As all eyes turn to Philadelphia for the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Temple College Democrats will be watching live to support Harris and her bid for the presidency.
TU Democrats is hosting its watch party in the Reel Cinema in the basement of the Howard Gittis Student Center. The event will kick off at 9 p.m. and wrap up at 11 p.m.
Follow this page for live updates as events from the watch party unfold.
Live Updates
10:44p.m. EST — A smattering of claps echo as Harris finishes her speech. They chatter angrily once Trump starts his remarks.
10:34p.m. EST — As the debate drags on, the cheers for certain issues grow quieter. Once climate change is mentioned, the crowd has quieter yells than previously. Not many students have left, but more are on their phones and seemingly tired.
10:30p.m. EST — “I think Kamala Harris is putting down some good points, but Donald Trump is obviously not present in this debate,” said Azaliah Sedogo, a freshman criminal justice major. “I am liking how Kamala is talking about how she’s going to reduce taxes, and how she’s talking about how she’s going to change race inclusion in the United States.”
10:25p.m. EST — The crowd laughs as Harris says she is not Biden.
10:24p.m. EST — The crowd snaps and claps at the mention of the Central Park Five as Harris argues against his remarks on her race.
10:14p.m. EST — Cheers erupt as Harris tells Trump that Putin would eat him up.
10:04p.m. EST — As the debate goes to commercial, students in the crowd yell “Kamala won already!”
9:59p.m. EST — Students groan as Trump says “If I were president, it would have never happened.”
9:58p.m. EST — Students seem to have quieted down especially to hear Harris’ remarks. One student yells out, “Why don’t we not talk about this?”
9:57p.m. EST — Students “ooh” as Linsey Davis brings up the Israel-Hamas war, and the crowd goes completely silent to listen to her.
9:51p.m. EST — Not a student has left their seats – some students are even sitting against the wall for lack of space available.
9:44p.m. EST — “I really just hope that information on her gets really more out there,” said Amar Abney, a sophomore criminal justice major told the Temple News. “I really think people just need to be more aware of what she stands for and how that benefits the majority of us.”
9:40p.m. EST — Many students rise as Trump mentions getting shot. They’ve likely won bingo – prizes are little treat bags or cookies.
9:34p.m. EST — One member of the debate watch party has won the bingo.
9:34p.m. EST — “[The abortion comments] felt really juvenile,”, said Lyra Newswanger, a freshman early childhood education major. “He was trying to make stories and villainize something, and its a really uneducated conservative viewpoint, and he’s just unable to fathom what abortion actually means.”
9:30p.m. EST — The entire cinema laughs as Trump says they’re eating dogs.
9:21p.m. EST — The entire cinema claps as Harris finishes her comments.
9:21p.m. EST — With eyes glued to the screen, students nod and snap as Harris talks about the effect of the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
9:19p.m. EST — The entire cinema cheers as Linsey Davis says “there is no state where it is legal to kill a baby”
9:17p.m. EST — Students giggle as Trump says “they will execute the baby”
9:15p.m. EST — Gasps and oohs echo as Trump calls Harris a Marxist.
9:11p.m. EST — Students lose their minds at Harris’ face as she reacts to Trump’s remarks on Harris’ “lack of plan”.
9:07 p.m. EST — Students scream as Trump brings up China- it’s one of the boxes on the debate bingo sheets that were handed out.
9:05 p.m. EST — The reactions to the small businesses tax rebates is palpable- students echo “Clock it!” when Harris says “my opponent…”
9:04 p.m. EST — Cheers echo as Trump and Harris take the stage, and cheered as the two shook hands.
8:59 p.m. EST — “I really hope that [Vice President Kamala Harris] gets to put Donald Trump in his place,” Lourdes Cardamon, a junior political science major and president of Temple Democrats said to the Temple News. “I don’t think a woman has ever told him where he lies ever in his life. I think she’s so talented and such a great speaker, and I don’t think we’ve really ever gotten the chance to hear her speak at this level before, so I’m actually really excited to see her kind of blossom and develop on her own as a presidential candidate versus a VP.”
8:52 p.m. EST — Currently, Mila Ferraro who is a Temple alum political associate for Harris for President, is speaking to the population and advising students about resources available to advocate for the youth vote.
8:50 p.m. EST — Temple Democrats has filled up the Reel, with a handful of seats available left. Signs endorsing Bob Casey, reading “Students for Harris – Walz” and “Trump Kills Jobs” dot the walls of the room.
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