Donald Trump Paints a Grim Picture of America

In a remarkably controversial debate between former President Donald J. Trump and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump painted a grim picture of the United States, often based on false and debunked claims. Throughout the 90 minutes of the confrontation, Trump's loud and aggressive rhetoric dominated, distracting him from his main concerns and making him appear somewhat out of control at times. Instead of confronting the Vice President with the policy decisions of President Biden's administration, Trump became enraged and depicted an America overrun by crime and dangerous, illegal immigrants. These immigrants, he falsely claimed, were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. "In Springfield, they are eating the dogs," he said. "The people who have arrived there are eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people living there." Trump predicted a bleak scenario for the USA, dating it back to the time of his departure from office three and a half years ago. He warned of an impending Third World War and claimed that the nation has been in crisis since his departure. The debate became particularly heated on the topic of abortion. Trump claimed that some states with Democratic governors supported the execution of babies after birth, which is factually incorrect since no state allows infanticide. Since announcing his first presidential candidacy in June 2015, Trump has repeatedly used fearmongering and demagoguery, especially regarding immigration. This strategy always found a receptive audience, winning him the election in 2016, although he failed in 2020. At his first inauguration in 2017, he spoke of "American carnage" and remained true to his dramatic rhetoric in this debate.