What happened at the Harris-Trump debate? Here are the key takeaways

globalnews.ca:

U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump clashed over the economy, immigration and reproductive rights in Tuesday night’s presidential debate, as both candidates sought to make their case for winning the White House in November.

The contentious face-off, held just days before early voting is set to begin in some states and less than two months before Election Day, was highly consequential for both candidates.

For Trump, he’s seeking to regain his footing after Harris’ last-minute entry into the race erased the lead he enjoyed over U.S. President Joe Biden. For Harris, she had to define herself to voters who are unfamiliar with her record and stance on major issues.

Here are the key takeaways from the debate.

Harris used a question about her plans to improve the economy by saying she would extend the tax cut for families with children and a tax deduction for small businesses, while attacking Trump’s plans to impose broad tariffs on foreign importers as a “sales tax” on everyday goods that the American people will ultimately pay.

Trump criticized the high inflation and the rising cost of living under the Biden administration and claimed the tariffs instead would bring more money back into the country that can boost the American economy.

Trump also pushed back on Harris’ claims that he oversaw an economic downturn during the pandemic, calling the jobs recovered under Biden since then “bounce-back” jobs.

But Harris defended the administration’s approach and promised the country was back on the right track.

“What we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess,” Harris said.

Later, during a discussion on health care, Trump wouldn’t say how he would improve the Affordable Care Act or replace it with a