Lou Jacobson offering a reality check on claims made during the debate.

You can listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

On Tuesday’s show, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, now a senior adviser for Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic presidential campaign as well as Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon previewed the presidential debate in Philadelphia.

***

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

9/11 remembrances . Today is the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp will mark the occasion by hosting a ceremony at the state Capitol today starting at 11 a.m.

The ceremony will feature the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They recently performed a joint concert with the glee clubs at Morehouse and Spelman colleges.

Georgia Public Broadcasting will stream the ceremony .

***

Credit: Richard Drew/AP

TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

• President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will attend 9/11 remembrance ceremonies at all three sites that were attacked: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the Pentagon in Virginia and the World Trade Center in New York.
• U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s duties as honorary co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Annual Legislative Conference will kick off with a news conference to formally open the event.
• The U.S. House has an afternoon floor vote scheduled on a bill to temporarily fund the federal government.
• The Senate has confirmation votes lined up.

***

MOMENT OF TRUTH. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson appears poised to push forward with a vote this afternoon on a measure that would fund the federal government for six more months. But it’s unclear he has the votes needed for it to pass.

The package includes language from a Republican bill that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote for federal elections.

Democrats are unlikely to support the bill. They do not like the voting language, given that it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. They also have concerns that extending current spending levels for half a year could put federal agencies that need more funding in a bind.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has already said the bill is a nonstarter in his chamber. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will use his veto pen if it lands on his desk.

But Johnson also has problems among his own Republican conference. The Hill reports that at least six Republicans said they will vote “no,” and Johnson can only afford to lose four votes if all lawmakers are present and every Democrat votes against the bill.

***

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. We’re 54 days away from the election. Here’s what’s happening:

• Vice President Kamala Harris released a new ad on Tuesday ridiculing former President Donald Trump for his “weird obsession with crowd sizes.” The Trump campaign posted a new video questioning Harris’ record as vice president.

***

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

SHOUTOUTS. Today’s birthdays:

• State Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove.
• State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome.

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

***

AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com , tia.mitchell@ajc.com , patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com .

Get all the news about the Atlanta Braves delivered each morning. Sign up for Braves Report.