Insights from the First Trump-Harris Presidential Debate

So there you have it folks, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris just had their first, and quite possibly last, debate before the election on November 5th. 

The pair traded jabs back and forth, discussing a variety of  topics ahead of November’s tight election. Our ears perked up for the substantive national security, foreign policy, and defense issues. Specifically, the candidates discussed the Israel-Hamas war, policies surrounding U.S. trade with China, and the future of U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. 

The below chart, courtesy of The New York Times, gives a helpful breakdown of topics including time devoted by Harris and Trump. All said and done, the candidates focused on the nation’s geopolitical and national security priorities for a grand total of just under 15 minutes. 

Source: The New York Times

Given the complexities of today’s foreign landscape, we’re not sure that should satisfy U.S. voters (nor international observers).  If you were looking to better understand how U.S. foreign policy might shift under either administration, you don’t know much more than you did before tuning into the 90-minute affair. 

For instance, although no questions were specifically structured around the government’s complex and ever-changing relationship with China, we’re certain Sino-U.S. relations will prove to be a pressure point for the next administration. Recent Congressional moves point to the U.S. Government taking a firmer stance on Chinese influence on domestic affairs, and the importance of economic and technological separation between the two nations. 

On the whole, voters learned very few new details about the candidates' specific policy plans, but what they did hear was packaged soundbites. Should there be a follow-on debate, we hope to learn more about their approaches to dealing with the complex U.S.-China relationship, conflict in the Middle East, military modernization efforts, aid to Ukraine, and a whole host of topics which will be critical to America’s global leadership now and in the future.