Voters in Pennsylvania are taking stock of what both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris said during a contentious debate in Philadelphia earlier this week. While Andrew Wallace, a registered Democrat who had previously supported Trump, said he is leaning toward Trump after watching the debate, one undecided voter in Pennsylvania told NBC News that they are unsatisfied with both candidates. Lynne Kelleher said she was turned off by Trump talking “in such extremes” while Harris spoke with “great taglines” but little detail.
Before the debate, several Allegheny County voters told local media the issues that matter, ones they want to hear about during the debate, were the economy, taxes, secure borders.
Among a group of Carnegie Mellon students, many were supporting Harris. One student said that while she thought Harris was the victor on Tuesday evening, both Trump and Harris were “deflecting” in their answers and not directly addressing the questions.
Kay Earnst, a previously undecided voter from Pennsylvania, told Scripps that despite Harris having “definitely won” the debate, Trump was better on content, saying Harris’ attempt to paint herself as a prosecutor and “advocate for the victim” isn’t appropriate because she doesn’t “see America as a victim.”
Kevin James of Somerset County told the NY Post he wasn’t pleased with the result of the debate, and it left him even more undecided. He had pointed criticism for Harris who he said had denied her responsibility for the border crisis.
In other parts of the country, undecided voters weren’t convinced by Harris during the debate. Florida entrepreneur Mark Kadish said Harris didn’t elaborate enough details during the debate, telling Reuters “I still don’t know what she is for.” Others told The New York Times that Harris didn’t do enough to distinguish herself from the unpopular incumbent President Joe Biden.
Pennsylvania’s undecided voters were keenly interested in the debate. According to Neilson ratings, the Pittsburgh area had the highest ratings among metropolitan areas in the country for viewership, with Philadelphia following closely behind the Steel City.
