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US Elections 2024

Social media on presidential debate: Harris wins on stage, Trump wins online

Social media users had a never-ending scroll of memes after the Trump-Harris debate in Pennsylvania
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) and US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at presidential debate at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 10 September 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
By Maysa Mustafa
Published date: 11 September 2024 21:41 BST | Last update: 2 months 1 week ago

Immediately after the presidential debate between candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris began last night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, social media platforms became a never-ending scroll of memes - mainly focusing on Trump's accusations and claims. 

Whether it was saying that Harris "wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison" or that six states in the US allow "executing" a baby after it is born, Trump left the public - and social media users - with plenty of content to work with. 

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Another claim that Trump made during a debate on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan was that he told the head of the Taliban "Abdul" to stop killing US soldiers.

"And he said, 'Why do you send me a picture of my house?' I said, 'You're going to have to figure that out, Abdul.'"

This prompted people, including those named Abdul, to insert themselves into the debate. 

While many joked about it, others pointed out that it was a testament to Trump's portrayal of Arabs and Muslims. 

Hide your pets

Another claim that Trump made that sparked a series of viral posts was that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating Americans' cats and dogs, and beheading ducks in Springfield, Ohio, parks. 

Springfield city officials have responded to this claim, saying there is "no evidence" of this accusation against Haitian immigrants.  

Many online say this is an attempt by Trump to fan the flames of paranoia around immigrants coming into the US. 

Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison took to his account on X to state that it is "a racist lie designed to dehumanize Haitian immigrants as savages".

Others found the claim so bizarre that they posted memes. 

The left mocks Kamala

Trump also had specific accusations against Harris herself, claiming she was a Marxist and wanted to "take away" people's guns. Harris denied both of these claims and said that both she and Walz were gun owners - which brought criticism from the left. 

Many users online joked that they wished Trump’s version of Harris was accurate. 

Kamala crowned winner

Although Harris faced criticism online, there was a broad consensus that she handled questions better than Trump, crowning her the winner of the debate. 

For those who are pro-Trump, like Elon Musk, Trump's performance may have been weaker than that of Harris, but there is still a belief that he will bring change.

Although Harris succeeded on stage, Trump has seemingly succeeded in capturing the full attention of the American public and the media – the same way he has in previous campaign runs.

Trump's running-mate JD Vance alluded to this notion in response to a CNN reporter's question about why the Republican candidates are adamant about spreading information that has been debunked online, referring to Haitian immigrants in Springfield.

"I think it's interesting ... that the media didn't care about the carnage wrought by these policies until we turned it into a meme about cats. And that speaks to the media's failure to care about what's going on in these communities. If we have to meme about it to get the media to care, we're going to keep on doing it," Vance said. 

Harris garnered positive feedback for her handling of Trump's offbeat accusations, but still received a lot of criticism from those who were looking to hear more policy talk. 

In addition to stating that she was a gun owner, Harris also doubled down on having the "most lethal fighting force" and her support of fracking.

Aligned on Israel and Gaza

For those who watched the candidates' debate to see their positions on Israel's war on Gaza, little difference could be found between their stances.

Trump attempted to paint himself as a stronger supporter of Israel than Harris by criticising her for not meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited Congress in July because she wanted to go to a "sorority party" instead.

He then repeated a line he'd said at an earlier rally, that if Harris became president, he believed "that Israel will not exist two years from now".

“She hates Israel," Trump added. "At the same time, in her own way, she hates that Arab population."

In response, Harris reiterated her support for Israel's "right to defend itself", condemned the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and advocated for a ceasefire and a two-state solution. 

“I always will give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates to Iran,” Harris said. 

The Abandon Harris Campaign also took to their X account to criticise Harris for her stance on Gaza, and called on voters to "not give [their] vote to anyone complicit in these crimes".

"Kamala Harris cannot claim to care about climate change while endorsing Israel's destruction of Gaza's water, soil and air," the statement read. "Harris cannot champion healthcare while supporting the obliteration of Gaza's healthcare system." 

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