And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country.” With this brief statement, she took the wind out of Trump’s offensive, which rested on accusations against the Biden administration. During the 90-minute debate, Trump had taken repeated jabs at Biden who, he said, led the country to ruin, turning the US into a “failing nation… a nation that’s in serious decline.”

At this point, Harris stepped forward to say, “first of all, it’s important to remind the former president you’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me.” Once again, she clearly and forcefully asserted her independence, stressing that she represented a new generation. I have no doubt that many American voters have been hoping for just this, after growing fed up with the old generation of American leaders who remain stuck in antiquated outlooks.

The millions of demonstrators voicing opposition to Washington’s current policies testify to the US public’s longing for change. The Biden administration’s policy on Israel and Palestine has not been the only source of the anger and frustration driving young people across the US to protest. Healthcare coverage and abortion are also among the hot button issues leading young people across the US to take to the streets. Harris laid out clear views on these issues in the debate in which she, not yet sixty, looked so much closer to the new generation than her 78-year-old rival.

Trump, moreover, compounded his geriatric image with rants that merely led one to question his cognitive abilities rather than diminishing his opponent. “Everybody knows she’s a Marxist,” he said. “Her father’s a Marxist professor in economics. And he taught her well.” He said that Biden “can’t stand her” and that she “hates Israel.” He added, “If she’s president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now.”  He accused her of opening the borders to criminals, murderers, and drug dealers and accused immigrants of stealing pets from people’s homes to eat them.

Harris, by contrast, emerged from the debate as the clear thinker, offering a serious, comprehensive vision that could reassure voters about the future of their country.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly