2024 Presidential Debate: Trump vs. Harris on Health Issues

This post shares a summary of the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, from the KFF Health News website and republished by permission.

I watched the first and possibly only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. I was pleased that the moderators asked healthcare questions since the economy, immigration, crime, inflation, and overseas wars are also important campaign topics.

I’m bringing you this in-depth report about the debate from KFF Health News a national newsroom that produces in-depth, non-partisan journalism about health issues.

I have not edited this news report which is reprinted by permission. Posting on this blog does not imply my agreement or endorsement. If you did not listen to the debate, I recommend you listen to a recording before you vote.

 

Trump, Harris Spar Over Abortion Rights and Obamacare in Their First Face-Off

KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs

When Vice President Kamala Harris walked across the debate stage Tuesday night to shake the hand of former President Donald Trump, it was the first time the two had met in person. But that was the rare collegial moment in a face-off otherwise marked by false and sometimes bizarre statements by the former president.

The debate was hosted by ABC with moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, who occasionally fact-checked Trump. He complained on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning that it was a “three-to-one” contest.

The two presidential candidates covered a wide range of issues — from job and inflation numbers to abortion and immigration — in exchanges marked by personal attacks. As our PolitiFact partners noted, Harris often directly addressed Trump while answering the moderators’ questions. Trump mostly stared straight ahead. In response to Trump’s claims about the Biden administration’s record on crime, Harris cited Trump’s criminal conviction in New York and other indictments.

The moderators questioned Trump about whether he would attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare — the health insurance program he pledged and failed to repeal and replace during his previous administration.

He said, if president, he would “only change it if we come up with something that’s better and less expensive.” He went on to say, “There are concepts and options we have to do that, and you’ll be hearing about it in the not-too-distant future.”

Trump has promised an Obamacare replacement since he was on the campaign trail in 2015. He claimed during the debate that he “saved” the ACA by issuing regulations aimed at lowering insurance premiums.

Harris’ previous support for “Medicare for All,” a proposal to replace private health insurance with a government-run health system, drew questions from the moderators and attacks by Trump.

Abortion was a clear flash point. Harris called state restrictions on the procedure enacted since 2022 “Trump abortion bans” and said it was immoral to take away a woman’s ability to make decisions about her own body. She also pledged to sign any bill that would reinstate the protections outlined in Roe v. Wade, which the Supreme Court overturned in 2022.

Trump said that as president he would never face the question of signing a national abortion ban because the issue is now being settled in states. “I’m not signing a ban,” he said. “There’s no reason to sign a ban.”

Trump also resurfaced claims — repeatedly judged false by PolitiFact and other fact-checking organizations — that Democrats support abortions up to the moment of birth and the “execution” of babies after birth. ABC’s Davis flagged Trump’s statement, saying that willfully terminating a newborn’s life is illegal in every state. In addition, the majority of Democrats support abortion access up to fetal viability, when the fetus is able to survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Harris brought up Project 2025, a policy blueprint created by the conservative Heritage Foundation from which Trump has sought to distance himself.

Moments after the debate ended, pop superstar Taylor Swift posted on Instagram that she would be voting for Harris “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” Swift’s post featured a photo of her with her cat and was signed “Childless Cat Lady” — a reference to comments made by JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Our PolitiFact partners fact-checked the debate in real time on a live blog, with more coverage here, as Harris and Trump clashed on the economy, immigration, and abortion.

Excerpts detailing specific health-related claims follow.

Trump: “But the governor before, he said, ‘The baby will be born, and we will decide what to do with the baby.’”

False.

Trump initially referenced a West Virginia governor. He meant Virginia, and corrected himself later in the debate.

Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat and a physician, never said he would sanction the execution of newborns. What he did say during a 2019 radio interview is that in rare, late-pregnancy cases when fetuses are nonviable, doctors deliver the baby, keep it comfortable, resuscitate it if the family wishes, and then have a “discussion” with the mother.

The issue is that Northam declined to say what that discussion would entail. Trump puts words in the then-governor’s mouth, saying doctors would urge the mother to let them forcibly kill the newborn, which is a felony in Virginia (and all other states) punishable by a long prison sentence or death.

Trump: “Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative, they all wanted [abortion] to be brought back to the states where the people could vote.”

False. 

The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision inspired legions of supporters and opponents. Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it in 2022, numerous legal scholars wrote briefs urging the court to uphold the ruling.

Some legal scholars who favor abortion rights have criticized the 1973 ruling’s legal underpinnings, saying that different constitutional arguments, based on equal protection, would have provided a stronger case. But legal experts, including some who held this view, said those scholars would not have advocated for overturning Roe on this basis.

Trump: On the Affordable Care Act, “I saved it.”

False. 

During 2016, Trump campaigned on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. While president, he sought to repeal the measure — and failed.

But his administration pursued various policies that hindered its reach and effectiveness, including cutting millions of dollars in advertising and outreach funding. He cut subsidies to insurance companies that offered coverage on the exchanges. He also took regulatory steps to permit less expensive and less comprehensive health coverage — for example, short-term health plans that didn’t comply with the ACA.

During the Trump administration, ACA enrollment declined, and the number of uninsured Americans rose by 2.3 million from 2016 to 2019, including 726,000 children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Trump: Harris “wants everybody to be on government insurance” for health care.

This is misleading.

Harris once co-sponsored a bill to expand Medicare to Americans of all ages, but she does not currently support this proposal.

In April 2019, Harris became one of 14 original co-sponsors of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The legislation would have established a national health insurance program administered by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

The bill would have created an automatic, federally run health insurance program for all Americans, which would mirror the socialized medicine systems in such countries as the United Kingdom.

Harris backed the bill when she was preparing to run in the 2020 presidential primaries and many candidates believed that Democratic base voters wanted the most liberal positions possible.

However, Medicare for All failed to advance to a vote in the Senate. After her 2020 candidacy ended, Harris focused instead on bolstering the ACA as opposed to pushing for Medicare for All.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

Subscribe to KFF Health News’ free Morning Briefing.

Exploring the HEART of Health

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I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

Simply September

September marks the end of summer and the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Labor Day is celebrated in the US, honoring workers’ contributions. Grandparents’ Day and Constitution Day are also observed. September 11 is a solemn day that changed the world. It’s also a month to recognize and honor women physicians.

updated August 29, 2025

September feels like we’re in the home stretch of the year, two-thirds of the way through. On the 30th day, the year’s third quarter ends. ( What other months have only 30 days?)

Where I live, the daylight hours are getting shorter and the first day of autumn occurs. Vacations end, school resumes, and life returns to a routine.

(This post has several affiliate links; I hope they help you find information and inspiration and help me fund this blog by the commission they will generate. )

graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, resource for stock photos and other media

Labor Day-September 1

In the United States, we observe the first Monday in September as a federal holiday, Labor Day. Unlike other holidays it does not honor a specific person or historical event. Nor does it have religious significance.

According to the United States Department of Labor (who ought to know)

Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.

dol.gov

FYI- The cover photo is from the Department of Labor Flickr stream

Many celebrate Labor Day by not laboring, at least not at a job. Some communities have parades and friends and families gather for picnics, sporting events, or just relaxation.

Otherwise, not much happens on Labor Day except in a book and a movie by that name, and I reviewed both in this post.

Labor Day, the holiday and the book

In this post I review the book Labor Day by Joyce Maynard . It explores an unexpected and transformative weekend for a 13-year-old boy named Henry, his emotionally fragile mother Adele, and a mysterious man named Frank.

Keep reading

Grandparents’ Day-September 7

Another un-holiday is Grandparents’ Day, the second Sunday in September.

I think the only people who celebrate it are grandparents. Compared to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, this day qualifies for a Bronze medal by default. (that is, comes in third place)

Exploring the HEART of Grandparenting

This post discusses the significance of grandparenting and the impact it has on children’s well-being. In an interview, Dr. Aletha shared her ir experiences and insights as a grandparent, highlighting the role grandparents play in creating lasting memories and passing on traditions. Practical advice on caring for grandchildren is also provided, emphasizing safety and health.

Keep reading

Remembering history-September 17

One of the most important days in United States history is September 17. We should consider it the most important day.

What about July 4th, Independence Day, you’re thinking. On that day the 13 North American colonies declared independence from England. But on September 17, the colonies became the United States of America.

September 17 is called Constitution Day.

This day honors the creation of the United States government in 1787 as outlined in the Constitution. They started it with this preamble.

We the People of the United States, in Order to

  • form a more perfect Union,
  • establish Justice,
  • insure domestic Tranquility,
  • provide for the common defense,
  • promote the general Welfare, and
  • secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The question of what is and isn’t “constitutional” creates heated debate, but that debate is protected by the Constitution-and that’s something to celebrate.

Freedom of speech was not specified in the original constitution though. That and our other rights were added later by amendments to the Constitution. The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights.

To “celebrate” Constitution Day, I suggest reading the full text. It’s not as long as you think. Here is the link. The original copy has been preserved and you can see it at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

The Constitution of the United States

The day is also called Citizenship Day, an event I celebrated in a post about attending a naturalization ceremony. It has a long history but here is a short version.

In 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill linking the two events. He proclaimed

“It is most fitting that every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should on September 17 of each year give special thought and consideration to his rights and responsibilities under our Constitution.”

In 1956, the event was expanded when President Dwight Eisenhower included Constitution Week—observed from Sept. 17-23—in his annual proclamation.

9/11/2001

One of the darkest days in United States history, as well as the rest of the world, is September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists. The country and the world have not been the same since.

Remembering 911 in literature

photo by Dr. Aletha on a trip to Washington, DC.
I wasn’t expecting to fly right over the Pentagon, and almost missed this shot.

Pieces Falling: Navigating 9/11 with Faith, Family, and the FDNY

by Ann Van Hine

“Ann Clark Van Hine, aka Miss Ann, was born in Oxford, England but grew up in Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, New Jersey and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Ann is the mom of two grown daughters, the widow of an FDNY firefighter, a retired small business owner, a docent with the 9/11 Tribute Museum, a published writer, Children’s Ministries volunteer, and a breast cancer survivor.

Since September 11, 2001, Ann has had numerous opportunities to share the story of God’s presence and peace as she navigated “a personal loss in the midst of a national tragedy.” She has shared her story all over the USA and internationally in Ireland, Belgium, England, and Japan. Ann is available to speak.”

Read a sample here. (This is an affiliate link to earn a commission.)

Women In Medicine Month

The American Medical Association recognizes and honors women physicians in September. I mention several women physicians in this post.

Working Stiff -a book review to remember 9/11

When she applied for a position in New York City at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), Dr. Judy Melinek never imagined that decision would plunge her into the nightmare of September 11, 2001. She was at the ME office that day when the Twin Towers were attacked and fell, killing thousands…

Keep reading

exploring the HEART of health

September has 30 days, as do April, June, and November.

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha
myReader Rewards club- photo of woman on a bench reading a book

My Reader Rewards Club is a great way to earn free books and Bibles for yourself, friends, and family! Your journey to earning free faith-based products starts HERE.
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