Kamala stays on offense, Trump went to personal attacks, ABC much tougher on former president

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump began with their talking points, and she threw the first punches.

Asked at the ABC debate by moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis whether the country was better off than four years ago, the VP said she was "raised as a middle-class kid," wants to raise up those voters, she wants to tackle the housing shortage, and has a "passion" for small business. Trump’s plan, she said, was to cut taxes for his billionaire friends and big corporations.

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The former president started on the high road, talking about the tariffs he imposed on China.

But he soon resorted to personal attacks. "Everything she believed four years ago, she’s a Marxist."

And: "She hates Israel." If she wins, "Israel will not exist in two years."

Trump also said of Joe Biden, without substantiation, "He hates her. He can’t stand her."

Trump pushed a completely debunked rumor that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, "they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the pets." Muir said the city manager confirmed there were no such reports.

Trump looked angrier as the debate wore on, with Harris at one point laughing at him. She pivoted between looking at him and the cameras; he barely glanced at her.

"We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic," Trump said, which is, well, debatable.

Harris grew most animated when asked about abortion, and declared that Trump would sign a national abortion ban.

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"You’re going to hear a bunch of lies," the veep said. Pregnant women were being denied emergency care, a 12-year old survivor of incest was forced to carry the baby to term.

Trump said, as he did to me at