Yesterday, the first TV debate between Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate lasted 90 minutes with no audience present.

Before the debate officially began, Harris approached Trump, extended her hand, and introduced herself as "I'm Harris." Trump accepted the handshake and responded, "Nice to meet you." However, after the debate ended, both nominees exited the stage in their own directions without shaking hands.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Harris called for a ceasefire in Gaza while supporting Israel's "right to self-defense." She advocated for a two-state solution, rebuilding Gaza, and ensuring Palestinians' safety and dignity. Trump countered, accusing Harris of hating both Israel and Arabs, predicting Israel's disappearance if she were elected, and claiming he’s been accurate in his predictions. Despite Harris’s critical stance on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Gaza humanitarian crisis, she repeatedly affirmed her strong support for Israel. She stated efforts are ongoing to achieve a ceasefire and hostage agreement, though progress is stalled due to escalating conflict.

Border Policy

Trump vowed mass deportations of illegal immigrants and promised to complete the border wall, deploy more enforcement personnel, and increase penalties. Harris, with experience as a border state prosecutor, promised to revive a bipartisan border security bill blocked by Senate Republicans. The bill aims to address border crossings and could grant the president authority to close the border if immigration numbers exceed a threshold.

National Abortion Ban

Trump refused to say if he would veto a national abortion ban bill, implying it might never pass. He responded to claims by his running mate, Senator JD Vance, that he would veto such a bill, stating he hadn't discussed it with Vance.

Tariffs Defense

Trump defended his plan to impose tariffs on foreign imports, claiming they would eventually benefit the U.S. after 75 years, and emphasized his tariff policies during the debate.

Taylor Swift Endorses Harris

After the debate, singer Taylor Swift publicly endorsed Harris on social media, driving at least 337,826 visitors to Vote.gov, a government site for checking voting information. Swift encouraged fans to register and vote early, linking to registration and voting dates in her post. By Wednesday afternoon, her Vote.gov URL had significantly boosted site traffic.

Follow us

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for frequent updates on all things investing.

Have a financial topic you would like to discuss? Head over to the uSMART Community to share your thoughts and insights about the market! Click the picture below to download and explore uSMART app！

Important Notice and Disclaimer:

We have based this article on our internal research and information available to the public from sources we believe to be reliable. While we have taken all reasonable care in preparing this article, we do not represent the information contained in this article is accurate or complete and we accept no responsibility for errors of fact or for any opinion expressed in this article. Opinions, projections and estimates reflect our assessments as of the article date and are subject to change. We have no obligation to notify you or anyone of any such change. You must make your own independent judgment with respect to any matter contained in this article. Neither we or our respective directors, officers or employees will be responsible for any losses or damages which any person may suffer or incur as a result of relying upon anything stated or omitted from this article.

This document should not be construed in any jurisdiction as constituting an offer, solicitation, recommendation, inducement, endorsement, opinion, or guarantee to purchase, sell, or trade any securities, financial products, or instruments or to engage in any investment or any transaction of any kind, nor is there any intention to solicit or invite the purchase or sale of any securities.

The value of these securities and the income from them may fall or rise. Your investment is subject to investment risk, including loss of income and capital invested. Past performance figures as well as any projection or forecast used in this article is not indicative of its future performance.

This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore