The presidential race took over part of the city center on Tuesday, making the National Constitution Center and surrounding areas inaccessible ahead of the debate between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
While many streets were blocked off, those where people were allowed to gather were full of people supporting or protesting a candidate, or simply trying to bring attention to the cause. Billy Penn’s Nick Kariuki spoke to many of them. Here are some of their stories…
Protests before the debate
The afternoon before the debate, the lawn near the Liberty Bell was packed with protesters, media, and onlookers. A line of Philadelphia police on bicycles lined Market Street, blocking the crowd with the facilitate of an 8-foot, impenetrable fence that had been erected days earlier.
Among those who came to show their support for Trump were Alix Paul and Christina Soll, who were energetic volunteers for Robert Kennedy Jr.’s now-suspended presidential campaign in Bucks and Chester counties.
Paul said she was there to support unity between Trump and Kennedy. She was initially disappointed that Kennedy would not be on the ballot in November, she said, “but that sadness quickly turned to happiness when I saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. show up at the Trump rally and how amazing the crowd was for him, how amazing that moment was, and I knew quickly that this was exactly where we were supposed to be.”
Paul said she thinks Trump and Kennedy agree on many issues, including free speech, immigration, inflation and health care. She would like to see Trump’s environmental policies more in line with Kennedy’s views.
Xavier Reyes, a native Venezuelan living in Northeast Philadelphia, and his family came there to raise awareness of the effects of the recent elections in Venezuelawhere opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez fled to Spain after an arrest warrant was issued by the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office. He wanted to know what the candidates’ position was on overthrowing the current regime of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.
“We had an ally in Trump during the 2018 presidential campaign,” Reyes said. “Unfortunately, the fight we’re fighting, with the support of the Biden-Harris administration, hasn’t been enough pressure on the Maduro regime.”
Protest with a local touch
Away from Independence Mall, some Philly city workers protested at the corner of Fourth and Market streets. The group, consisting of municipal and cultural workersThey weren’t there because of a presidential candidate or an issue, though. Instead, they used the attention of the debate to protest Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration.
“We’re here today because all eyes are on Philadelphia today. There’s a big debate going on and Mayor Parker… wants to show the world that Philadelphia is a great place to live and work, but we want people to know that as employees of the city of Philadelphia, we’re having a hard time,” said Kate Goodman. “We’re struggling at work, we’re fighting for a better contract, and she’s treating us badly.”
The protest came four days after the city announced a one-year contract extension with ASCME DC47, which includes librarians, social workers, supervisors and other city employees. The deal included a 4.4 percent pay raise, $1,400 one-time bonuses and an $850,000 contribution to the union’s Health and Welfare Fund.
Across the street, at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Tali Reiner Brodetski, a member of a diminutive nonprofit called Hope for Israel Alliance, held signs in support of Israeli hostages taken in the Oct. 6, 2023, surprise attack by Hamas militants who remain in captivity or have died in Hamas custody. She said the hostages’ release was a “bipartisan issue.”
“We have to put humanity first,” she said. “These are human lives that are at risk. They are dying. They are suffering, and everyone has to do everything they can to get them out.”
A larger group of pro-Palestinian protesters who initially gathered in front of the city hall arrived at Independence Park at approximately 8:00 p.m. They drove past the National Constitution Center, then headed east on Market and then Chestnut.
Observations of debates
About 100 people gathered in the Lafayette South room at the Kimpton Hotel in Monaco for Young Republicans of Philadelphia‘watch the party, one of many in the city and region.
The venue was within walking distance of the National Constitution Center, where the debate was taking place. Former Senate candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz, Jeff Bartoz and George Bochetto, as well as state Reps. Torren Ecker and Thomas Kutz, attended the event.
“The debate is right across the street from Independence Hall. You can’t ask for anything less,” said Matt Lamorgese, chairman of the Philadelphia Young Republicans.
Jeff Howlett drove all the way from Norfolk, Virginia, to attend the event and see the Fox Nation lineup that showed up, including former Reps. Jason Chaffetz, Pete Hegseth, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Brian Brenberg.
“I hope Trump stays calm and doesn’t get fooled,” Howlett said before the debate began. “I really want to hear what Harris has to say, because she’s hiding.”
During the debate, as Harris spoke, there were shouts of “liar” and “shut up,” boos and groans. An audible groan filled the room as Harris brought up the 2025 Project. Some boos were directed at moderators as they fact-checked Trump on issues including abortion and a discredited story that immigrants ate people’s pets in an Ohio town.
The only time Harris wowed the audience was when she suggested people go to one of Trump’s rallies — though she said the point was to see people leave early.
The entire room thanked Trump for each answer and thunderous applause.
“I think Donald Trump is making his case to the country,” Lamorgese said during the debate. “I think he’s emphasizing the issues that are on the minds of the American people rather than using baseless attacks and smears.”
During the break, the crowd was urged to hold up signs and pose for photos supporting the Trump campaign, and to cheer “fight, fight, fight.”
When the debate resumed, there were gasps in the room as moderator David Muir asked Trump about his previous comments. suggesting that Harris misled voters about her background. That groaning was followed by applause when Trump responded that he didn’t care about her racial identity. Antoine Guess, who was born and raised in Southwest Philadelphia, said he liked the way Trump handled the question.
“He didn’t placate the race story,” he said. “Because as an American and as a black man, I’m tired of hearing that. It’s disgusting.”
At 10:30 p.m., some chatter from the crowd in the back of the room began to compete with the audio from the debate broadcast. But full attention returned to Trump’s final statement, in which he questioned why Harris had not already done what she had promised to do as president while serving as vice president in the Biden administration, to much applause from most of the room.
After the debate, some people at the party said that while their support for and confidence in Trump had not changed, they were surprised by how well Harris performed.
“I think Kamala definitely surprised me. I thought she was going to do a lot worse than she did,” said Delaware County resident Tommy Feldman. “I saw Trump talking a lot… that didn’t shock me. But Kamala definitely exceeded my expectations.”
But according to Jennifer Knecht, the very things that made Trump attractive to his supporters were still there.
“Kamala definitely put a lot of time into preparing, and I think Trump brings a more honest perspective and he’s very charismatic,” she said. “And maybe he didn’t prepare a lot, but that’s what we love about our candidate is that he brings honesty and transparency and truth.”
