One of the most widely-watched political debates of the year saw Metro Vancouverites glued to their screens Tuesday evening.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris teed off on Sept. 10 in their hotly-anticipated first debate in Philadelphia.
While it started with a handshake, the debate quickly saw the Democratic vice president and Republican former president zero in on each other's records.
Harris stayed focused and gave clear answers throughout the 90-minute debate. She also used her face and body to demonstrate when she thought statements from Trump were absurd or wrong, including the former president's unsubstantiated claims that immigrants in Ohio are eating their neighbours' dogs and cats.
Many viewers felt the debate sparked new life for the Democratic party, citing the uneasy performance by then-incumbent President Joe Biden and Trump at the June debate.
Trump said he felt the debate was his finest performance to date. He criticized Harris on the economy and also called her a "Marxist."
Metro Vancouverites weigh in on Trump-Harris debate
While the debate was south of the border, numerous locals tuned in for the U.S. presidential candidate match-up. Many of them commented on the proceedings on social media as the event unfolded, while others waited until it was over.
"They're eating the dogs," was trending in Canada and across the continent early Wednesday, with people commenting on Trump's outrageous claim and sharing clips of debate moderator David Muir correcting Trump on the misinformation.
Local Terri Mooring thanked the moderators for setting the record straight in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Vancouverite Nick Hanley also chimed in on the claim, noting that Trump "lies incessantly" and "rambled and raced like a madman."
A B.C. man wrote that Trump "refers to a hypothetical Harris government as 'Venezuela on steroids,' and then claims he won the election in a landslide, like the leader of Venezuela."
One local said Trump seems "cooked" like a "baked potato."
A Vancouver man wrote that "Trump’s entire world is fantasy. This fits with the model."
Not all local viewers sided with Harris or felt Trump's performance was laughable.
A B.C. man wrote that Trump's best question to Harris was asking why things haven't improved if she's "been in office three-and-a-half years," adding that he believed the liberal bias was unreal.
Still, the lion's share of Metro Vancouverites felt Harris had to keep composed under some challenging circumstances.
With files from the Canadian Press.
