On the evening of Sept. 10, ABC News held the second presidential debate of 2024 in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center with no crowd, moderated by ABC News correspondents David Muir and Linsey Davis. The Republican candidate, Donald Trump, and Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, discussed current issues in America ahead of the election, hoping to sway undecided voters and solidify their campaigns. According to Nielsen Media Data, the debate was viewed by 67.1 million people nationwide.
The presidential candidates began the night by proposing their economic plans. Trump suggested higher tariffs to relieve debt, while Harris focused on the idea of an “opportunity economy,” which focused on the middle class and small business owners. Marin County Republican Assembly president John Turnacliff was dismayed about the prospect of Harris running the United States economy based on her limited business experience. However, he was confident in Trump’s ability to stimulate the economy because of his business experience.
“I know that [Trump] is a successful businessman, and I know that [Harris] does not know business. That’s where Trump brings an aspect that [Harris] cannot. [Harris] talks about doing stuff for the economy, but [Harris] has never run a business,” Turnacliff said.
While Turnacliff was uninspired by Harris’s aspirations, Democratic National Convention delegate, Electoral College member and former San Anselmo Mayor Thomas McInerney found Harris’s economic plan to be on the weaker side of her debate but thought her plan was overall more solid than Trump’s.
“[Harris] supports policies that I believe in, like not having tax cuts for the wealthy and an economic plan geared towards the middle class,” McInerney said. “When asked in the beginning about her economic plan in relation to [President Joe Biden’s]

economic plan, she had some prepared comments about her economic plan, which was fine, but she never really answered the question. Later, she was able to get on her footing, and it was off to the races,” McInerny said.
The debate soon transferred to topics of immigration, where Harris reprimanded Trump for blocking her bipartisan bill, which would have added 1,500 border agents, and Trump advocated for mass deportations. Turnacliff believed that Trump’s immigration plans were more necessary than ever, drawing a connection between mass migration situations and potential problems in Marin.
“[What has happened in recent situations] would be like dropping 90,000 Haitians into Marin. This place would go berserk. This county would go bat-crazy. But that’s what’s happening around this country,” Turnacliff said.
McInerney offered a decidedly opposed viewpoint to Trump’s immigration plan.
“What I heard from [Trump] was nonsense and lies. Lies about migrants eating cats and dogs. [Trump also proposed] doing a mass deportation, which smacks of Nazi Germany. It’s not consistent with what I see for the United States, our history, and what we stand for,” McInerney said.
Abortion is one of the most contested topics coming into this election. Trump took a stance of decision on a state-by-state basis without naming a policy, while Harris tried to emphasize compassion for women and women’s rights.
“I think [Harris] is focused on and keeps emphasizing the importance of the right for women to control their bodies and for parents to have kids. And I think that’s where she comes across as strong as she can. And I think that’s really where she’s drawing [Democrats] the most support,” McInerney said.
Abortion is one of Turnacliff’s lowest priority issues during this election. While Turnacliff wasn’t focused on abortion as a major issue, he found Harris to be dodgy on the subject.
“[Harris] was fudging along from what I heard. I would say I like [Trump’s] position a lot more than her position, but I can’t say I’m in love with it because that’s not a priority for me,” Turnacliff said.
Junior Lucy Howard, a Democrat, thought Harris’s message focused more on the future of all Americans than Donald Trump’s message of bringing back the past.
“[Swing voters] should vote for Kamala [Harris] if they want to have equality for all. She is the one who’s going to be the first Black, female and Indian president. Harris is for the people, whereas Donald Trump is only for himself,” Howard said.
If there was one thing Turnacliff and McInerney could agree on, it was that their preferred candidate won the debate.
“I do think that Trump won. He knows how to read a room. [Trump] knows the audience, the potential voters. Let Trump be Trump,” Turnacliff said. “I think [Trump] was a milder version than before, a milder version than the debate with Biden. I thought he got his points out. I thought he maintained his composure for all the people who did not want him to go wild,” Turnacliff said.
McInerney held a similar view of his candidate.
“[Harris] clearly won. It’s undeniable. [Harris] was able to come across as prepared and presidential,” Mcinerney said. “[Harris] hit her key issues, [Harris] never lost her train of thought. [Harris] appeared strong, and the difference was just night and day with Trump who seemed lost.”