PHILADELPHIA—Ahead of the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania’s undecided voters want the candidates to discuss the economy, border security, and abortion to help them decide how they will vote.
Trump and Harris will meet at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. It is the second debate of the 2024 campaign, following Trump’s face-off against President Joe Biden in Atlanta on June 27, with the latter dropping out of the race in July. The Epoch Times spoke with several voters in Pennsylvania who are not yet committed to any candidate to understand how Trump or Harris could persuade them.
Asked what issue she'd like to hear debated, Cyndi McGuinn said, “[It’s] women’s rights [to abortion], obviously. ... That’s huge right now.” An undecided voter from the Philadelphia suburbs who works at a Whole Foods store, McGuinn added that foreign policy, specifically the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, would also be important.
McGuinn believes Harris is doing a better job at addressing those issues. Harris has made access to abortion a central argument of her campaign, vowing to sign a law that grants abortion access nationwide—pre-empting bans in conservative states—and to use the federal government to enhance abortion access.
Other voters reported concerns about domestic policy and Harris’s agenda that have prompted them to consider voting for Trump.
Lucera was also concerned about government spending and the national debt. She wanted candidates to describe their plans to reduce the deficit and avoid further spending. “Our deficit is out of [control]. ... It’s ridiculous now. Where’s this money coming from?” she said.
Border security was a common concern among undecided voters who spoke with The Epoch Times, though not everyone was convinced that Harris had failed on the issue.
“I do care a lot about border crossings ... [but] I’m leaning 90 percent towards Harris,” said Carolyn McIntyre, a voter from Bristol, Pennsylvania.
She expressed concerns about Trump’s personality.
“I always voted Republican until Donald Trump came along,” McIntyre said. “On paper, a lot of his things look good, but once you put him and who he is into the equation, it changes everything.”
She specifically mentioned Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021—when he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election—as a basis for her objection to him. His behavior during the debate would be a factor in her decision, she said.
Gun control was on voters’ minds, as well, after a Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, in which a 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, killed four people. McIntyre said she agreed with the Second Amendment but wanted to hear about stricter gun control measures.
“We need to have incredibly stronger background checks [and] red flags,” McIntyre said. “Responsible gun owners need to be investigated, also, because a lot of them are not responsible. They’re not locking their guns up. Their 14-year-olds are getting them,” she said.
Harris has called for more background checks and stricter regulations on the sale of firearms, and has criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for rulings that limit states’ gun regulations. Trump has largely opposed more gun restrictions.
Nearly all voters, including those who have decided on their candidate, said the economy, especially the cost of living, was a subject they wished to hear.
“The economy would be one very important [issue],” said David Zane, an undecided voter from Salem, Pennsylvania. Zane spoke highly of Trump’s performance on the issue but was considering voting for Harris so she may become the first woman president.
“[Trump] seems to know what he’s doing,” said Zane, who voted for him in 2020. “We always need change. ... It’s about time [for a woman president].”
Trump and Harris’s campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Epoch Times plans to contact the named voters after the debate for their views on Trump and Harris’s performance.
