Ever since President Biden ended his bid for reelection on July 21, there has been momentum and energy among many coalitions and demographics. Tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, will face off against former President Donald Trump as their first time meeting face-to-face.
The Daily Emerald wants you to help guide our coverage of the race. Fill out the form attached to submit your responses on how you think the debate went. We’ll compile your responses and use them to report on how the election affects students. Tonight’s debate could persuade some undecided voters, or solidify others.
A little about what we’re asking for. We ask students to identify their opinions about the candidates from tonight’s debate, while also being able to analyze what a majority of students are saying about the election.
About the candidates:
Kamala Harris currently serves as the 49th Vice President of the United States. Prior to her tenure, she was a U.S. Senator from California from 2017-2021. She also served as the 27th District Attorney of San Francisco and the 32nd Attorney General of California.
In her 2024 campaign, she has received endorsements from political figures that are from different political spectrums. She has been focused on lowering the costs for middle class families like housing, and preventing more mass shootings in schools.
Harris is now seen as the younger option, and has provided space for anti-trump Republicans to join the camp such as Former Vice President Dick Cheney.
She has also made a big focus on reproductive health care after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Donald Trump, known for being a businessman, served as the 45th President of the United States. He was defeated for a second term by-then Vice President Joe Biden, who now serves as the 46th President of the United States.
He is a convicted felon. On the opposite side of Harris, he has nominated three Supreme Court Justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Trump has also been focusing on immigration, with a plan to finish the U.S. Mexico Border wall. Additionally, he also wants to carry out the largest deportation operation in American history. His focus is stopping the migrant crime epidemic and demolishing the foreign drug cartels.
The debate, taking place in Philadelphia, PA, will start at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Stay tuned for more updates after the debate.