Trump / Harris Debate - What He Said, What He Meant

After I watched the Trump Harris debate, I was inspired by President Trump’s response to some of the questions he was asked. As a result, I took the debate, I ‘channeled my inner President Trump’ and answered the questions as if I was him. I took it a step further and sent the entire document to the Trump campaign. I would love your thoughts and feedback.

Wes

DAVID MUIR: Welcome to you both. It's wonderful to have you. It's an honor to have you both here tonight.

 LINSEY DAVIS: Good evening, we are looking forward to a spirited and thoughtful debate.

Question 1: Economy

DAVID MUIR: So let's get started. I want to begin tonight with the issue voters repeatedly say is their number one issue, and that is the economy and the cost of living in this country. Vice President Harris, you and President Trump were elected four years ago and your opponent on the stage here tonight often asks his supporters, are you better off than you were four years ago? When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So, I was raised as a middle-class kid. And I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America. I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people. And that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy. Because here's the thing. We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people. We know that young families need support to raise their children. And I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000, which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time. So that those young families can afford to buy a crib, buy a car seat, buy clothes for their children. My passion, one of them, is small businesses. I was actually -- my mother raised my sister and me but there was a woman who helped raise us. We call her our second mother. She was a small business owner. I love our small businesses. My plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America's economy. My opponent, on the other hand, his plan is to do what he has done before, which is to provide a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations, which will result in $5 trillion to America's deficit. My opponent has a plan that I call the Trump sales tax, which would be a 20% tax on everyday goods that you rely on to get through the month. Economists have said that Trump's sales tax would actually result for middle-class families in about $4,000 more a year because of his policies and his ideas about what should be the backs of middle-class people paying for tax cuts for billionaires.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you two minutes.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, look, folks, it’s unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. I was asked to be polite, but you know, it’s hard, it’s really hard when you don’t get an answer. Vice President Harris, I’ll tell you what—you can take my time. I’m giving it to you. Take all the time you need—answer the question. It’s a simple question!

Are Americans better off than they were four years ago? Now, we know the answer. Everybody knows the answer, it’s obvious! But instead of answering, you gave us your autobiography. I mean, great story, fantastic, we’re all so happy for your middle-class upbringing in Canada. But come on, Kamala, the question’s not about your childhood; it’s about the present.

So here, take my time. Give us an answer. And please, no more bedtime stories, okay? We’ve heard enough. Let's stick to facts, folks, not your feelings about what you will do when you are President that you haven’t done while you are currently in office.

The fact is we have inflation like very few people have ever seen before. Probably the worst in our nation's history. We were at 21%. But that's being generous because many things are 50, 60, 70, and 80% higher than they were just a few years ago. This has been a disaster for people, for the middle class, but for every class.

DAVID MUIR: We are going to get to immigration and border security during this debate. But I would like to let Vice President Harris respond on the economy here.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I would love to. Let's talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess. What we have done and what I intend to do is build on what we know are the aspirations and the hopes of the American people. But I'm going to tell you all, in this debate tonight, you're going to hear from the same old, tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling. What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again. I believe very strongly that the American people want a president who understands the importance of bringing us together knowing we have so much more in common than what separates us. And I pledge to you to be a president for all Americans.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you a minute here to respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

David, are you going to Fact Check Vice President Harris? She just said that I am part of the ‘detailed and dangerous Project 2025’. Let me tell you, fake news strikes again! The idea that I am part of Project 2025 is total nonsense, folks. Believe me, if I was part of some “Project 2025,” you would know about it.

I have the best people, the smartest people, and they would’ve told you by now.

Here’s what’s happening: they’re making things up, okay? They’re saying, "Oh, I’m part of this big conspiracy, this project.” But the truth is, I am not part of any secret 2025 project. I have repeatedly stated I have nothing to do with Project 2025.

But that’s just what the media does—they create these wild stories, probably because they’re bored. I mean, they need ratings, right? Let’s be honest. Without these crazy rumors, they’d have nothing to talk about!

So, no Project 2025 for me. It’s all smoke and mirrors. And if I was behind Project 2025, well, I’d be the first one to tell the world, believe me! So, let’s put that rumor to bed, folks. It’s a joke. She’s just Sad!

Vice President Haris loves to say I did a "poor job" handling COVID, but let's look at the facts, okay? Facts— these are something she doesn’t like to talk about.

First of all, COVID came from China. Nobody knew what it was, nobody had seen anything like it. But under my leadership, we delivered the fastest vaccine in history — Operation Warp Speed!

People said it couldn’t be done, but we did it. Big Pharma never moved that fast before, believe me. We saved millions of lives with that vaccine, and that’s a fact. You know it, I know it, but the media doesn’t like to talk about it.

And let’s not forget the economy. Before COVID, we had the greatest economy in the history of this country. Record job numbers, lowest unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans—everybody!

The stock market? It was breaking records left and right. When we left office and before the Biden Harris regime, the stock market was higher than it was BEFORE China sent the world and the United States their COVID virus. People were thriving. And even with COVID, we got that economy roaring back before I left office. Roaring back! The numbers don’t lie.

But then they brought in Biden—Sleepy Joe—and look what happened. It’s been a disaster. Inflation is through the roof, gas prices are insane, and Vice president Harris doesn’t want to talk about that. They only want to focus on COVID, because it’s all they’ve got. But I handled it better than anyone could’ve, folks. Better than anyone!

 So, the next time she wants to criticize me, tell them to look at the facts. The economy under Trump was unbelievable, and that’s no spin. That’s the truth.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, I'll let you respond.

 VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So, Donald Trump has no plan for you. And when you look at his economic plan, it's all about tax breaks for the richest people. I am offering what I describe as an opportunity economy, and the best economists in our country, if not the world, have reviewed our relative plans for the future of America. What Goldman Sachs has said is that Donald Trump's plan would make the economy worse. Mine would strengthen the economy. What the Wharton School has said is Donald Trump's plan would actually explode the deficit. Sixteen Nobel laureates have described his economic plan as something that would increase inflation and by the middle of next year would invite a recession. You just have to look at where we are and where we stand on the issues. And I'd invite you to know that Donald Trump actually has no plan for you, because he is more interested in defending himself than he is in looking out for you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Here we go—classic Kamala, folks. More misinformation, more Kamala lies. Let me tell you something: she’s bringing up Goldman Sachs and Wharton, I know those places, I went to Wharton. They’ve been wrong before, and guess what? They’re wrong again. This is what the Democrats do: they throw around big names, fancy terms like "Nobel laureates," and hope you don’t notice the garbage they’re selling.

First of all, my tax cuts weren’t just for the rich. They helped everybody, folks. Middle-class families were paying less in taxes, companies were hiring people at record numbers, and wages were going up across the board. The American people Remember that. The economy was booming under Trump. Absolutely booming. The stock market was through the roof, unemployment was at record lows, and even manufacturing was coming back. Manufacturing, folks!

Now, Kamala says my plan would “explode the deficit”—well, what about the Biden Harris spending?

They spent Trillions and trillions on things we don’t need. Inflation? Through the roof because of them! They were printing money like it’s Monopoly. Under Trump, we had inflation under control.

The deficit was high because we had to fight COVID—something nobody had ever seen before—but we were on track to get it under control. I was handling it. They’re the ones driving us into recession right now! She brags that she was the deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act. That bill CAUSED inflation and Joe Biden admitted last week that the bill was really a way to fund their misguided Green New Deal boondoggles.

And the Nobel laureates? Look, they gave Obama a Peace Prize before he did anything, so don’t tell me about these so-called experts. They don’t know what they’re talking about. I built a global empire, folks—I know more about the economy than all of them combined. The voters can’t forget that it was the Biden Harris administration that had forty National Security experts write a letter that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian Disinformation when the KNEW it was Hunter Biden’s laptop. They lied to the American voters and she is doing it again.  

Kamala wants you to believe her "opportunity economy" will help you. But you know the truth: she doesn't have a plan. She copied Biden's plan. And it's like four sentences, like run-Spot-run. Four sentences that are just oh, we'll try and lower taxes. She doesn't have a plan. Take a look at her plan. She doesn't have a plan..

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, I do want to drill down on something you both brought up. The vice president brought up your tariffs you responded and let's drill down on this because your plan is what she calls is a essentially a national sales tax. Your proposal calls for tariffs as you pointed out here, on foreign imports across the board. You recently said that you might double your plan, imposing tariffs up to 20% on good coming into this country. As you know many economists say that with tariffs at that level costs are then passed onto the consumer. Vice President Harris has argued it'll mean higher prices on gas, food, clothing medication arguing it costs the typical family nearly four thousand dollars a year. Do you believe Americans can afford higher prices because of tariffs.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, let me tell you something: those economists? A lot of them, they’ve been wrong before, and they’re wrong again? They don’t understand how tariffs really work because they’ve never had to negotiate big deals like I have. I’ve done it my whole life. So, let’s get that straight.

Now, Kamala’s saying tariffs are going to cost Americans $4,000 a year— that is another lie. Here’s the truth: tariffs are about making sure other countries pay their fair share. For years, China has been ripping us off—absolutely robbing us blind. Nobody did anything about it until I came along. These tariffs? All they are are tools. Tools to bring back jobs, tools to make sure American workers are treated fairly. And it’s working. It was working before, and it can work again.

She says she doesn't like tariffs. If they didn’t like the tariffs they could have immediately cut the tariffs. BUT my tariffs are still in place three and a half years later under their administration. America is taking in billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars. When I was President we had no inflation, virtually no inflation. The Biden Harris Administration has led to the highest inflation, perhaps in the history of our country because I've never seen a worse period of time.

People can't go out and buy cereal bacon or eggs or anything else. These the people of our country are absolutely dying with what they've done. They've destroyed the economy. With my tarrifs – that they kept in place- we will keep jobs in America and we will continue to stop letting countries like China cheat us. And the American people will be the winners. Big time. Wages go up, opportunities increase, and we’re no longer dependent on foreign nations. That’s what my first term was all about —putting America First.

And let’s be real here: under their administration, prices have been going up on everything—gas, food, clothing. You name it. Not because of tariffs, but because they’ve mismanaged everything! Inflation is through the roof, and that’s not because of my tariffs. It’s because of their reckless spending and terrible policies.

DAVID MUIR:

 Vice President Harris I do want to ask for your response and you heard what the president said there because the Biden administration did keep a number of the Trump tariffs in place so how do you respond?

 VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, let's be clear that the Trump administration resulted in a trade deficit, one of the highest we've ever seen in the history of America. He invited trade wars, you wanna talk about his deal with China what he ended up doing is under Donald Trump's presidency he ended up selling American chips to China to help them improve and modernize their military basically sold us out when a policy about China should be in making sure the United States of America wins the competition for the 21st century. Which means focusing on the details of what that requires, focusing on relationships with our allies, focusing on investing in American based technology so that we win the race on A.I. and quantum computing, focusing on what we need to do to support America's workforce, so that we don't end up having the on the short end of the stick in terms of workers' rights. But what Donald Trump did let's talk about this with COVID, is he actually thanked President XI for what he did during COVID. Look at his tweet. "Thank you, President XI," exclamation point. When we know that XI was responsible for lacking and not giving us transparency about the origins of COVID.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll let you respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She's going to my philosophy now. In her CNN interview she said that “her values haven’t changed”. But Kamala has switched  to my philosophy. Everybody knows that if she ever got elected, she'd change her positions again. Her positions have changed so much that I was going to send her a MAGA hat. I’m surprised she doesn’t have a bandage on her ear right now.  Let’s be clear - She's a Marxist. Everybody knows she's a Marxist. Her father was a Marxist professor in economics. And he taught her well.

Let me tell you about Kamala and her “equality of outcomes” she preached when she was running for President in 2020 – Before she dropped out without getting a SINGLE VOTE. Equality of outcomes is a mess. Big mess. She doesn’t get it. She’s talking about making sure everybody has the same outcome, not just the same opportunity.

That’s socialism. Plain and simple. They want to take from people who’ve worked hard and give it away to others. It’s not fair, it’s not American, and it’s not how things work!

Here’s what Kamala is really saying: instead of letting people succeed based on hard work, talent, and effort, she wants to rig the system so everyone gets the same result—whether they worked for it or not. You work hard, build a business, and succeed? Well, under her plan, the government’s going to take that success and hand it out like candy. Doesn’t matter if someone didn’t put in the same work—they’re getting the same reward. It’s crazy!

She talks about equity—big word, sounds fancy—but really, it’s just a way to push more government control. She wants the government to decide who wins and who loses, who gets what, and that’s not how America works. In this country, we believe in equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. America gives people the best chance to succeed, and the best will rise to the top. That’s the American Dream! America is a Meritocracy.

Kamala, she looks at everything through this lens of victimhood. She wants to blame the system, blame history, and say we need to give more handouts. But the truth is, her policies would only make things worse. More government, more taxes, more regulations. It’s all about controlling your life. I am sure we will get to Rowe vs. Wade at some point in this debate where she will talk about ‘nobody has the right to tell anyone to do with their body’. Don’t forget that she was the same administration that tried to use OSHA to ILLEGALLY FORCE everyone in America to get the vaccine. According to Kamal Harris, Women MUST have the right to kill their baby BUT young, healthy Americans don’t have the control over their ‘body’ if they didn’t want to take the COVID vaccine. Another example of Kamala Harris’s hypocrisy. She thinks you are too dumb to do your own research.

Look, under my administration, we created opportunity. Best economy, jobs everywhere, wages up. We didn’t pick winners and losers—everyone had the chance to succeed. We didn’t tell people what they deserved based on some government quota. We gave people the tools, and they thrived. But under her “equity” plan, that’s all out the window.

You get what they decide you get. No thanks, folks.  America doesn’t want equal outcomes. We want equal opportunities for everyone to chase success. That’s what made this country great!

 DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: I want to turn to the issue of abortion. President Trump, you've often touted that you were able to kill Roe v. Wade. Last year, you said that you were proud to be the most pro-life president in American history. Then last month you said that your administration would be great for women and their reproductive rights. In your home state of Florida, you surprised many with regard to your six-week abortion ban because you initially had said that it was too short and you said, "I'm going to be voting that we need more than six weeks." But then the very next day, you reversed course and said you would vote to support the six-week ban. Vice President Harris says that women shouldn't trust you on the issue of abortion because you've changed your position so many times. Therefore, why should they trust you?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Let me tell you—nobody’s done more for the pro-life movement than Donald Trump, okay? You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. I was the president who finally got Roe v. Wade overturned after decades of talk and no action. Democrats?

They talked a big game for years, but when it came down to it, they didn’t do anything. I delivered. I put in three incredible Supreme Court justices, and we got it done. That’s a fact.

So when they say I’ve changed my position? That’s just more of their fake news spin.

Look, I always want what’s best for the American people—especially women. And I’ve said it before: this is a complex issue. Very complex. We’re talking about life, about freedom, and about states’ rights. But here’s the thing: what I did, what we did, was bring this issue back to the states where it belongs. We put the power back in the hands of the people—not the bureaucrats in Washington. And guess what?

Even Joe Biden voted to do that back in the 1970s. He voted to send the issue of abortion back to the states multiple times. So, Kamala can act all shocked, but it’s the truth. Biden’s been all over the place on this, too. They won’t tell you that, but I will.

And let's not forget, some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party were actually pro-life early in their careers. You had people like Harry Reid, who was against abortion for a long time. Even the patron saint of the left, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, criticized Roe v. Wade. She said it was bad law because it took the issue away from the states too quickly. So when they try to paint me as the bad guy? It’s laughable.

Here’s why women can trust me: I respect life, I respect women, and I respect the Constitution. I’ve always said that we need to protect the unborn, but we also need to find solutions that work for everyone. It’s about balance. My administration will continue to protect life, and we’ll also make sure that women have access to the care they need. That’s the truth. The Democrats can’t say that—they’ve been flip-flopping on this issue for years.

So, trust me—because I deliver. And when I say we’re going to protect life and protect women’s rights, we’ll get it done. Just like we always have.

Now, let’s talk about Florida, the reason I'm voting that way is because the plan is, as you know, they have abortion in the ninth month. They even have, and you can look at the governor of West Virginia, the previous governor of West Virginia, not the current governor, who's doing an excellent job, but the governor before. He said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we'll execute the baby. And her vice-presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says the execution of a baby after birth, and lets be clear - it is an execution and no longer an abortion, is okay. And that's not okay with me.

LINSEY DAVIS: There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born. Madam vice president, I want to get your response to President Trump.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Before you let Madame Vice President respond, I must correct your fact checking - fact checking me.

Her vice president Tim Walz signed a bill into law declaring abortion a “fundamental right” in Minnesota that can be exercised without restrictions at all stages of pregnancy. In his State of the State speech in April 2023, Walz said the bill “established an ironclad right to reproductive freedom.”

Let me tell you about Tim Walz and what he did in Minnesota. It’s really unbelievable. In January 2023 he signed this so-called "Born Alive" bill, and he’s out there acting like it’s some big victory, like he’s doing something great for Minnesota. But you know what? It’s really just another example of Democrats trying to push their radical agenda while pretending to care about life. Don’t be fooled.

Lindsey, before you fact check and correct me, maybe you should do your own research. According to the Minnesota Department of Health’s own report, since Tim Waltz signed the Born Alive Bill, eight infants were born alive during abortion procedures, they were considered viable for survival, yet NONE of them were given care and they all died.

 VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, as I said, you're going to hear a bunch of lies. And that's not actually a surprising fact. Let's understand how we got here. Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. And they did exactly as he intended. And now in over 20 states there are Trump abortion bans which make it criminal for a doctor or nurse to provide health care. In one state it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that make no exception even for rape and incest. Which understand what that means. A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That is immoral. And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.

I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that. And I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. But understand, if Donald Trump were to be re-elected, he will sign a national abortion ban. Understand in his Project 2025 there would be a national abortion ban. Understand in his Project 2025 there would be a national abortion -- a monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages. I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, should not be made by the government.

LINSEY DAVIS: Thank you, Vice President Harris.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Lindsey. This is the point where you should do your job as an independent moderator and fact check Madame Vice President. You should inform Kamala Harris that I am not part of Project 2025 and have never said I would sign a National Abortion ban. I guess it’s too much to expect independence from ABC.

Oh, folks, here we go again—Kamala Harris with the fearmongering, and it’s absolutely disgraceful. She’s up there spinning wild stories to scare people, and let me tell you, it’s all lies, folks. Total lies.

First of all, let’s talk about this idea that women are bleeding out in parking lots and doctors are too afraid to treat them. That’s completely false. There’s nothing in any law— nothing—that says doctors can’t treat women who are in need of medical care. If someone’s having a miscarriage or facing a medical emergency, they get care. This is common sense, and Kamala knows it, but she’s trying to scare people for political points.

It’s sad, folks, really sad.

Now, she wants to throw in this nonsense about a national abortion ban. Here’s the truth: I’ve always said this issue should be decided by the states. That’s what we did when we overturned Roe v. Wade. We didn’t ban anything—we returned the power to the people, to the states, to make their own decisions. That’s democracy!

But Kamala? She’s out there saying I’m going to sign some national abortion ban and have pregnancy “monitors.” Total fiction. Pure make-believe. They’re trying to scare you because they have nothing else to run on. They can’t talk about the economy, they can’t talk about crime, so they make up these crazy stories about a dystopian future that’ll never happen.

And this “Project 2025” thing she’s talking about—what a joke! Let me tell you something: the only people obsessed with controlling your lives are the Democrats. Look at what they did with COVID, locking you down, telling you what you can and can’t do with your own business, your own family and in that case, what you could do with your own body.

Kamala Harris is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the establishment Democratic party. They are who’s monitoring and controlling people’s lives—not me! I believe in freedom - Freedom to make your own decisions.

Kamala talks about signing Roe v. Wade protections back into law—well, let me remind you, Roe was bad law from the beginning. Many Democrats said it was shaky. All we did was fix a broken system and give the power back to the people. If you don’t like what your state’s doing, vote! That’s what America’s about.

I know many people of the Radical left say I am a danger to the Constitution. Maybe Kamala Harris should read the Constitution, specifically the Tenth Amendment.

Since she doesn’t understand the Constitution, let me tell you about the Tenth Amendment. And it’s one of the most important amendments we have. Believe me, the Founding Fathers were very smart, very smart people, and they put this in to make sure the federal government doesn’t get too big, doesn’t control everything like the Democrats want. The Tenth Amendment is all about states’ rights, folks. It says that any power that’s not specifically given to the federal government in the Constitution is reserved for the states or specifically - the people in the states.

It’s simple. It’s beautiful. It’s freedom.

Madame Vice President, let me explain what that means. It means that decisions like healthcare, education, a lot of those things should be handled by the states, not by the Washington swamp. The states know what their people need. The people can vote for what they want in their own state. That’s what we did with Roe v. Wade—put the power back where it belongs, with the people and the states, not some unelected judges in Washington.

The Tenth Amendment is about making sure the federal government doesn’t overreach, and let me tell you, the Democrats—they hate this. They want to control everything. But with the Tenth Amendment, we protect the right of states to govern themselves. That’s what America’s about—freedom and local control. The people have the power. And under my leadership, we’ll always respect that.

So don’t believe the lies, folks. I respect women, I respect life, and I respect the Constitution. And under my leadership, we’ll continue to protect the freedoms that matter most, including your right to make choices within a system that works for everyone—not the radical agenda the Democrats are pushing.

LINSEY DAVIS: Would you veto a national abortion ban if it came to --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Absolutely, let’s get one thing straight—this whole idea that I could just waltz in and sign a national abortion ban is Total nonsense. It can’t happen, and here’s why: the power over abortion laws now rests with the states — where it belongs. After we overturned Roe v. Wade, we didn’t impose a ban or any federal law on abortion. What we did was give the power back to the people in each state to decide for themselves. That’s democracy. That’s freedom.

The Supreme Court made it very clear—this issue is up to the states. Each state gets to make its own laws based on what the people in that state want. You’ve got some states that will choose stricter laws, and others that will allow more access. That’s how it works now. The federal government doesn’t have the authority to just come in and say, “This is the law for everyone.” It’s up to the states to decide.

So, when Kamala or Biden or any of these Democrats start talking about me signing a national abortion ban, it’s just lies. The power is with the states. It’s what the Constitution says, it’s what the Tenth Amendment protects, and it’s what the Supreme Court reaffirmed. I believe in states' rights, I believe in letting the people decide, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

You want to make changes? You do it at the state level. You vote for leaders in your state who represent your values. That’s how the system works, folks. So don’t believe the lies about some national abortion ban—it can’t happen, and it won’t happen under our system of government. We respect the Constitution, we respect the states, and we respect the voice of the people.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, I want to give you your time to respond. But I do want to ask, would you support any restrictions on a woman's right to an abortion?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade. And as you rightly mentioned, 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. And understand what has been happening under Donald Trump's abortion bans. Couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments. What is happening in our country, working people, working women who are working one or two jobs, who can barely afford childcare as it is, have to travel to another state to get on a plane sitting next to strangers, to go and get the health care she needs. Barely can afford to do it. And what you are putting her through is unconscionable. And the people of America have not -- the majority of Americans believe in a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. And that is why in every state where this issue has been on the ballot, in red and blue states both, the people of America have voted for freedom.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice president Harris --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Excuse me, Lindsey, I guess I must do your job for you. Kamala, will you allow abortion in the seventh month, eighth month, or ninth month?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Come on.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:  

Would you do that? Why don't you answer that question --

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, thank you.

DAVID MUIR: We're going to turn now to immigration and border security. We know it's an issue that's important to Republicans, Democrats, voters across the board in this country. Vice President Harris, you were tasked by President Biden with getting to the root causes of migration from Central America. We know that illegal border crossings reached a record high in the Biden administration. This past June, President Biden imposed tough new asylum restrictions. We know the numbers since then have dropped significantly. But my question to you tonight is why did the administration wait until six months before the election to act and would you have done anything differently from President Biden on this?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So I'm the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings. And let me say that the United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, came up with a border security bill which I supported. And that bill would have put 1,500 more border agents on the border to help those folks who are working there right now over time trying to do their job. It would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States. I know there are so many families watching tonight who have been personally affected by the surge of fentanyl in our country. That bill would have put more resources to allow us to prosecute transnational criminal organizations for trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings. But you know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said kill the bill. And you know why? Because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And understand, this comes at a time where the people of our country actually need a leader who engages in solutions, who actually addresses the problems at hand. But what we have in the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And I'll tell you something, he's going to talk about immigration a lot tonight even when it's not the subject that is being raised. And I'm going to actually do something really unusual and I'm going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump's rallies because it's a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I'll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump, on that point I want to get your response.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESONSE:

Well, I would like to respond.

DAVID MUIR: Let me just ask, though, why did you try to kill that bill and successfully so? That would have put thousands of additional agents and officers on the border.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

here we go again—Kamala Harris, lying through her teeth, trying to rewrite history on the border. Let me tell you the facts. When I was president, we had the strongest border this country’s ever seen. We built the wall, we put in the policies that worked—Remain in Mexico, Title 42—we got it done. Illegal crossings were way down. The drugs, the gangs, the human traffickers? They were being stopped at the border. And you know what happened? The moment Biden and Harris took over, they threw it all away. They opened the floodgates, folks. Historic numbers of illegals coming into our country. Historic. The border’s wide open, and it’s because of them.

Now, Kamala wants to act tough, saying she’s prosecuted transnational criminals—what a joke!

Look at the numbers. Millions of illegal immigrants pouring across our borders. It’s like we don’t even have a border anymore. And Kamala? She was supposed to be the "border czar." Remember that? Biden put her in charge, and what did she do? She did nothing. She avoided the border like the plague. She won’t even visit it unless she’s dragged there for a photo op. Meanwhile, you’ve got people flooding in, fentanyl pouring into our communities, and crime going through the roof. And she has the audacity to stand here and say I didn’t fix the problem? Please.

Now, let’s talk about their lawsuits against Texas. Texas is out there trying to do what the federal government won’t do—protect their own border. They put up barriers, they’re using their National Guard, they’re doing everything they can to stop the flood of illegals. But instead of helping, what do Biden and Kamala do? They sue Texas. That’s right, folks, they sue the very people trying to keep America safe. It’s outrageous. They want the border wide open, and that’s the truth. They don’t care about you, about your safety, or about the damage it’s doing to this country.

And let’s not forget—she is the candidate that has been on the record in favor of sanctuary cities. She has always welcomed illegal immigrants with open arms, give them benefits, housing, and now, gender-affirming surgery, paid for by you. It’s insane. We can’t even take care of our veterans properly, and as California Attorney General she sued to give free surgeries to illegal immigrants. It’s like she is living in a different reality. She and Biden are putting illegals ahead of hardworking American citizens, and it’s not right.

And let’s talk about this “border security bill” she’s going on about. It’s just another distraction. Sure, they’ll put a few more border agents on paper, but that’s not going to fix the problem. The problem is they refuse to enforce the laws. You can add as many agents as you want, but if the policies are weak, if the doors are still wide open, it doesn’t matter. It’s all for show. And let me tell you something: I didn’t kill that bill because I like “running on problems.” I didn’t support it because it didn’t solve the problem. We don’t need more empty promises; we need real solutions. And I’ve delivered those before, and I’ll do it again.

And she wants to take shots at my rallies? Let me tell you something, nobody leaves my rallies early. My rallies are packed with thousands of patriots who love this country. And you know what? I do talk about your dreams, your safety, your future. Because I put America First. And that’s why they don’t like me. Kamala and her radical friends don’t put you first. They put illegal immigrants, criminals, and woke agendas first.

So, when she talks about “solutions,” just remember, under their administration, we have seen the worst border crisis in American history. She says all the things she will do when she is President but she could go back to Washington RIGHT NOW and implement everything she says she will do if elected. She won’t do anything – because she has done nothing.

And you deserve better than that. Under my leadership, we’ll secure the border, enforce the law, and protect the American people. That’s the truth.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, I'll let you respond to the rest of what you heard.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Talk about extreme. Um, you know, this is I think one of the reasons why in this election I actually have the endorsement of 200 Republicans who have formally worked with President Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain including the endorsement of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Congressmember Liz Cheney. And if you want to really know the inside track on who the former president is, if he didn't make it clear already, just ask people who have worked with him. His former chief of staff, a four-star general, has said he has contempt for the constitution of the United States. His former national security adviser has said he is dangerous and unfit. His former secretary of defense has said the nation, the republic would never survive another Trump term. And when we listen to this kind of rhetoric, when the issues that affect the American people are not being addressed, I think the choice is clear in this election.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, I'll give you a quick minute to respond.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Kamala Harris trotting out the same tired talking points and endorsements from a bunch of failed politicians. Let me tell you something about these so called 200 Republicans. These are the same people who have been wrong for years, folks. They’re the ones who got us into endless wars, shipped your jobs overseas, and gave away American power. People like Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney—they are the swamp.

And let’s not forget, nobody even likes Liz Cheney in her own state! She lost by a landslide. So, when Kamala’s bragging about their support, she’s showing you she’s got the backing of the establishment, the same people who’ve been failing this country for decades.

And look, they want to talk about my former staff? Let me tell you, I ran the most successful administration this country has seen in decades. We cut taxes, rebuilt the military, crushed ISIS, and had the greatest economy ever. We were winning on every front. But when you start shaking things up in Washington, you make enemies. And these so-called “former officials” she’s quoting? They didn’t like that I wasn’t playing by their swamp rules. They didn’t like that I was draining the swamp, taking away their power.

Kamala throws out names like John Kelly and John Bolton. These are people who were part of the problem. Bolton wanted endless wars, and I wasn’t having it. John Kelly? He didn’t want change; he wanted business as usual in Washington. That’s why they didn’t like me—I actually put America First instead of the D.C. insiders.

And this nonsense about the Constitution? I love the Constitution. I defended the Second Amendment; I appointed great Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and protected religious freedom. Kamala’s just throwing out baseless attacks because she’s got nothing else. If they want to talk about the Constitution, maybe they should look at Joe Biden, who’s been trampling on it with his executive orders and mandates.

So, when Kamala starts name-dropping these old establishment figures, remember they’re the ones who led us into disaster. They want to keep things the way they are, and that’s why they support her. But the American people want something different. They want results. And that’s what I delivered before, and that’s what I’ll deliver again.

Heer campaign slogan is “We’re not going back” and she’s right We’re not going back to the old, failed ways. She’s not a “new way forward”, she is the same old tired, disastrous Biden playbook. We’re moving forward, and the choice in this election couldn’t be clearer!

DAVID MUIR: Let me continue on immigration. It was what you wanted to talk about earlier. So let's get back to your deportation proposal that the vice president has reacted to as well. President Trump, you called this the largest domestic deportation operation in the history of our country. You say you would use the National Guard. You say if things get out of control you'd have no problem using the U.S. military.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

With local police.

DAVID MUIR: You also said you would use local police. How would you deport 11 million undocumented immigrants? I know you believe that number is much higher. Take us through this. What does this look like? Will authorities be going door to door in this country?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, let’s talk about this calmly and rationally, because there's a lot of misinformation out there. First, let me correct a common misunderstanding: nobody is talking about going door to door with local police. That’s not how this works. My administration focused on removing criminal illegal aliens — people who have committed serious crimes, people who are a threat to the safety of American citizens. Under my leadership, ICE and Border Patrol targeted those individuals, and we did it effectively. It’s about focusing on criminals, not going after law-abiding families.

We don’t need to cause chaos; we need to enforce the law smartly.

Now, Kamala likes to throw around this idea that deporting millions of illegal immigrants is unrealistic. But here’s the reality: when you enforce the law, when you secure the border, you stop the problem before it grows. We did that with Remain in Mexico and Title 42. Illegal crossings dropped dramatically during my administration—some of the lowest numbers we’ve seen in decades. That’s a fact.

As for the numbers, we removed over 400,000 illegal immigrants during my first term, and nearly 90% of those were criminals. We prioritized dangerous individuals — gang members, drug traffickers, human smugglers. Kamala Harris can’t deny those numbers. And we did this while protecting American jobs, wages, and communities.

And let’s not forget, under my administration, we secured funding for the wall. That wall stopped thousands from crossing illegally. The more you secure the border, the fewer people you have to remove later. It’s basic common sense. We were in the process of building a secure, effective border infrastructure, and it was working—until the Biden-Harris administration came in and undid it all.

When Kamala Harris was running for President in 2020, before she dropped out without getting a single primary vote, she campaigned on how my border wall needs to come down and it was inhumane.  Now she is actually releasing campaign videos touting how tough she will be on border security while walking in front of my border wall. The least she could do is wear a Trump hat. She is a disgrace. Her policies change with the wind. She will say and do anything to get elected.

And here’s the other side of the story: when you enforce immigration laws, you reduce the incentive for people to come here illegally. They know if they break the law, there are consequences. That’s why illegal immigration numbers plummeted under my administration — people knew we were serious about enforcement. We weren’t going door to door; we were using targeted, smart law enforcement to keep Americans safe.

Kamala Harris talks about fear, but the real fear comes from not having control over your borders. That’s what we gave back to the American people — control. And we can do it again with real policies that work. It’s about safety, security, and law and order. We can deport those who break the law, we can protect our communities, and we can do it in a way that’s smart and effective.

That’s what I did as president, and that’s what I’ll do again.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country, but Vice President the...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

The FBI might say overall crime is down, but that’s because they’re lumping in all sorts of non-violent offenses to skew the numbers. The real question is: how safe do Americans feel in their communities? You talk to people in these cities, and they’ll tell you violent crime is out of control. People are afraid to walk down the street at night. And what’s Kamala Harris done about it? Nothing.

Under my administration, we backed the blue, we supported law enforcement, and we reduced crime. We worked with cities to go after violent criminals, gangs, and drug traffickers.

Operation Legend, for example—we deployed federal law enforcement to cities facing spikes in crime, and it worked. Crime went down. But now, under Biden and Harris, they’ve abandoned law enforcement, and the results are clear: more chaos, more violence, more destruction.

So let’s be real. Violent crime is up, folks, and it’s happening on their watch. They can’t spin their way out of that. Even According to the statistical agency at their own, weaponized Justice Department they just released a report that announced that since 2020, violent crime nationwide is up 40%, rape is up 42%, car theft is up 42%, aggravated assaults are up 55%, and violent attacks on strangers are up much more than 61%.

The American people deserve safety, security, and law and order, and that’s what I delivered. And that’s what we’re going to bring back!

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. I'll let you respond, Vice President Harris.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I think this is so rich. Coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, election interference, has been found liable for sexual assault and his next big court appearance is in November at his own criminal sentencing. And let's be clear where each person stands on the issue of what is important about respect for the rule of law and respect for law enforcement. The former vice president called for defunding, federal law enforcement, 45,000 agents, get this, on the day after he was arraigned on 34 felony counts. So let's talk about what is important in this race. It is important that we move forward, that we turn the page on this same old tired rhetoric. And address the needs of the American people, address what we need to do about the housing shortage, which I have a plan for. Address what we must do to support our small businesses. Address bringing down the price of groceries. But frankly, the American people are exhausted with the same old tired playbook.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, first of all, let’s get something straight—these court cases are nothing more than a *political witch hunt*. They’ve been going after me since day one, and not because I broke the law—because I challenged the system. I stood up for the American people, and the establishment, the Democrats, and even some Republicans, didn’t like it. That’s the truth, folks.

Let’s look at the facts. Every single one of these charges, from national security to election interference, is part of a coordinated effort to stop me from running for office again. These aren’t criminal cases—they’re political cases. They want to tie me up in court because they know I’m the biggest threat to their power. And let me tell you, none of these charges are based on anything real. If they had a solid case, they wouldn’t need to keep piling on more and more charges. They’re just trying to wear me down.

Take the indictment related to national security—this is all about classified documents. But guess what? Every president has had issues with documents after leaving office. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama—they’ve all had disputes with the National Archives. But nobody’s been charged like this before.  Even Joe Biden had classified documents but they found he was too old and mentally confused to prosecute the case. Remember, it is called the Presidential Records Act. NOT the Vice-Presidential Records Act. Joe Biden kept classified documents and he wasn’t the President. The same with Hillary Clinton. It is not called the Secretary Of States’ Records Act. She kept confidential documents on her private server that was proven to be cracked by enemy countries. Hillary Clinton’s abuse was shocking and not covered by any act. At the time, in a statement from the FBI Director James Coomey he said “In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts. All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States”. There were NONE of those factors in my classified documents. They were locked up and accessible to me. Yet, the Department of Justice found it necessary to prosecute me. And I was the only person covered by the Presidential Records Act. You can not tell me that was not a weaponization of the Department of Justice against their political opponents.

This is unprecedented, and it’s politically motivated. They want you to think I’m a danger to national security, but the truth is, the real danger is the corruption in Washington that’s being covered up while they focus on me.

As for election interference, they want to claim that questioning the results of an election is a crime now. Let’s not forget, Democrats have been questioning elections for years. They said the 2000 election was stolen, they said the 2016 election was influenced by Russia, and nobody went after them for it. But when I, along with millions of Americans, raised questions about 2020, suddenly it’s a crime. This is about silencing political opposition—plain and simple. Hillary Clinton still to this day asserts her Presidency in 2016 was stolen.

And the idea that I’ve been found liable for sexual assault? Let’s be clear: that was a civil case, not a criminal one. The standards are very different, and I’ve consistently denied those allegations. This is just another way they’re trying to smear my name because they can’t beat me at the ballot box.

Kamala Harris talks about "turning the page" and "moving forward," but she and her party are the ones who keep dragging these baseless cases into the spotlight because they know they can’t compete with my record. Under my leadership, we had the best economy, the lowest unemployment, and we secured our borders. These are the issues that matter to the American people—not these politically motivated lawsuits.

Let’s not forget, the same people who are going after me have no problem turning a blind eye to the corruption in their own party. Look at the Hunter Biden situation—millions of dollars flowing into the Biden family from foreign governments, and what do they do? Nothing. No investigations, no charges. But they want to prosecute me for standing up for election integrity and putting America first.

So let’s be clear: this is a coordinated effort to keep me out of politics, and the American people see right through it. This isn’t about the rule of law—this is about politics. And when I’m back in office, we’re going to clean up this corruption, drain the swamp, and get back to the business of making America great again. And That’s what they’re really afraid of.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. A really quick response here, Vice President Harris, on this notion of weaponization of the justice department.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well let's talk about extreme. And understand the context in which this election in 2024 is taking place. The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president would essentially be immune from any misconduct if he were to enter the white house again. Understand, this is someone who has openly said he would terminate, I'm quoting, terminate the constitution of the United States. That he would weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies. Someone who has openly expressed disdain for members of our military. Understand what it would mean if Donald Trump were back in the white house with no guardrails. Because certainly, we know now the court won't stop him. We know JD Vance is not going to stop him. It's up to the American people to stop him.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. Linsey?

LINDSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, in your last run for president...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

(Sigh) Kamala Harris is spreading more lies. What she’s saying about the Supreme Court and me being “immune” from any misconduct is completely false. That’s not what the Supreme Court said at all. The ruling she’s referring to has nothing to do with giving me or any president immunity. It’s just another example of the Democrats twisting the facts to scare people.

Let me be clear: no president is above the law. Presidents are not immune to prosecution, and I’ve never said otherwise. What Kamala and her party are doing is trying to create this fantasy that if I’m elected, I’ll be running around breaking laws left and right with no consequences. It’s nonsense. In fact, the only person who probably wishes they had immunity from prosecution is Joe Biden. Because let’s be honest—his family is knee-deep in scandals, from Hunter Biden’s shady business dealings to millions of dollars flowing from foreign countries into their bank accounts. That’s the real corruption, folks. But what do they do? They ignore it. No investigations, no accountability.

Now, as for this nonsense about me wanting to “terminate the Constitution”—another lie. I love the Constitution. I’ve spent my presidency defending the Second Amendment, protecting free speech, and upholding the rights of Americans. It’s the Democrats who have been trampling on the Constitution. Look at what they did during COVID, locking people in their homes, shutting down churches, and censoring free speech on social media. They’ve done more to undermine the Constitution than anyone.

And this idea that I’d “weaponize” the Department of Justice? Let’s not forget, it’s the Biden administration that has turned the DOJ into a weapon against political opponents. They’ve been going after me and anyone who supports me for years. They’re the ones who’ve weaponized the system. All I’ve ever done is fight to make sure the American people are treated fairly and that the government works for you, not against you.

Kamala wants to talk about the military? Well, under my leadership, we rebuilt the military after years of neglect under Obama and Biden. We gave our troops the largest pay raise they’ve had in decades, we restored respect for our veterans, and we didn’t get into any new wars. Meanwhile, look at the disaster in Afghanistan under Biden and Harris—the worst foreign policy failure in modern history. And she wants to talk about military respect? Please. The Biden Harris administration did not even call the families of our fallen heroes. Joe Biden kept looking at his watch at the transfer of the coffins. That was truly despicable. They died because of Biden Harris Administration.

So when she says, “there’ll be no guardrails,” what she’s really saying is they’re scared because they know I’m going to shake things up again. They’re afraid because I’ll clean up the corruption, drain the swamp, and put America First. The real threat to the Constitution and the rule of law is the Biden-Harris administration. They’ve shown time and time again that they’re willing to break the rules and twist the truth to hold onto power. But the American people are smart—they see through this, and they know the truth.

So, don’t buy into the fearmongering. We’re going to protect the Constitution, we’re going to restore law and order, and we’re going to make America great again—again!

DAVID MUIR: We have a lot to get to. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, in your last run for president you said you wanted to ban fracking. Now you don't. You wanted mandatory government buyback programs for assault weapons. Now your campaign says you don't. You supported decriminalizing border crossings. Now you're taking a harder line. I know you say that your values have not changed. So then why have so many of your policy positions changed?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So my values have not changed. And I'm going to discuss every one -- at least every point that you've made. But in particular, let's talk about fracking because we're here in Pennsylvania. I made that very clear in 2020. I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States. And, in fact, I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which opened new leases for fracking. My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil. We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil. As it relates to my values, let me tell you, I grew up a middle-class kid raised by a hard-working mother who worked and saved and was able to buy our first home when I was a teenager. The values I bring to the importance of home ownership knowing not everybody got handed $400 million on a silver platter and then filed bankruptcy six times, is a value that I bring to my work to say we are going to work with the private sector and home builders to increase 3 million homes, increase by 3 million homes by the end of my first term. My work that is related to having a friend when I was in high school who was sexually assaulted by her stepfather. And my focus then, on protecting women and children from violent crime, is based on a value that is deeply grounded in the importance of standing up for those who are most vulnerable. My work that is about protecting social security and Medicare is based on long-standing work that I have done. Protecting seniors from scams. My values have not changed. And what is important is that there is a president who actually brings values and a perspective that is about lifting people up and not beating people down and name-calling. The true measure of the leader is the leader who actually understands that strength is not in beating people down, it's in lifting people up. I intend to be that president.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, your response.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Kamala Harris, doing what she does best: spinning a lot of words and saying nothing that makes sense. First of all, let’s talk about fracking. She wants you to believe she’s been consistent on this issue?

Back in 2020, during the primaries, she and Biden were all about banning fracking. They were out there pandering to the far-left, making it clear they didn’t want fossil fuels. And now? Now that she’s in Pennsylvania, she suddenly loves fracking. It’s classic flip-flopping. They say one thing to the radical environmentalists and another thing to the hard-working people in states like Pennsylvania. You can’t trust a word she says on energy.

Here are the facts. Harris passed a bill that allowed fracking because it was packed with left-wing giveaways. There were new leases for fracking, but the leases were not the point of the bill, and only begrudgingly included to assuage Sen. Joe Manchin. Later, Manchin would accuse President Biden and Harris of going back on their word, saying new regulations were undermining the lease promises. Senator Manchin, who is a great American, told Politico and I quote “This is bullshit. They’re gonna basically starve us out of energy that we have a tremendous, abundant supply of because of their aspirational thoughts?” And guess how many of these “Approved leases” they actually allowed Fracking on? You guessed it – ZERO.

She wanted to make it look like they care about domestic production, but at the same time, they’re killing the oil and gas industry with regulations and red tape. That’s why gas prices have been through the roof under Biden and Harris. When I was president, we were energy independent. We didn’t need to rely on foreign oil because we were producing more than enough right here at home. Under their administration, we’re back to begging other countries for oil. It’s a disgrace.

And as for this “Inflation Reduction Act,” let me tell you—it had nothing to do with reducing inflation, and everyone knows it. That bill was just a green energy spending spree, loaded with wasteful spending that did nothing to help regular Americans.

Now, she wants to lecture me on values? Let’s talk about values. She talks about her middle-class upbringing—well, I’ve built a business, created jobs for thousands of Americans, and worked hard to make sure this country’s economy was the best it’s ever been. I didn’t need to run for president—I did it because I love this country, and I wanted to put the American people first. That’s a value Kamala Harris and Joe Biden just don’t understand.

And she brings up my business? Oh, they love to talk about that. Yes, I’ve filed for bankruptcy— six times. That’s called using the laws of this country to restructure, to come back stronger, to save jobs. And guess what? I’m still here. I’m still successful. I know how to win, and I know how to fight.

And Kamala Harris? She’s been in government her whole life. She’s never created a job, never built anything. She has never had to sign her name on the front of a paycheck. ONLY ON THE BACK.

All she knows is politics and talking points.

She talks tough on crime and her record of protecting women and children but let’s look at her real record when she was Attorney General of California. It’s a disgrace. She had a chance to stand up for victims of abuse, children who were harmed by priests in the Catholic Church, and you know what she did? Nothing. She didn’t go after those priests, she didn’t bring justice to those victims.

In fact, she refused to release church records on clergy abuse, even though other states were doing it. Think about that, folks. She had the power to expose the truth, to hold those who abused children accountable, and she chose to protect the abusers instead. That’s not protecting children, that’s protecting the establishment.

And then there’s her record with SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. This is a group that has been fighting for justice for the victims of clergy abuse for years, and under Kamala Harris, they couldn’t get the information they needed to help those victims. She stonewalled them. She didn’t prioritize justice for the abused; she prioritized politics. This is someone who talks a big game about standing up for the vulnerable, but when it came down to it, she was more concerned about protecting powerful institutions than protecting the most vulnerable children in our society.

As Attorney General, Kamala Harris was more focused on climbing the political ladder than doing her job and protecting the people she was supposed to serve. She failed those children. She failed those victims. And now, she wants to stand here and pretend like she’s some kind of champion for the people? It’s laughable.

When I was president, we didn’t ignore the victims. We went after human traffickers, child predators, and we strengthened protections for children. We made sure that law enforcement had the tools they needed to keep our kids safe. But Kamala Harris? She looked the other way when she had a chance to make a difference.

So don’t be fooled by her rhetoric. Her record on protecting children is horrible, and that’s the truth. She failed to deliver justice when it mattered most, and the American people deserve to know that. We need real leadership, folks. Leadership that stands up for the innocent, not for the powerful. And that’s what I’ve always done, and that’s what I’ll continue to do when I’m back in office.

Well, look at what’s happening in cities run by Democrats like her. Crime is through the roof. Violent crime, drugs, human trafficking—it’s all worse under Biden and Harris. They talk about protecting the vulnerable, but they’ve done nothing to stop the chaos in our streets. Under my administration, we went after the criminals, we supported law enforcement, and we made our communities safer. That’s a fact.

And Social Security and Medicare? Let me be clear: I protected Social Security and Medicare. Kamala and her party want to spend trillions on radical agendas and open borders, and who’s going to pay for that? The American people, that’s who. I’ll always protect our seniors, but what the Democrats are doing is unsustainable.

And finally, this nonsense about “lifting people up” and “not name-calling”? Give me a break. The Democrats are the kings and queens of tearing people down. They smear, they attack, they divide this country with their identity politics and their lies. I don’t have time for that.

I call it like I see it because the American people deserve the truth, not more political garbage. Under my leadership, we lifted millions of people out of poverty, we created jobs, and we put America First.

So, don’t be fooled by Kamala Harris’s flowery words and fake values. She’s part of an administration that’s hurting America, and the American people know it. We need real leadership, folks. Leadership that delivers results, not empty promises. And that’s exactly what I’ll bring back when we win!

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That's not true. [mouthed, not audible]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

In Minnesota, she went out -- wait a minute. I'm talking now. If you don't mind. Please. Does that sound familiar?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Don't lie. [lie is audible]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

First, Kamala Harris did support a Minnesota Freedom Fund that raised money to bail out criminals during the riots in 2020. Some of these individuals were charged with serious crimes, including violent offenses like assault. That’s not something a leader who supports law and order should be doing. It’s a fact.

Now, about her stance on transgender surgeries for illegal aliens: Harris and her party have supported policies that allow taxpayer dollars to fund gender-affirming surgeries for incarcerated individuals, including illegal immigrants. That’s happening, folks. It’s an extreme policy, and it’s out of touch with what Americans want.

On fracking, Harris may claim she supports it now, but in the 2020 primary debates, she openly said she supported a ban on fracking. This administration is hostile to fossil fuels, and under their policies, we saw energy production drop and gas prices soar. At one point in 2022, gas prices reached an average of over 5 per gallon across the country. Under my administration, we had energy independence, and gas was as low as2 per gallon.

And let’s talk about oil. When I left office, the U.S. was producing nearly 12 million barrels of oil per day, and we were a net exporter of energy for the first time in decades. Under Biden and Harris, oil production slowed, and we became dependent on foreign oil again, including from countries like Venezuela. That’s why energy prices skyrocketed, and why they had to scramble to increase production later, but it was too late—prices had already gone through the roof.

Finally, renewable energy. Harris and her party want to rely on wind and solar, but here’s the truth: wind and solar currently account for only about 12% of U.S. energy production. They’re unreliable for a country of our size and economy. Solar farms take up massive amounts of land—sometimes over 500 acres for a single plant—and they can’t generate enough power to meet demand.

The facts are clear. Under my leadership, we had energy independence, low gas prices, and a booming economy. Under Biden and Harris, we’ve seen higher prices, a weakened oil industry, and reliance on foreign energy. Those are the numbers.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump--

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, we have a lot of issues that we have to get to. We're out of time. Thank you.

DAVID MUIR: Linsey, thank you. We have an election in just 56 days. I want to talk about the peaceful transfer of power, which of course we all know was a cornerstone of our democracy and the role of a president in a moment of crisis. Mr. President, on January 6th you told your supporters to march to the Capitol. You said you would be right there with them. The country and the world saw what played out at the Capitol that day. The officers coming under attack. Aides in the West Wing say you watched it unfold on television off the Oval Office. You did send out tweets, but it was more than two hours before you sent out that video message telling your supporters to go home. Is there anything you regret about what you did on that day?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, David, let me start by saying this: what happened on January 6th was a terrible day for our country, and nobody INCLUDING ME wanted to see violence. I’ve always been about law and order, and I’ve always supported our police, including the brave officers who were there that day. I’ve said it many times before—I told my supporters to march to the Capitol peacefully and patriotically. Those were my exact words but many in the Fake News, including you and your network, always leave out my exact words “Peacefully and patriotically”. Now some people didn’t listen, and what we saw unfold was tragic. I don’t condone it, and I don’t support it.

Now, as for the security at the Capitol, let’s be clear about who was in charge. The mayor of Washington, D.C., and the Capitol Police were responsible for securing that area. I offered to bring in the National Guard days before January 6th because we knew there could be large crowds, but that request was turned down. The people in charge of security made decisions that were beyond my control, and they didn’t properly prepare for what happened.

During the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, two people lost their lives during or shortly after the event.

• Ashli Babbitt, a protester who was shot by Capitol Police. And
• Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, who did not die during the event but later suffered a stroke. It was not determined that the Capital Riot was the cause of the stroke.

 During the George Floyd protests and riots of 2020, that Kamala Harris raised money for the rioters, at least 19 to 30 people were reported to have died in various incidents related to the unrest. In terms of injuries,hundreds of people were injured during the protests, including both protesters and law enforcement officers.

If you are to understand Kamala Harris – Riots are fine if you are protesting for George Floyd (she will even raise money for your defense fund) but not OK if it is over a questionable election result. And it’s the worst attack on our democracy since the civil war. GIVE ME A BREAK.

So, while I regret that violence occurred that day and wish things had gone differently, we need to recognize that I wasn’t in charge of Capitol security. I’ve always been committed to peaceful protests, and I told my supporters to do just that. What happened afterward was the result of bad decisions by those responsible for security and individuals who acted unlawfully.

Let me also say this: we should always stand for a peaceful transfer of power—that’s the cornerstone of our democracy. But we must also ensure that elections are fair, secure, and trustworthy for all Americans. That’s what I’ve always fought for, and that’s what I’ll continue to stand for.

DAVID MUIR: You were the president. You were watching it unfold on television. It's a very simple question as we move forward toward another election. Is there anything you regret about what you did on that day? Yes or no.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

"First of all, let me make it very clear: what happened on January 6th was wrong. It was a terrible day, and I condemn any violence against law enforcement, or against our nation's institutions. I called for peaceful and patriotic protests in my speech. Unfortunately, things got out of control. And we need to look at why that happened.

Now, regarding security—it's important to understand the facts. The president doesn't manage security for the Capitol. That responsibility falls on Capitol Police and the Speaker of the House, who controls the Sergeant at Arms. I offered to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops days before the event because I knew the crowds would be large, but that request was turned down. Both the mayor of Washington, D.C., and Nancy Pelosi had the authority to accept that help. They didn’t.

I believe we all share the blame for not anticipating the scale of what unfolded, but it's critical to ensure we learn from this and make sure our country never sees something like that again. As a leader, you always work to protect our democracy and institutions. That's what I intended by offering additional resources to secure the Capitol, but those responsible for that security chose not to act."

DAVID MUIR: The question was about you as president, not about Former Speaker Pelosi. But I do want Vice President Harris to respond here.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I was at the Capitol on January 6th. I was the Vice President-Elect. I was also an acting senator. I was there. And on that day, the president of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation’s Capital, to desecrate our nation’s Capital. On that day, 140 law enforcement officers were injured. And some died. And understand, the former president has been indicted and impeached for exactly that reason. But this is not an isolated situation. Let's remember Charlottesville, where there was a mob of people carrying tiki torches, spewing antisemitic hate, and what did the president then at the time say? There were fine people on each side. Let's remember that when it came to the Proud Boys, a militia, the president said, the former president said, "Stand back and stand by." So for everyone watching who remembers what January 6th was, I say we don't have to go back. Let's not go back. We're not going back. It's time to turn the page. And if that was a bridge too far for you, well, there is a place in our campaign for you. To stand for country. To stand for our democracy. To stand for rule of law. And to end the chaos. And to end the approach that is about attacking the foundations of our democracy 'cause you don't like the outcome. And be clear on that point. Donald Trump the candidate has said in this election there will be a bloodbath, if this -- and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let's turn the page on this. Let's not go back. Let's chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past.

DAVID MUIR: Let me just follow up here--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Absolutely, let’s get to the facts, folks, because what Kamala Harris just said is filled with lies and misrepresentations.

First of all, let me be very clear—I never incited any violence on January 6th. I told people to march peacefullyand patriotically to the Capitol. Those were my exact words. And I’ve condemned the violence that took place many times. But what she’s leaving out is the failure of the people in charge to secure the Capitol that day. I offered 10,000 National Guard troops to help manage the crowd—days before the rally—and that offer was rejected by both Nancy Pelosi and the mayor of D.C. So, let's talk about who was responsible for security that day, because it wasn’t me.

Now, she says 140 officers were injured, and that’s tragic. We all support our law enforcement, and I always have. But let’s not forget that no police officers died as a direct result of the events on January 6th. Some in the media like to push that narrative, but it’s simply not true.

Officer Brian Sicknick tragically passed away from natural causes the day after. It’s important to get the facts straight.

And then she brings up Charlottesville, another lie. What I said there—and it’s on record—was that there were fine people on both sides of the debate over historical statues, but I condemned totally the white supremacists and the neo-Nazis. I said it clearly: “I’m not talking about the white nationalists and the neo-Nazis because they should be condemned totally.” But they don’t want to talk about that part of my statement because it doesn’t fit their narrative.

As for the Proud Boys, the whole “Stand back and stand by” comment—let’s put that in context. During that debate, I was repeatedly asked to condemn groups, and I did. I said at the time I wasn't even familiar with the Proud Boys and have always condemned white supremacist and extremist groups. I said after the debate that when I said “stand by", I meant to say "stand down". I have always believed that law enforcement should handle any violence or unrest. I misspoke, I am human. I am sure it’s not something Vice President Harris has ever done. That’s because she says nothing. She says things like “When we talk about the children of the community, they are a part of all of our children and the community” and nonsense like “It is time for us to do what we have been doing. And that time is every day”.

I’ve always condemned political violence, from all sides, but they keep bringing this up because they have nothing else.

And then she has the nerve to say I talked about a "bloodbath" in the election? Another flat-out lie. What I said was “if Biden was elected for a second term there would be an ECONOMIC BLOODBATH in America. NOT a bloodbath as she says. It wasn’t just me, millions of Americans had legitimate questions about the results in 2020.

With that said, I’ve always said that we need election integrity—that we need to make sure that every legal vote counts, and every illegal vote doesn’t. That’s what I’ve always fought for. The real chaos was in the 2020 election, where rules were changed at the last minute, the media, social media and the Biden Harris administration lied about the Hunter Biden laptop being Russian disinformation. They even coordinated intelligence officials to publicly lie that it was from the Russians. THEY KNEW IT WAS HUNTER BIDEN’S LAPTOP.

All we have had is lies and obfuscations from the Vice President Harris. She even went as far a few months ago that President Biden was fully present and sharp in decision-making processes. If he is so sharp and mentally fit, why isn’t he here on the stage? Were you lying to the American people then? Or now? Why should any American trust you?

So, when she talks about turning the page, what she really means is she wants you to forget about their failures—their open borders, their skyrocketing inflation, their failed foreign policy. They want you to ignore how they’ve mishandled this country, from the economy to crime to our national security. That’s the truth, folks.

We’re not going back to the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration. We’re moving forward with America First, with law and order, and with putting the American people back in charge of their own country. That’s the future we’re going to build—together."

DAVID MUIR: We talked immigration here tonight. I do want to focus on this next issue to both of you. Because it really brings us, this into focus. Truth in these times that we're living in. Mr. President, for 3 and a half years after you lost the 2020 election you repeatedly falsely claimed that you won, many times saying you won in a landslide. In the past couple of weeks leading up to this debate, you have said, quote, you lost by a whisker, that you, quote, didn't quite make it, that you came up a little bit short.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

I said that?

DAVID MUIR: Are you now acknowledging that you lost in 2020?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

No, I don't acknowledge that at all.

DAVID MUIR: But you did say that.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, David, let’s get something straight. The 2020 election was rigged in so many ways that it’s hard to count them all. I’ve been saying this from the beginning, and it’s true. There was massive corruption, and laws were changed in key states—illegally—to benefit the Democrats. That’s a fact.

Let’s look at what happened. In places like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Georgia, rules were changed right before the election. They extended mail-in ballot deadlines, loosened signature verification standards, and allowed for massive amounts of mail-in voting without the proper safeguards. In Pennsylvania, for example, they changed the rules on how late mail-in ballots could be accepted. That wasn’t something done by the state legislature, which is what the Constitution requires—it was done by judges and secretaries of state. That’s unconstitutional.

And let’s not forget about the role of Big Tech and the media in suppressing critical information. I just talked about how the The Hunter Biden laptop story was buried by major outlets, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook censored it just days before the election.

Polls later showed that many voters said they might have changed their vote if they knew about it. So, when I talk about election interference, I’m not just talking about what happened at the ballot box—I’m talking about how the entire system was stacked against us.

Look at the hundreds of affidavits we collected from people who witnessed irregularities and even fraud. There were poll watchers who were blocked from observing the counting process, ballot drop boxes that weren’t properly monitored, and voting machines that raised serious questions about their reliability. This wasn’t a clean election, folks.

I’m not saying every vote was fraudulent, but when you change the rules in ways that benefit one party, when you allow mail-in ballots to flood in without proper verification, and when you suppress critical information in the media, you’re not going to have a fair election.

The fact is, millions of Americans had serious concerns about what happened in 2020. It wasn’t just me; it was a large part of this country that saw what was going on and said, “Something’s not right here.” And what have we seen since? They’ve been trying to silence anyone who questions the results. They’ve gone after me, they’ve gone after my supporters, because they don’t want you asking questions.

So, yes, I’ve said I won because I believe the election was stolen from the American people. But even if you say we lost by a whisker, you can’t ignore the fact that the rules were changed illegally and unfairly to benefit the Democrats. And we can’t let that happen again. We need real election integrity, and we need to restore trust in our elections. That’s what I’ve been fighting for, and that’s what I’ll keep fighting for.

DAVID MUIR: I did watch all of these pieces of video. I didn't detect the sarcasm, lost by a whisker, we didn't quite make it, and we should just point out as clarification, and you know this, you and your allies, 60 cases in front of many judges. Many of them -

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

No judge looked at it.

DAVID MUIR: And said there was no widespread fraud.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

"David, let me explain what really happened in 2020. It wasn't just a matter of 'standing'—although that was a ridiculous technicality. The courts didn’t even look at the evidence. They dismissed the cases on procedural grounds, saying we didn't have standing to challenge the results, which is absurd when we're talking about a presidential election".

Now, let’s talk about the actual facts and figures. In Pennsylvania, they allowed mail-in ballots to be received three days after Election Day. This wasn’t done by the legislature, as required by the Constitution, but by state officials and courts. And we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of ballots that came in after Election Day under these illegal rule changes.

In Wisconsin, they used something called 'Zuckerbucks'—private money from Mark Zuckerberg that funded election offices in Democrat-heavy areas. This created an imbalance where Democrat districts had far more resources to conduct voter outreach and manage ballots compared to Republican areas. This wasn’t fair or transparent.

In Georgia, we had affidavits from poll workers who testified under oath that they saw irregularities during the counting process, including suitcases of ballots being counted after observers were forced out of the room. And, you had mail-in ballots coming in at an extraordinary rate—about 94% for Biden in some areas. Statistically, that’s highly irregular.

And let's not forget Michigan, where the rules on signature matching were relaxed, making it easier for invalid ballots to be counted. The state accepted millions of mail-in ballots without proper verification.

The numbers speak for themselves. In these key battleground states, millions of ballots were handled in ways that went against the law, and that made the election unfair. I’m not saying every single vote was fraudulent, but there was enough irregularity and enough illegal rule changes to make people question the outcome. And when you have an election where the rules are changed in the middle of the game, it’s no longer a fair election.

So when I say we need election integrity, I’m talking about stopping these practices—making sure we have voter ID, limiting mail-in voting to only those who truly need it, and ensuring that the counting process is transparent and accountable. That’s how we restore trust in our elections, and that’s how we make sure 2024 is a fair election for all Americans."

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, thank you. Vice President Harris, you heard the president there tonight. He said he didn't say that he lost by a whisker. So he still believes he did not lose the election. That was won by President Biden and yourself. But I do want to ask you about something that's come up in the last couple of days. This was a post from President Trump about this upcoming election just weeks away. He said, "When I win, those people who cheated," and then he lists donors, voters, election officials, he says "Will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which will include long-term prison sentences." One of your campaign's top lawyers responded saying, "We won't let Donald Trump intimidate us. We won't let him suppress the vote." Is that what you believe he's trying to do here?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. So, let's be clear about that. And clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that. But we cannot afford to have a president of the United States who attempts as he did in the past to upend the will of the voters in a free and fair election. And I'm going to tell you that I have traveled the world as vice president of the United States. And world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you. And they say you're a disgrace. And when you then talk in this way in a presidential debate and deny what over and over again are court cases you have lost, because you did in fact lose that election, it leads one to believe that 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.

DAVID MUIR: I'll give you one minute to respond, Mr. President.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, folks, here we go again—Kamala Harris with the same old tired talking points. First, let’s clear something up: she says I was "fired" by 81 million people. But we all know there were massive irregularities in the 2020 election. Laws were changed illegally, mail-in ballots flooded the system with no safeguards, and Big Tech and the media suppressed critical information. So, when she talks about a "free and fair" election, that’s just not the case.

Now, she wants to say I’m having a hard time processing that? No. I’m processing the fact that millions of Americans have lost trust in our elections because of what happened in 2020. People saw what was going on—ballots showing up late, poll watchers being blocked, and unconstitutional changes to voting rules. I’ve never backed down from fighting for election integrity, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. The real question is why they are so afraid of transparency and fairness.

As for this nonsense about world leaders laughing—give me a break. When I was president, nobody was laughing at America. We had respect on the world stage. We brokered peace deals in the Middle East, something everyone said was impossible. We held China accountable like no other administration before, and we rebuilt our military after years of neglect under Obama and Biden. World leaders didn’t laugh at us—they respected us. But now? With Biden and Harris in charge, our allies don’t trust us, and our enemies don’t fear us. That’s why we’ve got chaos in Afghanistan, weakness on the world stage, and skyrocketing inflation at home.

And military leaders saying I’m a disgrace? Look at my record. Under my leadership, we rebuilt the military, gave our troops the biggest pay raise they’ve seen in years, and took care of our veterans with reforms like the VA Accountability Act. I was the first president in decades who didn’t start a new war, and I took out ISIS. The military supported me because I supported them. Meanwhile, under Harris and Biden, we’ve seen disaster after disaster, like the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. If anyone’s a disgrace to our military, it’s this administration.

And let’s talk about the courts. Yes, we lost some cases on technicalities like standing, but the evidence of election irregularities is there. And if Kamala Harris thinks that means I’m confused, well, she clearly doesn’t understand the facts. I’m fighting for fair elections, for transparency, and for accountability—things she and her party don’t seem to care about.

The American people deserve better, she’s right about that. They deserve better than this failed administration that has given us record inflation, weak borders, and chaos abroad. And that’s exactly what we’re going to fix when we take back the White House and put America First again."

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

"Let me tell you something, folks—Joe Biden is weak, and you saw that in their own primaries. And let’s talk about Kamala Harris.

She was polling at less than 2% when she ran for president in the Democratic primary, and she was one of the first to drop out. She couldn’t even make it to the Iowa caucuses. That’s how unpopular she was. She didn’t get any votes in those primaries, and now she’s vice president. Why? Not because of merit, not because people wanted her.

They picked her for political reasons, and the voters rejected her.

Now, look at Joe Biden. He got around 14 million votes in the 2020 Democratic primaries, and yes, he won the nomination. But let’s be honest people weren’t voting for Joe Biden; they were voting against Bernie Sanders. The Democratic Party was terrified of Bernie, so they propped up Biden, and they stuck him with Kamala Harris, even though we all know they don’t get along. In fact, Harris attacked Biden on the debate stage in 2019, accusing him of supporting segregationists. But this is how the Democrats work. They throw people together who don’t even like each other because they’re focused on power, not results.

And here’s another fact: since Kamala Harris became vice president, she’s been a disaster. She was put in charge of the border, and what do we have now? Historic levels of illegal immigration, fentanyl pouring into our communities, and chaos at the southern border. She’s failed every task she’s been given.

Meanwhile, under my leadership, we had the most secure border in history. We built the wall, enforced the law, and illegal immigration plummeted. The American people can see the difference.

So, while Kamala couldn’t even get a single delegate in the primary, and while Biden is struggling to keep the country together, I’m ready to lead again and deliver real results for the American people. That’s the difference. That’s why we’re going to win, and that’s why the American people are going to reject this failed administration."

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, your time is up. We've got a lot more to get to.

LINSEY DAVIS: Turning now to the Israel-Hamas war and the hostages who are still being held, Americans among them. Vice President Harris, in December you said, "Israel has a right to defend itself" but you added, "It matters how." Saying international humanitarian law must be respected, Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. You said that nine months ago. Now an estimated 40,000 Palestinians are dead. Nearly 100 hostages remain. Just last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there's not a deal in the making. President Biden has not been able to break through the stalemate. How would you do it?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, let's understand how we got here. On Oct. 7, Hamas, a terrorist organization, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis. Many of them young people who were simply attending a concert. Women were horribly raped. And so absolutely, I said then, I say now, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end. It must when, end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a cease-fire deal and we need the hostages out. And so we will continue to work around the clock on that. Work around the clock also understanding that we must chart a course for a two-state solution. And in that solution, there must be security for the Israeli people and Israel and in equal measure for the Palestinians. But the one thing I will assure you always, I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, how would you negotiate with Netanyahu and also Hamas in order to get the hostages out and prevent the killing of more innocent civilians in Gaza?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

First, let’s talk about the facts. Under my administration, we had historic peace in the Middle East. We negotiated the Abraham Accords, which brought peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These were historic achievements, and we did it without a single drop of bloodshed. No new wars, no endless conflicts, and stability was growing.

Now, look at what’s happened under Biden and Harris. The Middle East is once again a powder keg. Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, is flush with cash thanks to their policies. When I was president, we imposed the toughest sanctions ever on Iran, and they were on the brink of collapse. They didn’t have money to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, or their other terror proxies. Under Biden, not only have they lifted those sanctions, but they’ve also released $6 billion in frozen assets to Iran in exchange for hostages—just weeks before the attacks on Israel. You don’t think Iran used that money to fund terror? Of course they did.

Now Hamas, backed by Iran, is launching the worst attack on Israel we’ve seen in decades, and Hezbollah is waiting in the wings. This never would have happened under my administration because Iran was broke and isolated. Under Biden, they’ve got $300 billion to play with, and they’re using it to destabilize the region.

On top of that, Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan sent a message to the world: America is weak, and our enemies are emboldened. We left behind billions of dollars of military equipment in Afghanistan, and now terrorists have access to advanced weapons. The entire region is more dangerous now because Biden and Harris don’t understand strength. They abandoned our allies, and they let our enemies grow stronger.

Globally, the failures don’t stop there. Look at Russia and Ukraine. Under my administration, Putin never would’ve invaded Ukraine. Why? Because we had peace through strength. Putin respected us, and he knew the consequences. Under Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine, and now we have one of the deadliest wars in Europe since World War II.

Over 200,000 soldiers and civilians have died, and millions have been displaced. Biden has poured over $113 billion into that war, with no end in sight.

And in China, they’re watching all of this unfold, and they’re getting ready to move on Taiwan. They’re building the largest military in the world, and they’re preparing to challenge us. Biden and Harris have done nothing to stop them, just like they’ve done nothing to stop Russia, Iran, or the chaos in the Middle East.

The fact is, under Biden and Harris, the world has become a far more dangerous place. The Middle East is spiraling into chaos, Europe is on the brink of another major war, and China is preparing for dominance. When I was president, none of this was happening. We had peace, we had stability, and we had respect. That’s the difference, folks. And that’s why we’re going to turn it around.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, he says you hate Israel.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That's absolutely not true. I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people. He knows that. He's trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy. It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine. It is well known when that he said when Russia went into Ukraine it was brilliant. It is well known he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong un. And it is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they're so clear, they can manipulate you with flattery and favors. And that is why so many military leaders who you have worked with have told me you are a disgrace. That is why we understand that we have to have a president who is not consistently weak and wrong on national security including the importance of upholding and respecting in highest regard our military.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, folks, here we go again—Kamala Harris throwing out the same old, tired lies and talking points, and it’s absolutely ridiculous. Let’s go through the facts because what she just said is nothing more than political theater.

First, she says she supports Israel? Give me a break. This administration has been terrible for Israel. Let’s not forget that when I was president, we moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing it as Israel’s rightful capital—something presidents on both sides talked about but never had the courage to do. And we got it done. We also brokered the Abraham Accords, creating historic peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. Israel’s security was stronger under my leadership than it had ever been.

Now, what have Biden and Harris done? They’ve allowed Iran to regain its strength. The same Iran that funds Hamas, Hezbollah, and terror groups that threaten Israel. When I left office, Iran was broke because of our sanctions, but under Biden and Harris, Iran now has billions of dollars to fund terrorism across the Middle East, including attacks on Israel. So, when she says she supports Israel, her actions tell a very different story.

 

And let’s talk about national security and foreign policy. She’s claiming I admire dictators—false. I had strong relationships with foreign leaders because I knew how to get results. It’s called diplomacy, folks. I didn’t go around starting new wars like past presidents. I used diplomacy to keep peace. When I spoke with leaders like Putin, I made it clear that the United States was strong. That’s why Russia didn’t invade Ukraine when I was president. Putin knew better. But under Biden and Harris? Russia invaded Ukraine, and we’ve got one of the deadliest wars in Europe since World War II.

And this idea that I was weak on North Korea? Let’s be real. I was the first president to meet with Kim Jong-un face to face, and it resulted in a period of stability. North Korea stopped launching missiles over Japan and threatening the world with nuclear weapons because they respected our strength. That’s called leadership. And by the way, Kim Jong-un wasn’t launching any missiles under my watch. But now, under Biden and Harris, North Korea is back to testing missiles, China is preparing for a move on Taiwan, and the Middle East is on fire.

And when she talks about military leaders criticizing me, well, let’s look at what we did for the military. I gave the troops the largest pay raise they’d seen in years. We rebuilt the military after it was depleted under Obama and Biden. And we took care of our veterans with the VA Accountability Act, holding the VA accountable for the way it treated our heroes. Meanwhile, under this administration, you’ve got total chaos: weak leadership, disastrous withdrawals like we saw in Afghanistan, and a military that’s more focused on woke politics than winning wars.

So don’t be fooled by her rhetoric. Under my leadership, the world was safer, Israel was more secure, and our military was respected. Under Biden and Harris, we’re seeing weakness, chaos, and instability around the globe. That’s the truth, folks, and that’s why we’re going to win and make America strong again.

LINSEY DAVIS: Thank you. We have a lot of issues to get to.

DAVID MUIR: And I want to turn to the war in Ukraine. We're now 2 1/2 years into this conflict. Mr. President, it has been the position of the Biden administration that we must defend Ukraine from Russia, from Vladimir Putin, to defend their sovereignty, their democracy, that it's in America's best interest to do so, arguing that if Putin wins he may be emboldened to move even further into other countries. You have said you would solve this war in 24 hours. You said so just before the break tonight. How exactly would you do that? And I want to ask you a very simple question tonight. Do you want Ukraine to win this war?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

David, let me be very clear. This war should have never happened in the first place. When I was president, Putin didn’t dare make a move on Ukraine because he respected our strength and leadership. We had peace through strength. The moment Biden took office, that strength disappeared, and now we’re 2 1/2 years into a war that has cost millions of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage, both to Ukraine and to the world economy.

Now, Biden’s administration has spent over $113 billion on Ukraine, and we’re still funding more and more of this war. Meanwhile, our European allies, who are much closer to the conflict and benefit the most from Ukraine’s defense, are not contributing nearly enough. The U.S. is carrying the load, while Europe is lagging behind. Under my leadership, we got NATO members to contribute hundreds of billions of dollars more, something no other president had done in decades. I would do the same here: make sure Europe pays its fair share and stops relying on the U.S. to foot the bill.

But what’s most important is ending this war, and fast. You asked how I would do it in 24 hours—let me tell you. I know both Zelenskyy and Putin well. I’ve worked with world leaders, and they respect me because they know I can negotiate tough deals. Putin wouldn’t have invaded if I were president, but now that we’re here, we need to end the killing and bring these two to the negotiating table. It’s about diplomacy—something Biden has failed miserably at. He hasn’t even picked up the phone to try to negotiate with Putin in over two years. That’s not leadership.

So, yes, I want the war to end, and I want it to end in a way that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and ensures peace in the region. But continuing to escalate without any plan for resolution is reckless. This is heading toward a global conflict, and we can’t let that happen. My goal is to stop the bloodshed and avoid World War III, which we’re dangerously close to under this weak leadership.

I’ll get both sides to the table. I’ll use diplomacy, leverage, and respect, and I’ll make sure Europe steps up and takes responsibility too. The American people should not be footing the bill for this war alone, and this conflict needs to end now—not years from now. That’s how I’ll handle it, and that’s why this war would never have started under my watch.

Vice President Harris’s foreign policy positions have been so well articulated that I am sure our allies and adversaries are “quaking in their boots”. Just last month she demonstrated her strong understanding of the Russia Ukraine was when she gave us this profound knowledge:

“So Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. So, basically, that’s wrong.”

And with that insight, don’t you feel better knowing she would be sitting down with world leaders? That is why America is a laughing stock on the world stage.

DAVID MUIR: Your time is up. Just to clarify the question, do you believe it's in the U.S. best interests for Ukraine to win this war? Yes or no?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

I think it's in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. All right. Negotiate a deal. Because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.

DAVID MUIR: I want to take this to Vice President Harris. I want to get your thoughts on support for Ukraine in this moment. But also as commander in chief if elected how would you deal with Vladimir Putin and would it be any different from what we're seeing from President Biden?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, first of all, it's important to remind the former president you're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me. I believe the reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up. And that's not who we are as Americans. Let's understand what happened here. I actually met with Zelenskyy a few days before Russia invaded, tried through force to change territorial boundaries to defy one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity. And I met with President Zelenskyy. I shared with him American intelligence about how he could defend himself. Days later I went to NATO's eastern flank, to Poland and Romania. And through the work that I and others did we brought 50 countries together to support Ukraine in its righteous defense. And because of our support, because of the air defense, the ammunition, the artillery, the javelins, the Abrams tanks that we have provided, Ukraine stands as an independent and free country. If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. And understand what that would mean. Because Putin's agenda is not just about Ukraine. Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO. And what we have done to preserve the ability of Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to fight for their Independence. Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe. Starting with Poland. And why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris Thank you. We heard from both of you on Ukraine tonight. Afghanistan came up in the last hour -- I wanted her to respond to something you said earlier.

DAVID MUIR: Please I'll give you a minute here.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Well, first of all, Kamala, you’re wrong, and you know it. I’m not talking about ‘giving up’ Ukraine—what I’m talking about is ending the war through strong leadership and smart diplomacy. Let’s get the facts straight: when I was president, Putin didn’t invade Ukraine. Why? Because he respected the United States under my leadership. In fact, during my time in office, we had peace in Europe and around the world. No new wars. None. You can’t say the same under Biden and Harris.

Now, let’s talk about what’s really happening. Biden and Harris have dumped over $113 billion into Ukraine, with no end in sight. Meanwhile, European nations, who are right next to this conflict, are contributing far less. Under my leadership, NATO countries would be paying their fair share, just like I made them do before. Remember when I pushed NATO countries to pay billions more in defense? They weren’t contributing, and I changed that.

As for Putin sitting in Kyiv—completely false. If I were president, Putin would never have dared to invade Ukraine. But under Biden and Harris, Putin saw weakness, and he took advantage of it. Kamala wants to take credit for 'air defense and artillery,' but let’s be honest—the war is dragging on, people are dying, and there’s no plan for peace. This administration is focused on sending weapons and money without working toward a real diplomatic solution.

And let’s not forget: NATO respects strength. When I was in office, I brought NATO together by holding our allies accountable and making them contribute what they owed. That’s why NATO leaders respected me—they knew I meant business. Under Biden and Harris, we’re seeing NATO members barely contribute while American taxpayers foot the bill. That’s not leadership, that’s weakness.

And as for Poland, let’s be clear: Poland and our allies respected the United States under my administration because I protected them without dragging us into endless wars. The Polish people know that I stood up to Russia, held them accountable, and kept the peace. They also know that this administration is putting the world on the brink of a larger conflict by escalating tensions with no clear plan for peace.

The reality is, Kamala and Joe don’t know how to end this war—they only know how to prolong it. I know how to negotiate with strength, and that’s why, if I were president, we’d end this war quickly, saving countless lives and preventing it from escalating further. That’s the difference between talking about leadership and actually showing it.

DAVID MUIR: Vice president...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

And that's the kind of talent we have with her. She's worse than Biden. In my opinion, I think he's the worst president in the history of our country. She goes down as the worst vice president in the history of our country. But let me tell you something. She is a horrible negotiator. They sent her in to negotiate. As soon as they left Putin did the invasion.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. You did bring up something, you said she went to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. Vice President Harris, have you ever met Vladimir Putin, can you clarify tonight?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Yet again, I said it at the beginning of this debate, you're going to hear a bunch of lies coming from this fella. And that is another one. When I went to meet with President Zelenskyy, I've now met with him over five times. The reality is, it has been about standing as America always should, as a leader upholding international rules and norms. As a leader who shows strength, understanding that the alliances we have around the world are dependent on our ability to look out for our friends and not favor our enemies because you adore strongmen instead of caring about democracy. And that is very much what is at stake here. The President of the United States is commander-in-chief. And the American people have a right to rely on a president who understands the significance of America's role and responsibility in terms of ensuring that there is stability and ensuring we stand up for our principles and not sell them for the benefit of personal flattery.

DAVID MUIR: We've talked about Ukraine and Vladimir Putin. I do want to talk about Afghanistan. It came up in the first hour of this debate. We witnessed a poignant moment today on Capitol Hill honoring the soldiers who died in the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. I do want to ask the vice president, do you believe you bear any responsibility in the way that withdrawal played out?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I will tell you, I agreed with President Biden's decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Four presidents said they would, and Joe Biden did. And as a result, America's taxpayers are not paying the $300 million a day we were paying for that endless war. And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century. But let's understand how we got to where we are. Donald Trump when he was president negotiated one of the weakest deals you can imagine. He calls himself a dealmaker. Even his national security adviser said it was a weak, terrible deal. And here's how it went down. He bypassed the Afghan government. He negotiated directly with a terrorist organization called the Taliban. The negotiation involved the Taliban getting 5,000 terrorists, Taliban terrorists released. And get this -- no, get this. And the president at the time invited the Taliban to Camp David. A place of storied significance for us as Americans, a place where we honor the importance of American diplomacy, where we invite and receive respected world leaders. And this former president as president invited them to Camp David because he does not again appreciate the role and responsibility of the President of the United States to be commander in chief with a level of respect. And this gets back to the point of how he has consistently disparaged and demeaned members of our military, fallen soldiers, and the work that we must do to uphold the strength and the respect of the United States of America around the world.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump, your response to her saying that you began the negotiations with the Taliban.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

First of all, let’s clear up the lies and nonsense Kamala Harris just threw out there. She says she agreed with Biden’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan? Well, she was the last person in the room when that disastrous decision was made, so make no mistake—she’s just as responsible as Biden for the catastrophic failure we saw unfold.

Now, she wants to blame me for negotiating with the Taliban, but let’s get the facts straight. When I made a deal, it was based on conditions. We had clear, tough conditions in place. The Taliban knew that if they stepped out of line, we would strike back harder than ever before. We had total control of the situation. And remember, not a single American soldier was killed in Afghanistan for over a year while I was president. Why? Because the Taliban knew they couldn’t mess with us. But under Biden and Harris, the moment they took office, they abandoned those conditions and handed Afghanistan over to the Taliban. And look at the disaster that followed.

They didn’t follow through on the plan. They didn’t secure the withdrawal, they didn’t get our allies or civilians out safely, and they left behind $85 billion worth of military equipment for the Taliban. That’s not just a failure, folks—that’s a disgrace. And 13 brave American soldiers lost their lives during that chaotic withdrawal at Kabul airport. Those deaths are on Biden and Harris’s hands, because their incompetence and weak leadership caused it. She says I demeaned our fallen soldiers, the Biden-Harris administration did not have the decency to call the Gold Star families of those 13 brave soldiers who died because of their incompetence. I wasn’t the President but I called them to give them my condolences, I had them to Bedminster and spent the day grieving with them. I was asked by the Gold Star Families to attend the services at Arlington National Cemetary. And yes, I was honored to attend. Vice President Harris was asked to attend and didn’t return their call. That is exactly who Vice President Harris is.

Now let’s talk about the real tragedy—the women and girls in Afghanistan. Under my administration, women were gaining rights, going to school, and building lives for themselves. After Biden and Harris pulled out, the Taliban took over, and all of that progress was erased. Women and girls can no longer attend school, they’ve lost their basic freedoms, and they’re living in fear again. In many cases girls as young as 8 years old are being married off to men in their 50’s. And she is proud of the withdrawl? She pretends to care about women and children but left 19 million women and girls in misery. WELL DONE.

That’s the reality of what their rushed, incompetent withdrawal did to Afghanistan. The blood of those women and girls, and those brave soldiers, is on her hands.

And as for this nonsense about Camp David? Yes, I was willing to negotiate with the Taliban because that’s what a leader does—you negotiate from a position of strength.

Yes, we were going to have private talks with the President of Afghanistan and the leader of the Taliban at Camp David. I said at the time, there have been plenty of so-called ‘bad people’ brought up to Camp David for meetings. The alternative meeting place was the White House, and you wouldn’t have been happy with that either. So Camp David would have been a good place, I wanted to meet under circumstances where they couldn’t put any soldiers or staff in danger, like I would if we met at the White House.

What we did was put conditions in place to ensure a safe, orderly withdrawal. Biden and Harris threw those conditions out the window, and that’s why we saw chaos. They failed, plain and simple.

She wants to talk about ending the war? What they really did was leave Afghanistan in the hands of terrorists, and they abandoned our allies, the Afghan people, and our own military. That’s not leadership—that’s a disaster. And the American people know it.

DAVID MUIR: President Trump, thank you. I want to move on now to race and politics in this country. Mr. President, you recently said of Vice President Harris, "I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black." I want to ask a bigger-picture question here tonight. Why do you believe it's appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of your opponent

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

David, let’s be clear—my comment was about the way Kamala Harris and the media have shifted the narrative around her background. It’s not about her race; it’s about the political games being played. I’ve never cared about someone’s race, and I think most Americans feel the same way. What matters is a person's ability to lead, their policies, and how they can deliver results for the American people.

DAVID MUIR: But those were your words. So, I'm asking --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

The Democrats constantly make everything about race because they think it’s the way to divide the country and win votes. They want to focus on identity politics instead of the issues that matter—like fixing the economy, securing the border, and keeping America safe. They want to distract from their failures by making everything about race.

Look at what I did when I was president. We had record low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans. We passed criminal justice reform with the First Step Act, something people talked about for years but never got done. We invested in Opportunity Zones, bringing billions of dollars into minority communities to create jobs and spur development. I delivered real results for all Americans, regardless of race.

Kamala Harris and the Democrats focus on identity because they don’t have results to talk about. They use race to divide people and avoid the fact that their policies have failed minority communities. Under Biden and Harris, inflation has skyrocketed, crime is up, and wages have been eaten away by high costs. That affects everyone, but especially working-class families and minority communities.

So, to answer your question—what I care about is delivering for the American people. It’s not about someone’s racial identity, it’s about what they can do for this country. And the American people know that under my leadership, we delivered results that helped everyone.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, your thoughts on this?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I think it's – I mean honestly, I think it's a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president who has consistently over the course of his career attempted to use race to divide the American people. You know, I do believe that the vast majority of us know that we have so much more in common than what separates us. And we don't want this kind of approach that is just constantly trying to divide us, and especially by race. And let's remember how Donald Trump started. He was a, a, a—land, he owned land, he owned buildings, and he was investigated because he refused to rent property to Black families. Let's remember, this is the same individual who took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent, the Central Park Five. Took out a full-page ad calling for their execution. This is the same individual who spread birther lies about the first Black President of the United States. And I think the American people want better than that. Want better than this. Want someone who understands as I do, I travel our country, we see in each other a friend. We see in each other a neighbor. We don't want a leader who is constantly trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other. I meet with people all the time who tell me "Can we please just have discourse about how we're going to invest in the aspirations and the ambitions and the dreams of the American people?" Knowing that regardless of people's color or the language their grandmother speaks we all have the same dreams and aspirations and want a president who invests in those, not in hate and division.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris thank you. Linsey?

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, this is now your third time --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Let’s get to the facts, because everything Kamala Harris just said is a complete distortion of the truth. First, she’s trying to accuse me of dividing people by race, but let’s look at the reality. Under my administration, we delivered historic gains for minority communities. We had the lowest Black unemployment rate ever recorded, the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate, and the lowest Asian-American unemployment in history. We passed the First Step Act, the most significant criminal justice reform in decades, which has helped thousands of people—mostly Black and Latino—get a second chance at life. We invested billions into Opportunity Zones to bring jobs and investment into minority communities. That’s not division—that’s results.

Now, let’s unpack her lies one by one. First, she brings up an old accusation about me refusing to rent to Black families. That case was settled without an admission of guilt. It was over 50 years ago, and it’s the same recycled narrative they always bring up because they can’t talk about what’s happening now. Under my leadership, we lifted millions of people of all races out of poverty. Compare that to Biden and Harris, where inflation is hurting everyone, especially working-class and minority families.

And then she has the audacity to bring up the Central Park Five. Let’s get one thing straight: at the time, everyone thought those boys were guilty, based on the information that was available. The ad I took out was about restoring law and order in New York City, which was suffering from skyrocketing crime. And when the truth came out years later, I acknowledged that they were wrongfully convicted. But Kamala Harris wants to focus on something from over 30 years ago because she has nothing to say about the here and now.

Next, she brings up the birther controversy. Let’s not forget that Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign was where the questions about Obama’s birth certificate first started. I picked up on it later because many Americans were concerned, and as a leader, you address those concerns. Once Obama produced the certificate, I accepted it. But they always want to twist that narrative to paint me as divisive.

Now, let’s talk about division. Kamala Harris and the Democrats are the ones constantly using identity politics to divide Americans. Everything they do is about race, gender, or some other identity group, instead of focusing on what unites us. They’re the ones pushing critical race theory, encouraging people to see themselves as victims, and pitting groups against each other. Under my administration, we focused on the American Dream—opportunity for everyone, no matter where you come from or what you look like.

She talks about people wanting a president who invests in their dreams—well, that’s exactly what I did. I created an economy that worked for all Americans. I protected religious freedom, supported school choice to give kids in failing schools a better chance, and made sure every community—regardless of race—had a shot at the American Dream. Under Biden and Harris, we’ve seen economic failure, rising crime, and a country more divided than ever.

So, don’t buy into these lies. My record speaks for itself. We brought opportunity, safety, and prosperity to allAmericans, and that’s exactly what we’ll do again when we take back the White House.

DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, thank you, your time is up. Linsey --

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I want to respond to that, though. I want to just respond briefly. Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country. One who believes in what is possible, one who brings a sense of optimism about what we can do instead of always disparaging the American people. I believe in what we can do to strengthen our small businesses, which is why I have a plan. Let's talk about our plans. And, and let's compare the plans. I have a plan to give startup businesses $50,000 tax deduction, to pursue their ambitions, their innovation, their ideas, their hard work. I have a plan. $6,000 for young families for the first year of your child's life. To help you in that most critical stage of your child's development. I have a plan that is about allowing people to be able to pursue what has been fleeting in terms of the American dream by offering help with down payment of $25,000, down payment assistance for first-time home buyers. That's the kind of conversation I believe, David, that people really want tonight as opposed to a conversation that is constantly about belittling and name-calling. Let's turn the page and move forward.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you.

LINSEY DAVIS: We have to move on. President trump --

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, President Trump.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: The former president has said something twice and I need to respond too. I just need to respond one time to what he has said multiple times.

LINSEY DAVIS: I'm sorry, we're going to move on, Vice President Harris. This is now your third time running for president. you have long vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. You have failed to accomplish that. You now say you're going to keep Obamacare. Quote, unless we can do something much better. Last month you said, quote, we're working on it. So tonight, nine years after you first started running, do you have a plan and can you tell us what it is?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Linsey, let’s be clear about something. When I first ran for president, I promised to repeal and replace Obamacare because it wasn’t working for millions of Americans. Premiums were skyrocketing, deductibles were through the roof, and people were losing their doctors. I didn’t just talk about it—we made real progress. When I was president, we got rid of the individual mandate, which was one of the most unpopular parts of Obamacare. That mandate forced people to buy insurance they didn’t want or couldn’t afford, and we got rid of that penalty, which was a huge win for millions of Americans.

Now, as for the rest of it—yes, we tried to repeal and replace Obamacare, and let’s not forget that we came within one vote in the Senate of getting it done. One vote. So, the fact that we didn’t fully repeal it doesn’t mean we didn’t try. And by the way, some of the things we did accomplish were crucial for improving healthcare. We expanded short-term health plans, giving people more affordable options. We also gave states more flexibility through Medicaid waivers, allowing them to innovate and improve their healthcare systems.

Now, moving forward, I’ve always said that we’re going to keep what works and replace what doesn’t. Obamacare has left too many Americans with high premiums and deductibles that they can’t afford, and we need a better solution. The plan we’re working on now will focus on giving Americans more choices, more affordability, and protecting people with pre-existing conditions—something I’ve always supported.

LINSEY DAVIS: So just a yes or no, you still do not have a plan?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

What we want to do is introduce more competition into the healthcare system, expand health savings accounts, allow people to buy insurance across state lines, and reduce the overall cost of healthcare by making sure that the patient is in control—not the government, and not the insurance companies.

But let me tell you this—under Biden and Harris, the cost of healthcare has only gotten worse. Premiums are rising again, drug prices are still too high, and they’ve done nothing to fix the broken system. My administration will tackle healthcare head-on, and we’ll make sure that every American has access to high-quality, affordable care without the government dictating your choices. That’s what we’re working on, and that’s what we’ll deliver.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, in 2017 you supported Bernie Sanders' proposal to do away with private insurance and create a government-run health care system. Two years later you proposed a plan that included a private insurance option. What is your plan today?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, first of all, I absolutely support and over the last four years as vice president private health care options. But what we need to do is maintain and grow the Affordable Care Act. But I, I'll get to that, linsey. I just need to respond to a previous point that the former president has made. I've made very clear my position on fracking. And then this business about taking everyone's guns away. Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not taking anybody's guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff. As it relates to the Affordable Care Act, understand, just look at the history to know where people stand. When Donald Trump was president, 60 times he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. 60 times. I was a senator at the time. When, I will never forget the early morning hours when it was up for a vote in the United States Senate and the late great John McCain, who you have disparaged as being – uh, you don't like him, you said at the time because he got caught, he was an American hero. The late great John McCain, I will never forget that night. Walked onto the Senate floor and said no, you don't. No, you don't. No, you don't get rid of the Affordable Care Act. You have no plan. And what the Affordable Care Act has done is eliminate the ability of insurance companies to deny people with pre-existing conditions. I don't have to tell the people watching tonight, you remember what that was like? Remember when an insurance company could deny if a child had asthma, if someone was a breast cancer survivor, if a grandparent had diabetes? And thankfully, as I've been vice president and we over the last four years have strengthened the Affordable Care Act, we have allowed for the first time Medicare to negotiate drug prices on behalf of you the American people. Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate dr, drug prices. He never did. We did. And now we have capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month. Since I've been vice president we have capped the cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2,000 a year. And when I am president we will do that for all people understanding that the value I bring to this is that access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it. And the plan has to be to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, not get rid of it, (in audible) in terms of where Donald Trump stands on that.

LINSEY DAVIS: I want to move to an issue that's important --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

Let’s go through Kamala Harris’s statements one by one, because what she said is filled with lies and misleading claims.

First of all, she talks about supporting private healthcare options, but the truth is, in 2017, she was a co-sponsor of Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All bill, which would have eliminated private insurance entirely. It’s only after she realized that this was a political liability that she backtracked and came up with a hybrid plan that still leads us down the road toward government-run healthcare. Don’t let her fool you—Kamala Harris and her party are all about moving toward socialized medicine. That’s what they want.

Next, she says I tried 60 times to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Yes, I fought to repeal and replace Obamacare because it was failing the American people. Premiums were skyrocketing, deductibles were so high that people couldn’t even use their insurance, and many lost the ability to keep their doctors. That’s why we worked to reform healthcare, starting with getting rid of the individual mandate—one of the most unpopular parts of Obamacare. We fought for more affordable and flexible healthcare options for the American people, while protecting people with pre-existing conditions. I’ve always supported protecting pre-existing conditions, and that’s a fact.

Now, she wants to bring up John McCain and that late-night vote. Look, I had my disagreements with John McCain, I respected his service to our country. What I opposed was his vote to keep a failing system in place. Obamacare was collapsing, and we were this close to getting a better plan for the American people. She wants to make it sound like that vote saved the day, but what it did was keep a broken system alive.

Let’s talk about drug prices, too. She claims that I didn’t do anything about lowering drug prices—completely false. Under my administration, we implemented the Most Favored Nations rule, which was set to dramaticallylower the cost of prescription drugs by making sure Americans paid the same prices for drugs as people in other countries. But what happened? Biden and Harris reversed it, and they stopped the progress we were making on lowering drug prices. They killed it!

Now she wants to take credit for capping insulin costs at $35 a month? Under my administration, I signed an executive order to do the same thing—capping insulin costs for seniors. But again, Biden and Harris delayed those changes when they came into office. They dragged their feet, and now they’re acting like they invented the idea. It’s dishonest.

Finally, she talks about negotiating drug prices. Well, I was the first president to push for this. We had plans in place to let Medicare negotiate drug prices, but Biden and Harris only just started to implement some of these reforms. They’re taking credit for policies that we laid the groundwork for.

So, don’t believe the spin. We made real progress on healthcare, lowering drug prices, protecting pre-existing conditions, and giving people more choices. Kamala Harris and the Democrats are trying to move toward socialized medicine, and they’ll say whatever they need to keep their failing policies in place. The American people deserve better, and that’s what we’re going to deliver.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, thank you. We have another issue that we'd like to get to that's important for a number of Americans, in particular younger voters, and that's climate change. President Trump, with regard to the environment, you say that we have to have clean air and clean water. Vice President Harris, you call climate change an existential threat. The question to you both tonight is what would you do to fight climate change? And Vice President Harris, we'll start with you. One minute for you each.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, the former president had said that climate change is a hoax. And what we know is that it is very real. You ask anyone who lives in a state who has experienced these extreme weather occurrences who now is either being denied home insurance or is being jacked up. You ask anybody who has been the victim of what that means in terms of losing their home, having nowhere to go. We know that we can actually deal with this issue. The young people of America care deeply about this issue. And I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels. We have created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs while I have been vice president. We have invested in clean energy to the point that we are opening up factories around the world. Donald Trump said he was going to create manufacturing jobs. He lost manufacturing jobs. And I'm also proud to have the endorsement of the United Auto Workers and Shawn Fain, who also know that part of building a clean energy economy includes investing in American-made products, American automobiles. It includes growing what we can do around American manufacturing and opening up auto plants, not closing them like what happened under Donald Trump.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RESPONSE:

First of all, let’s address the lie that I said climate change is a hoax. What I’ve always said is that we need a balanced approach. We need clean air and clean water—and under my administration, we had some of the cleanest air and water in the world. But what I also said is that we shouldn’t destroy our economy in the name of fighting climate change. The radical green agenda that Biden and Harris are pushing is putting American jobs at risk and making energy prices skyrocket.

Now, Kamala talks about investing a trillion dollars in a ‘clean energy economy,’ but what they’re really doing is funneling taxpayer money into failed projects. Remember Solyndra? It’s more of the same. They’re pouring money into green energy projects that aren’t creating the jobs they promised. Meanwhile, they’re pushing electric vehicles that Americans don’t want or can’t afford, and they’re forcing auto manufacturers to close plants and move operations overseas, especially to Mexico and China. That’s what’s killing American jobs—not my policies.

Let’s get to the facts on manufacturing. Under my administration, we brought back half a million manufacturing jobs. We had record-high manufacturing growth, especially in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, where auto workers saw their industries thrive again. But under Biden and Harris, manufacturing jobs are leaving this country again. Just last month, we lost 10,000 manufacturing jobs. And the auto industry is being decimatedbecause of their obsession with pushing electric vehicles, most of which are being made with parts from China. So while they claim they’re building a ‘clean energy economy,’ what they’re really doing is making us more dependent on China for materials and products.

Let’s also talk about the cost of this so-called ‘clean energy economy.’ The average American family is paying more for electricity and gas because of the regulations and restrictions Biden and Harris have put on traditional energy sources. Under my administration, we were energy independent—we were producing more oil and gas than ever before. Gas prices were as low as $2 a gallon. Now? People are paying nearly double that, all because Biden and Harris are restricting oil and gas production while trying to push everyone into electric vehicles that they can’t afford.

And as for the endorsement from the United Auto Workers—let’s be honest, Kamala. They’re worried because your policies are forcing them to transition to electric vehicle production, which requires fewer workers and relies heavily on foreign-made parts. The UAW knows that your green energy agenda is putting their jobs at risk.

So, here’s the bottom line: we need a balanced approach to energy and climate. Yes, we should protect the environment, but we should also protect American jobs and ensure we remain energy independent. Under my administration, we did that. We had clean air, clean water, and low energy prices, all while growing our economy and bringing back manufacturing. That’s what we’ll do again.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, thank you.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

Thank you.

DAVID MUIR: The time has come for closing statements. And Vice President Harris, we begin with you.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So I think you've heard tonight two very different visions for our country. One that is focused on the future and the other that is focused on the past. And an attempt to take us backward. But we're not going back. And 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. 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. I believe in what we can do together that is about sustaining America's standing in the world and ensuring we have the respect that we so rightly deserve including respecting our military and ensuring we have the most lethal fighting force in the world. I will be a president that will protect our fundamental rights and freedoms including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do. I'll tell you, I started my career as a prosecutor. I was a D.A. I was an attorney general. A United States senator. And now vice president. I've only had one client. The people. And I'll tell you, as a prosecutor I never asked a victim or a witness are you a Republican or a Democrat. The only thing I ever asked them, are you okay? And that's the kind of president we need right now. Someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first. I intend to be a president for all Americans and focus on what we can do over the next 10 and 20 years to build back up our country by investing right now in you the American people.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

So, she just started by saying she's going to do this, she's going to do that, she's going to do all these wonderful things. Why hasn't she done it? She's been there for 3 1/2 years. They've had 3 1/2 years to fix the border. They've had 3 1/2 years to create jobs and all the things we talked about. Why hasn't she done it? She should leave right now, go down to that beautiful white house, go to the capitol, get everyone together and do the things you want to do. But you haven't done it. And you won't do it. Because you believe in things that the American people don't believe in. You believe in things like we're not going to frack. We're not going to take fossil fuel. We're not going to do, things that are going to make this country strong, whether you like it or not. Germany tried that and within one year they were back to building normal energy plants. We're not ready for it. We can't sacrifice our country for the sake of bad vision. But I just ask one simple question. Why didn't she do it? We're a failing nation. We're a nation that's in serious decline. 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. We have wars going on in the Middle East. We have wars going on with Russia and Ukraine. We're going to end up in a third World War. And it will be a war like no other because of nuclear weapons, the power of weaponry. I rebuilt our entire military. She gave a lot of it away to the Taliban. She gave it to Afghanistan. What these people have done to our country, and maybe toughest of all is allowing millions of people to come into our country, many of them are criminals, and they're destroying our country. The worst president, the worst vice president in the history of our country.