Trump and Harris Presidential Debate Critique
The recent debate between the current vice president of the United States of America Kamala Harris and the former President of America Donald Trump held in the year 2024 can be used to compare and contrast the skills and the weaknesses of the two debaters in terms of speech delivery and communication nonverbally. This debate was rather significant as both candidates are now equally competitive in the poll ratings, and the stakes outlined rather opposite political agendas for the country.
Overall Debate Critique:
The debate was heated throughout, and Harris was reasonably equipped; Trump, known for his straightforward and provocative statement, did not disappoint. In Harris’ campaign, she tried to come across as the progressive candidate recruiting voters to disregard Trump’s past performances. The topics included reproductive rights, and immigration and that fits into the focus area of future progressive issues. On the other hand, Trump used to spend much time sticking to the events of the 2020 election and trolling about the past presidency. Harris’s speech and Trump’s speech were also crafted with different tones: while Harris was looking to the future, Trump was focused on the past and his achievements. (Bayoumi et al. 2024).
Kamala Harris' Performance:
The way Harris performed during the debate was impressive, especially with the strategy she employed and the use of legal language as a prosecutor. Her answers were also given directly to the camera, which established a one-on-one connection with the voters. This eye contact was a non-verbal clue that indicated that the resource was confident and in charge. Harris felt comfortable when answering questions about the issues that she has been passionate about such as reproductive rights especially now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Further, her raised eyebrows and a look of bemuse every time she reacted to Trump's comments added a level of confidence without coming off as attacking.
Probably her most memorable moment was when she was able to get Trump to talk about the size of his rallies and conspiracies which made him angry and raise his voice. This was understood as a masterstroke in Harris’s strategy to paint Trump as erratic and obsessed with history instead of the future.
Donald Trump’s Performance:
Trump who is famous for his plain language continued with it in this debate and mainly targeted his political supporters. He again and again commented on assertions regarding the 2020 contest and his economic performance. Though his temper rather rose at some times, especially when he asked about matters such as his stance on abortion or the rights of women, or the case of the five black men raped in Central Park. This demonstrated his nonverbal communication during some interactions which included staggering volume and hurried movements which conveyed his discomfort.
Looking at the performance of the two debaters, the moderator and respondent, Trump seemed to be most spirited on issues of immigration especially due to his stand on the issue. Though, he often doubted himself and still answered inappropriately shifting to his issues as well as unrelated stories. His obsession with his previous presidency over a vision for the future could have also held him back in convincing undecided voters.
Conclusion:
In this debate, both candidates had their good and bad moments, but Harris seemed to be winning this round thanks to her calmness and making Trump get defensive. Still, Trump’s performance will likely depict well with his base support, although the performance did not expand on his popularity base. Harris, on the other hand, strengthened her image of managing, skillful and progressive-minded, and, thus, presented her arguments to a new audience. The debate reminded everyone of the different worlds in the candidates’ minds as they gave their perceptions of the future of the United States.
Reference
Bayoumi, M., Davis, B., Green, L., Mahdawi, A., Sunkara, B., & Brown, L. (2024, September 11). Who won Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s first debate? Our panel reacts. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/11/who-won-harris-trump-debate
