To summarize and score the debate, we utilized our BillBuddy AI system, which has been trained to avoid bias and provide summaries from a neutral point of view. If you utilized BillBuddy during the 2024 RI legislative session, you will probably agree that it does a pretty remarkable job of describing political issues without favoring either side of the aisle. We utilized our BillBuddy system to perform the summary specifically for this reason. Additionally, we provided the debate transcript with all mentions of the candidate’s names and titles changed to “Person D” and “Person K”, to ensure no trained sentiment about the individuals would affect the summary.

The debate featured two candidates with starkly different visions for America. Donald Trump positioned himself as an outsider who would restore American greatness, focusing heavily on immigration, law and order, and economic nationalism. He made frequent attacks on Kamala Harris’s record and character. Harris presented herself as a unifying figure focused on kitchen table issues like healthcare, jobs, and affordable housing. She emphasized her experience and specific policy proposals while portraying Donald Trump as divisive and unfit for office.

Key topics included the economy, abortion rights, immigration, foreign policy (especially Ukraine and Israel), and climate change. Donald Trump touted his economic record and promised to cut taxes and regulations. Kamala Harris’s proposed targeted investments and tax credits for families and small businesses. On foreign policy, Trump advocated an “America First” approach while Harris defended traditional alliances. The debate was marked by frequent interruptions and personal attacks, particularly from Trump.

Key points made by each candidate:

Harris:

• Proposed an “opportunity economy” with tax cuts for families and support for small businesses
• Defended the Biden administration’s economic record
• Pledged to sign legislation codifying Roe v. Wade protections if elected
• Criticized Trump’s immigration policies and defended the Biden administration’s border security efforts
• Supported continued aid to Ukraine and criticized Trump’s relationship with Putin
• Emphasized climate change as a major threat and touted clean energy investments

Trump:

• Promised to rebuild the economy and criticized current inflation levels
• Took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade but said abortion should be left to the states
• Called for mass deportations and stricter immigration policies
• Said he could quickly end the Ukraine war through negotiations
• Downplayed climate change concerns and criticized clean energy policies
• Repeatedly attacked Harris and Biden as incompetent and bad for the country

The debate was contentious at times, with frequent interruptions and personal attacks. Harris accused Trump of lying and divisiveness, while Trump portrayed the current administration as a failure and threat to American interests.

Most bizarre statements by each candidate:

Harris:

• No clearly bizarre statements were made

Trump:

• “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
• “She’s a Marxist. Everybody knows she’s a Marxist. Her father’s a Marxist professor in economics.”
• “I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me.”

Most important statements by each candidate for their voters:

Harris:

• Pledged to sign legislation codifying Roe v. Wade protections
• Supported clean energy investments and called climate change an “existential threat”
• Proposed expanded child tax credits and support for first-time homebuyers
• Defended the Affordable Care Act and criticized attempts to repeal it

Trump:

• Called for mass deportations and stricter immigration policies
• Took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade
• Criticized clean energy policies and downplayed climate change
• Promised to cut taxes and regulations

Top 5 most controversial statements by each candidate:

Harris:

1. “We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history”
2. “If Donald Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now.”
3. “Donald Trump said he was going to create manufacturing jobs. He lost manufacturing jobs.”
4. “The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president would essentially be immune from any misconduct if he were to enter the White House again.”
5. “As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.”

Trump:

1. “They’re criminals. Many of these people coming in are criminals.”
2. “Putin endorsed her last week. Said I hope she wins.”
3. “I got almost 75 million votes. The most votes any sitting president has ever gotten.”
4. “We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic.”
5. “They’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats.”

Top 5 most humorous statements by each candidate:

Harris:

1. “I’m going to actually do something really unusual and I’m going to invite you to attend one of Trump’s rallies because it’s a really interesting thing to watch.”
2. “You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter.”
3. “He will talk about windmills cause cancer.”
4. “People start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.”
5. “World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump.”

Trump:

1. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
2. “I was going to send her a MAGA hat.”
3. “You’ll wake him up at 4:00 in the afternoon, you’ll say come on. Come on down to the office, let’s sign a bill.”
4. “I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me.”
5. “Why did he get 3 1/2 million dollars from the mayor of Moscow’s wife?”

Scoring candidates’ statements and policy promises (0-10 scale) on how positive they would be for the public good if enacted. NOTE: A candidate’s promises made during a debate do not necessarily reflect policies they will put forward once in office:

Environment/Climate Change
Trump: 2
Harris: 6

Police Accountability
Trump: 1
Harris: 4

Economy
Trump: 4
Harris: 6

Human Rights
Trump: 2
Harris: 7

Palestinian Freedom
Trump: 1
Harris: 3

American Jobs
Trump: 5
Harris: 7

American Manufacturing
Trump: 4
Harris: 7

Anti-Corruption and Transparency
Trump: 1
Harris: 5

Universal Healthcare
Trump: 2
Harris: 6

Backing up Promises with a Plan of Action
Trump: 1
Harris: 7

Evaluating the debate moderators:

The moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, generally maintained a neutral tone throughout the debate. They attempted to keep the candidates on topic and within time limits, though they struggled at times to prevent interruptions and crosstalk. The moderators posed challenging questions to both candidates on a range of issues, including their past records and current policy positions. They also attempted to fact-check some statements in real-time, particularly regarding Trump’s claims about immigration and the 2020 election. However, they could have been more assertive in pressing for direct answers when candidates evaded questions or made unsubstantiated claims. Overall, while not perfect, the moderators made a reasonable effort to facilitate a substantive debate and hold both candidates accountable for their statements. The moderators tried to keep the candidates on topic but were not always successful in preventing diversions or personal attacks.

Ratings for moderators (0-10 scale):

Fairness in Questions: 8

• Both candidates were asked about their past positions on issues like abortion and healthcare
• Trump was questioned about his comments on Harris’s racial identity, while Harris was asked about her changing policy positions

Fairness in Correcting False Statements: 5

• Moderators fact-checked Trump’s claims about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio
• They failed to challenge Harris’s claim about creating 800,000 manufacturing jobs or Trump’s assertions about crime rates.
• They could have been more assertive in correcting other false or misleading statements from both candidates

Question Framing: 5

• Questions on abortion and immigration were framed relatively neutrally
• Climate change was presented as an important issue
• Moderators framed the question on Israel-Palestine conflict without mentioning the true Palestinian death toll or the context of occupation.
• They presented economic growth and job creation as universally positive without addressing wealth inequality or environmental concerns.
• Some questions could have challenged mainstream assumptions more, such as on military spending or foreign policy

NOTE: The third major candidate for President, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, was not allowed to participate in the debate despite qualifying for federal matching funds, and qualifying for the ballot in states representing 396 electoral votes.