Nearly 100 Central Michigan University students gathered at French Auditorium Tuesday to laugh, clap, cheer and, most of all, watch, as the major party presidential candidates met for the first time in debate.

Former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic nominee, addressed issues such as the economy, abortion, the war in Gaza, the Russian invasion in Ukraine, immigration and climate change.

Avery Harbison is vice president of Central Votes, a nonpartisan campus organization that put the debate watch party together for CMU students. They said they wanted students to be engaged and educated on the candidates’ values before the election.

“I think it’s important to watch the debate because it gives a very explicit view of what the candidates’ policies will be going in the future,” Harbison said.

Harbison said they were specifically looking forward to hearing candidates address the state of the economy. It is also the voters’ top issue in this election, according to Pew Research Center data.

“Seeing how both candidates address the economy is really important, not to mention it’s something that I think they both are very avid about the opponent’s inadequacy,” Harbison said. “It’s interesting to see how they play that and measure against each other.”

During the debate, Harris said that she is “the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting the middle class and working people of America.”

Harris said that she intends to impose a tax cut for young families of $6,000 and give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses.

Alternatively, Trump said he would substantially cut taxes. He also said that Harris doesn’t have a plan for the economy.

“I’ll create a great economy like I did before,” he said during the debate. “We had the
greatest economy.”

Brayden Wares, a CMU freshman, wanted to hear how the candidates envision the future for the middle class.

“The job that I want will probably be middle-class, so it’s really just important to me,” Wares said. “We don’t need any more inflation. But I think tax cuts would probably help out a lot of people.”

However, Blake Blackhurst, also a freshman, said he believes tax cuts for the middle class, proposed by Harris, would only increase inflation and said that the economy was better during Trump’s presidency.

According to Forbes, inflation was 6% during Trump’s administration and 19% during current President Joe Biden. However, CBS said economists predict that inflation could actually go up if Trump were to serve a second term.

Blackhurst said another issue that also concerns him is the American military strength.

“I think what they both said about Hamas … is an interesting topic,” Blackhurst said. “I feel like they were both saying, try to stop that war.”

When the issue was brought up to the candidates, Harris said that the war in Gaza needed to end.

“We need a cease-fire deal and we need the hostages out,” Harris said. “We will continue to work around the clock on that.

“We must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.”

Trump countered that if Harris was to be president, Israel would be gone.

“I’ve been pretty good at predictions,” Trump said. “I hope I’m wrong about that one. She hates Israel. At the same time, in her way, she hates the Arab population.”

Second-year student Emily Love said the Israel and Hamas war is one of the most important topics for her in this election.

“I knew everyone’s position going into it, but it was still interesting seeing them debate,” Love said. “I have my own feelings about (Harris’s response), but I did expect it to go how it went.”

Women’s access to healthcare and abortion was also a hot topic Tuesday.

Sophomore Emma Apap said reproductive rights are among the most important issues to hear about in this debate.

“It’s quite sickening that some people don’t have empathy towards rape survivors or people who might be having a medical issue,” Apap said. “It’s quite sad seeing that people don’t support reproductive rights.”

Trump said the Democrats have a radical stance on abortion. He said the Democrats believed that “execution after birth is abortion.”

However, there is no state that allows the killing of babies after they are born.

Harris said that Trump wants to impose a full abortion ban, but she will “proudly sign (Roe v Wade protections) into law.”

“A survivor of a crime of violation to their body does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next,” Harris said, adding that, that is immoral. “One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”

Meanwhile, Trump said he believes in allowing abortions in cases of rape, incest or danger for a life of a mother.

The Presidential election will take place on Nov. 5. To learn more about voting, visit Michigan.gov and follow Central Michigan Life online for election coverage every Tuesday.