Voters on a Fox News Digital panel reacting to the debate slammed some of the language Vice President Kamala Harris used against former President Donald Trump.
“Racism and fear-mongering were a big part of her strategy tonight,” one debate voter said of Harris' performance.
The comments come as Trump and Harris enter the final stages of what is expected to be a close campaign, with what could be the only debate between the candidates before Election Day in November.
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images
But one voter was unimpressed with Harris' speech.
Asked to identify specific instances when Harris had “racially baited” Trump during the debate, voters pointed to her comments about the “Central Park Five.”
“I think this is an issue that is particularly important to many African-Americans, but she leaves out a lot of details on that,” the voter said. “The lead prosecutor at the time was a Democrat,” the voter said.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (R) and former U.S. President Donald Trump attend the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
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The voter was referring to debate parts in which Harris accused Trump of having a long history of inciting racism, noting that her family's business was investigated decades ago for refusing to rent to black people and that she called for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, who were wrongfully accused of raping a Manhattan jogger in 1989.
“I think he was gaslighted throughout the debate, which is why he was on the defensive,” the voter said. “When he brought up the issue of race, he did it because she was pandering to him, using her as a metaphor for getting black votes.”
The voter finally argued that Harris did not elaborate on her plans for black voters, but that she would have liked to hear from the vice president on that point.
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris speak during their first presidential campaign debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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“I wanted to see her lean into the fact that, 'Yes, I'm a Black woman, and here's my plan for Black America,'” the voter continued. “But she obviously doesn't have a plan because she's not inherently Black.”
