AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) – Auburn students of all political backgrounds tuned in to watch the presidential debate on ABC News last Tuesday night, which further informed their election decisions.
This was the first debate since President Joe Biden announced he would no longer be seeking reelection and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.
This was also the first occasion in which Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump officially met, which was acknowledged as both candidates shook hands. However, this period of grace soon ended once the debate started.
“There was a lot of tension in the air at the debate. It was clear that the candidates meant business and had the same goal to make a name for themselves in the election,” said sophomore Thalia Martin.
Not all viewers were impressed with the candidates’ approach. Some felt that the focus on personal attacks overshadowed the discussion on issues important to voters.
“I wish both candidates spent less time attacking the other and would focus more on policy,” said freshman Margot Fite. “Both candidates were very impassioned, which could either be a good or bad thing.”
In addition to the heated exchanges, some audience members noticed a different issue with the candidates’ responses.
“One thing [that stood out to me was that] both candidates avoided answering some of the questions directly at one point or another,” said Martin.
Both Harris’ and Trump’s running mates, Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. J.D. Vance, respectively, will debate on Oct. 1.
