Butler-area residents react to Harris-Trump debate
The long-awaited debate between presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump sparked a variety of reactions from residents of Butler County on Wednesday.
Many voters agreed with Bob Rihn that the 90-minute debate touched on topics important to residents of Butler and surrounding counties.
“I think all the issues were covered last night,” the Gibsonia resident said, “but whether they were addressed with a response that people wanted to hear is another question.”
James Hulings, chairman of the Butler County Republican Committee, said he felt the debate touched on a number of important issues, particularly the border, the economy and abortion.
“But I would have liked more time for discussion of the economy and the candidates’ proposals,” he said.
Sarah Anderson, of Lower Burrell, agreed.
“I wanted to hear more details from both candidates,” she said. “It was a lot of platitudes, on both sides. Don’t just say what the policy is, but explain why you have that position.”
Butler County Democratic Committee Chairperson Catherine Lalonde agreed that the economy is a top issue for the area’s voters, along with immigration, abortion and health care.
“The economy is the biggest issue, and always the biggest issue,” she said, pointing to Harris’ plans to support homeownership and cutting regulations as two policies that can benefit the region.
In light of the heated political environment, some voters were reluctant to share their reactions to the debate, citing concerns related to relationships with neighbors, colleagues or customers.
“Kamala Harris didn’t answer the question about whether her constituents are better off than they were four years ago,” Adams Township resident Larry Henne said. “I would like to see the candidates answer questions instead of playing political football.”
Henne added education and public safety to the list of topics of concern to Butler-area residents — issues that did not receive much attention in the debate.
Trump supporter Joan Rihn, of Gibsonia, said she feels the former president was not given the opportunity to provide information regarding his long-term plans for the economy and the border.
“But I wish he hadn’t gone into the dog and cat thing,” she said, referring to false claims about the actions of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
ABC moderator David Muir corrected Trump, pointing out Springfield officials had said the stories are untrue.
Hulings said he was disappointed with the moderators, echoing the concerns of Rihn and other voters.
“If the moderators are fact-checking the candidates, they should have also corrected false claims by Kamala Harris,” he said, citing the vice president’s statements tying Trump to the controversial Project 2025.
Not everyone watched the debate.
C.J. Hill, a veteran originally from eastern Pennsylvania, said he did not tune in because he did not expect to learn anything new from Tuesday’s debate.
“It’s a dog and pony show,” he said. “They don’t talk about anything. They just go to badger each other.”
News reports following the debate, he said, confirmed his expectations.
Jennifer Snider, of Butler, who also did not tune in, said that she would like to see a different type of presidential debate.
“I’d like to see a debate with two presidential candidates that truly take the issues seriously,” she said.
Some voters said they are frustrated with the tone of political debates.
“I wanted to hear less arguing,” Anderson said. “Candidates need to focus on the issues.”
Still, there is a value in having a platform for discussion.
“We will see how the media analyzes the debate,” Hulings said. “I hope they do so in a fair way.”
Though pollsters will gauge the impact of the debate in the coming weeks, many voters were not swayed.
“I’m loyal to what I feel, so it didn’t influence my position,” Anderson said. “But any time I see a debate, it opens my eyes to both sides.”
