Across the street from the birthplace of our democracy, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met to debate how America’s next chapter will be written. In Philadephia’s National Constitution Center, the first and likely only presidential debate offered an eagerly onlooking nation the first-ever meeting of the two candidates.
Over the course of 90 minutes, viewers saw an emergent Democratic candidate Harris, as the event marked her most significant chance to present herself to voters unsure of her. She demonstrated her vision for a united America in which the economy provides an opportunity for everyday Americans and our country wields the respect of the world. Harris proved herself as the youthful visionary that American politics has been longing for, while Trump fell for every trap she laid. Trump reminded us of a nightmare from America’s past, while Harris envisioned a brighter future for every American.
On the eve of September 11th’s 23rd anniversary, Harris touted her plan for promoting democracy and the values of America across the globe — unlike Trump, who watched the Twin Towers fall and proceeded to proudly proclaim his building the tallest in downtown Manhattan. Under the leadership of Vice President Harris, the United States will honorably defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This includes repelling the Russian advances into Ukraine and bringing peace to the Middle East, as opposed to Trump’s refusal to support Ukraine’s fight against autocracy and the promotion of violence in the Middle East.
One of the strangest moments of the night came when former President Trump regurgitated a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been eating local pets. This disappointing and blatantly false rhetoric is not only damaging to immigrants across the country but has forced Ohio children to miss valuable education because of bomb threats called into their schools. Sadly, this is par for the course that Trump plays even better than his own Trump International Golf Club.
Trump and his allies thrive off chaos, and rather than solving the very real immigration crisis at our Southern border, he coerced Senators to kill the Bipartisan Border Deal. He would prefer to frighten his supporters into believing that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” The former President is a racist whose most formidable campaign tools are his own cluelessness and chaos.
The American people are hungry for a leader who knows that the strength of a country comes from the sum of its parts — one that holds true to the idea that no matter what corner of the world you come from, you can be an American. We need a leader who knows, better than New York’s least favorite son, that America is a shining city atop a hill propelled forward by the glow of Lady Liberty’s outstretched beacon. Steps from the room where the sons of immigrants gathered in 1776 to lay the seeds of our country, Kamala Harris proved that she is that leader.
If you are a Midwestern farmer wondering if the happenings of Washington, D.C. will ever concern themselves with your small town, Kamala Harris will be a president for you. If you are a first-generation American searching for your spot in this American dream, Kamala Harris will be a president for you. If you are a diabetic living paycheck-to-paycheck and rely on more than “concepts of a plan” to survive, Kamala Harris will be a president for you. If you are a first-time voter who looked up at Tuesday’s debate broadcast appalled at Trump’s incoherence and lack of vision, Kamala Harris will be a president for you.
In the shadow of Independence Hall, Kamala Harris laid out her vision for the next chapter in this great American story. Standing on the shoulders of giants, almost in reach of breaking the glass ceiling, Kamala Harris promised that America is not going back.
671 miles away in Duncan Student Center, and all across our country in living rooms, bars and restaurants, we watched as she made this promise. I watched as the College Democrats’ debate watch party had students piled into each other’s laps, in standing-room only and then spilled out into the lobby, all to get a glimpse of our next president. When the two candidates presented their visions, the choice could not have been any clearer. Kamala Harris is the president for America’s future.
Jack Sirianni
senior
political director, College Democrats of Notre Dame
The College Democrats of Notre Dame have agreed, along with the College Republicans of Notre Dame, to write a bi-weekly debate column in The Observer's Viewpoint section in the name of free, civil discourse in the 2024 election cycle. You can reach out to the College Democrats at cdems@nd.edu.
