Harris vs Trump Debate: The best verbal punches from the encounter

In a heated presidential debate on Tuesday, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris put Republican Donald Trump on the defensive with sharp criticisms on issues like abortion limits, his qualifications for office, and his various legal battles. Both candidates were looking for a game-changing moment in their closely contested election.
Following the debate, Harris received a significant boost when pop icon Taylor Swift publicly endorsed her and her running mate, Tim Walz, to her 283 million Instagram followers.Swift’s post gained nearly 2 million likes in just 25 minutes.
Harris, 59, a former prosecutor, repeatedly pressed Trump, 78, who responded with visibly frustrated and false claims. In one exchange, Harris mocked Trump's campaign rallies, accusing him of boring attendees, which provoked Trump to boast about his event sizes before making an unfounded claim about Haitian immigrants.
Harris: “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people.”
-- In response to Trump’s threat to prosecute those who "cheated" in the 2020 election, Harris fired back, pointing to the fact that Trump was voted out of office by a large margin, adding that he is "having a very difficult time processing" his loss.
Trump: "She's going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat."
-- Trump, claiming that Harris' policies have shifted to align more with his own, threw in this zinger about sending her a "Make America Great Again" hat.

Harris: “He talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter.”
-- Mocking Trump's inability to tackle real issues, Harris accused him of focusing on exaggerated or irrelevant topics in his rallies, comparing his rhetoric to discussing fictional villains.
Trump: “Run, spot, run”
-- In a dig at Harris’ economic plan, Trump quipped that it was as brief and simplistic as a children's book, summing it up with “Run, spot, run” — a comment on its supposed lack of substance.
Harris: “Friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.”
-- When discussing Ukraine, Harris criticized Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, questioning his commitment to protecting Ukraine and challenging his so-called "friendship" with Putin, whom she referred to as a dictator.
Harris: "You're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me."
-- After Trump repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden's handling of Ukraine, Harris swiftly reminded him who his actual opponent was in this election.

-- Trump, attempting to accuse Harris of supporting police defunding, remarked sarcastically when he overheard her say "not true" despite her microphone being muted. His comment was a throwback to the viral moment in the 2020 vice presidential debate when Harris famously told Mike Pence, "Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking."