POLITICS
“They’re eating the dogs. they’re eating the cats” and other viral moments from the Trump vs Harris debate
On September 10, the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was held, with some controversial statements made.
The first and, as it turned out, only presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was never going to be short on drama, but even by Trumpian standards, it delivered some jaw-dropping moments that have since gone viral. Held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the debate touched on a wide array of critical issues, yet it’s the bizarre and often outlandish statements that dominated the headlines.
The dogs, the cats, and... the confusion?
In perhaps the most bewildering segment of the night, Trump claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s pets. Yes, you read that right. “They’re eating the dogs! They’re eating the cats!” he declared, adding that migrants had begun snatching local pets for food. Trump defended the statement by citing alleged TV interviews with victims of pet theft.
A visibly amused Harris shook her head in disbelief, while moderator David Muir swiftly corrected the record, pointing out that there was no credible evidence for such claims. Yet the former president dug his heels in, brushing off the correction. This peculiar moment has since exploded online, spawning memes, debates, and no small amount of head-scratching. It also triggered real disruption in the community, including violence. You’d think the former president would have learned the importance of words following January 6.
Did migrants really stage violent takeovers?
Trump didn’t stop at the pets. He also painted a grim picture of migrants, alleging that millions were flooding the US from foreign prisons and mental institutions, staging “violent takeovers” of American towns. This, too, was swiftly corrected by moderators and fact-checked afterward. No such takeovers have occurred, and FBI data doesn’t back up claims of widespread violence. Nevertheless, the imagery of marauding migrants set the tone for much of Trump’s rhetoric throughout the evening.
Abortion and Israel comments checked
The debate turned heated when the issue of abortion came up, one of the most important issues in play come November 5. Trump claimed Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, supported “executing” babies after birth, a falsehood he has often repeated at rallies. Harris clarified her position, firmly backing Roe v. Wade but rejecting the bizarre notion that Democrats support infanticide. The exchange was fiery, but the facts? Not so much.
As if the night needed more fuel, Trump turned his attention to Israel, insisting that under a Harris presidency, the country would cease to exist. “If she’s president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years,” he claimed. Harris, rolling her eyes but composed, refuted this with a simple, “That’s not true,” and reiterated her decades-long support for Israel. And yet, as wild as these claims were, they’ve only served to fan the flames of online discussion.
While Trump has refused to get back into a debate or serious political interview since this meeting, some of the comments made on that day in early September will be remembered for some time. How it affects the people’s decision on who lives in the White House for the next four years is something we’ll reflect on another time.