Additional Coverage:
- Kamala Harris’s confident debate performance convinced at least one voter: Taylor Swift (newsbreak.com)
Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing allegations of sexual assault and battery, former Swedbank CEO Birgitte Bonnesen could be heading to prison, and Kamala Harris and Donald Trump had their first debate. Have a great Wednesday!
**Debate Stage:** During last night’s presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris wasted no time making it clear to former President Donald Trump that he’s no longer running against Joe Biden. “You’re not running against Joe Biden—you’re running against me,” Harris declared onstage in Philadelphia.
Throughout the ABC News debate, Harris took on Trump assertively, outlining her vision for America while putting Trump on the defensive about his past performance. The debate was a stark contrast to Trump’s earlier June debate with Biden, which had essentially ended Biden’s campaign and elevated Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Harris and Trump made headlines by shaking hands at the start of the debate, the first such gesture between Republican and Democratic presidential candidates since 2016.
The debate format seemed to play to Harris’s strengths as a former prosecutor, allowing her to go on the offensive. She was particularly compelling on the issue of abortion, highlighting personal stories such as a woman hemorrhaging in a hospital parking lot and unable to get care, and a 12-year-old girl forced to carry a pregnancy resulting from incest to term.
Trump dodged questions on whether he would veto a national abortion ban and made inaccurate claims about abortion “after birth.” Moderator Linsey Davis promptly fact-checked him, clarifying that no state permits killing a baby after it’s born.
Trump struggled to tie Harris to Biden’s administration, which his campaign had aimed to do, managing a weak jab only at the end: “She’s going to do all these wonderful things,” he said. “Why hasn’t she done it?”
It’s uncertain whether there will be another debate between Trump and Harris, as their campaigns have yet to agree on another meeting. However, the debate swayed at least one high-profile voter: Taylor Swift declared her support for Harris on Instagram, criticizing Trump’s use of an AI likeness of her to falsely suggest her endorsement. “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice,” she wrote, signing off as “Taylor Swift, childless cat lady.”
**Emma Hinchliffe**
Email: [email protected]
This story was originally published on Fortune.com.