The first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle commenced on CNN’s Atlanta Stage in June between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. At the time, there was virtually no anticipation of a second debate that was to be held later this year. Not even a month later, things took a sharp turn with Biden dropping out of the presidential race. His unprecedented move came as a beacon of hope for the Democrats, who were losing faith in Biden’s ability to bring the race home, and Harris – the candidate Biden himself endorsed – was propelled into the spotlight, this time not under her role as the current Vice President but as the new Democrat presidential nominee. Trump was now in for a heated debate with a completely new candidate – and the stakes were high.

The Harris campaign gained momentum as soon as it was announced, raising unprecedented funding and support all over the country. However, with much of the public still unfamiliar with the ideas the campaign supports, the Sept. 10 debate became her key opportunity to introduce herself to the country as a potential president separate from the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Trump had to prepare to debate against an opponent poised to challenge him on a wide range of issues. The playing field was uncertain – while the public’s perception of Trump’s policies on economics and immigration seemed to perform better, he underperformed in comparison to Harris’ stances on abortion. To add onto that, both had previously been exposed to the very top of the political scene in the U.S. – Trump as a former president and Kamala as the current Vice President – and the public had strong opinions on their performance.

The debate was held on Sept.10, hosted by ABC News in Pennsylvania, one of the seven swing states that are likely to decide who will become the next president of the United States. With that in mind, the candidates had to answer a variety of questions on the economy, abortion policies, immigration and current global conflicts, all the while being continuously fact-checked by the two moderators and catering to swing voters, who are of crucial importance for both campaigns. Those voters are usually undecided, most times uninterested in both state-specific and national politics, and reluctant to fully rely on the political landscape of the U.S. While there have been critiques on the performance of both candidates, CNN’s flash poll shows that most watchers agreed Harris had outperformed Trump, or at least that Trump underperformed compared to his usual performance, among those who are reluctant to give Kamala her flowers. The two campaigns seem to think so too, with Harris eager to hold another debate in October, and Trump saying it is simply “too late” for another face off. Whether voters will be treated to a second debate or left to make their decisions based solely on the first remains uncertain. Harris could still use more opportunities to solidify her stance as the ‘candidate of change’ and Trump needs to counteract her newfound momentum, but is not certain that another showdown would do the trick. However, one thing is clear – as Election Day draws near and the swing states hang in the balance, both candidates are working overtime to capture the final voters in one of the tightest races for the presidency in recent U.S. history.