As the high-stakes debate in Philadelphia got underway on Tuesday night, Vice-President Kamala Harris strode across the stage, navigated around a lectern, and extended her hand in greeting. "Kamala Harris," she introduced herself to former president Donald Trump. This marked their first in-person encounter, and Harris compelled her opponent to shake hands, a gesture he had notably avoided with her predecessor as the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, in June. Throughout the debate, the two candidates frequently relied on body language, tone, and demeanor rather than policy positions or talking points to engage each other.
"It was a power move," remarked body language expert Mark Bowden, commenting on Harris' initiative to shake Trump's hand. "I don't think he was expecting that." The vice-president maintained a highly expressive demeanor throughout the evening, frequently raising her eyebrows, laughing, and appearing incredulous as Trump spoke. These moments were swiftly captured and shared by her supporters on social media. At times, she looked at the Republican nominee with a quizzical expression and pointed out that his statements were "not true."
Trump, for the most part, maintained a serious expression, occasionally smiling with pursed lips or shaking his head. He also accused Harris of spreading falsehoods, stating, "There she goes again. It's a lie." Both candidates frequently raised their voices during the debate. Harris, 59, often turned towards her opponent as she spoke, at one point even appearing to reprimand him. Trump, 78, predominantly kept his gaze straight ahead.
"Their approaches were very different," noted behavioral scientist Abbie Marono. "He didn't address her; he didn't orientate toward her when he was speaking... She was a little antagonistic towards him, but she was also very emotionally responsive towards him." Trump attempted to turn the tables on Harris when she interrupted him, telling her to wait because he was speaking. "Does that sound familiar?" he asked, seemingly referencing her 2020 debate with then vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence, whom she had rebuked for similar interruptions.
Harris frequently returned to her talking points, reiterating policy proposals related to housing and small businesses and calling for the country to "turn the page" on Trump. "It's obvious that she's memorised things," commented Lillian Glass, another body language and communications expert, who felt Harris came across as inauthentic. "She speaks in staccato."
Trump's aggressive style has had mixed effects on his debate performances. His personal attacks during the 2016 Republican primary and the general election against Hillary Clinton propelled him to the nomination and the presidency. However, his 2020 debate against then former vice-president Biden, during which he repeatedly interrupted, backfired, alienating exhausted viewers. In his June debate with President Biden, 81, Trump adopted a more disciplined approach, though Biden's multiple stumbles heightened concerns about his age and contributed to his decision to withdraw from the race.
On Tuesday night, Trump focused more on attacking Harris' policies rather than resorting to personal attacks. However, he continued to criticize Biden, prompting Harris to emphasize that she was now his primary opponent. "You're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me," Harris stated. The vice-president repeatedly sought to provoke Trump. She brought up the topic of rallies, a sensitive issue for the former reality television host, and Trump took the bait, falsely suggesting she was paying people to attend her political events.
"She is very clearly intentionally getting under his skin. He is unable to control himself. You can see when she lobs something out there and he just grabs it and goes full unhinged around ridiculous issues," observed Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, a left-leaning political action committee focused on Black voter mobilization and engagement. At the end of the debate, both candidates, dressed in dark suits and American flag pins, exited the stage. They did not shake hands again.
