Kamala Harris and Donald Trump joined hands at New York’s 9/11 memorial on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the attacks, putting politics aside for a moment just hours after clashing in a fiery presidential debate.
The solemn display of unity was a stark contrast to the previous evening, when the Democratic vice president forced a flustered Republican former president on the defensive in a fiercely televised contest.
The sense of goodwill generated by the memory of the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks may not last long, as the US election remains in jeopardy with less than eight weeks to go, even though polls show Harris winning by a landslide.
Trump, 78, had claimed without evidence in an interview with Fox News before the ceremony that the ABC News debate in Philadelphia was “rigged” against him.
“It was a rigged deal, just as I expected, because when you looked at the facts they were doing everything right, but they weren’t doing anything with him,” he complained – referring to the operators’ reaction to some of his blatant false statements.
The debate was watched by 57.5 million Americans, according to preliminary data from ratings agency Nielsen — far more than the 51.3 million who watched the disastrous showing in June that nearly led to President Joe Biden dropping out of the race.
Trump appeared to be in two minds about the Harris campaign’s call for a second debate. He first said on social media “Why would I debate again?” but later said he was open to two more debates.
– ‘Stand in solidarity’ –
Though the two rivals kept their animosity hidden at the Ground Zero memorial, an extraordinary encounter also involved the outgoing president.
Biden, 81, watched as Harris and Trump shook hands for the second time in the space of a few hours – their first such greeting, an unexpected initiative by Harris at the start of the debate.
Afterward, wearing a blue memorial ribbon, they watched as the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks on the Twin Towers were read out.
“We stand in solidarity with their families and loved ones. We also honor the extraordinary courage they displayed in helping their fellow Americans on that fateful day,” Harris said in a statement.
He and Biden later visited the site in Pennsylvania where a hijacked plane crashed on 9/11, with Trump also visiting later.
During his visit, Biden briefly wore a red “Trump 2024” hat given to him by a pro-Trump firefighter. The photo went viral, but the White House said it was a sign of “unity.”
Biden and Harris later visited the site where another jet was flown into the Pentagon outside Washington in 2001.
– ‘Good job’ –
The serious atmosphere this time around couldn’t have been more different from Wednesday night’s debate.
Both candidates declared victory, but it was Harris, a former prosecutor, who attacked issues including abortion, prompting Trump, a repeated convicted felon, to make angry comments about past grievances.
Trump also promoted a debunked claim about immigrants in Ohio eating pet cats and dogs, which the ABC moderator corrected.
A quick poll by CNN said Harris outperformed Trump at 63 percent to 37 percent, while a YouGov poll said Harris presented a more clear plan at 43 percent to 32 percent.
The US media and commentators broadly agreed that Harris had come out on top – but that this would do little to change a deeply polarised and entrenched electorate.
“I thought Kamala did a good job … and gave us hope,” Tanya James, a retired teacher from Texas, said outside the White House on Wednesday.
However, Florida musician Ikaika Juliano believes the Democratic nominee is “fake.”
Harris, meanwhile, got a boost from pop star Taylor Swift, who offered her endorsement just minutes after the debate. Trump said Swift “might pay a price in the market.”
But this race will remain equal till the last stage.
Harris will leave for North Carolina on Thursday and Trump is scheduled to take the stage in Arizona, two of the half-dozen states that will decide the election.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
