Nearly three dozen community members gathered inside the Boyle Heights Beat office Tuesday night to watch the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump.
The 90-minute debate took place inside Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center and showcased Harris and Trump sparring over immigration, abortion, healthcare and the economy. There was no live audience and the candidate’s mics were muted.
For most of the night, Trump was on the defensive, grimacing as Harris provoked him with mentions of his conviction and 2020 election loss. Harris insisted on drawing a contrast between her and her opponent; her facial expressions marked her disbelief with Trump’s remarks.
At Boyle Heights Beat, attendees ate pizza and played a round of debate bingo, marking the number of times the candidates talked about Jan. 6, tax cuts, border control, Project 2025, and inflation.
Paul Medina of East L.A. said he was excited to be among his community to see the two presidential candidates face off for the first time.The 38-year-old watched the Democratic National Convention live at Distrito Catorce and said he had a good time being around like-minded people.
“It’s more intimate and I like watching peoples’ expressions and reactions. It’s a very interesting election and the candidates are going head to head to obviously try and make this country, and this world, a better place,” Medina said.
During the debate, Harris appeared to get under Trump’s skin when she brought up that Trump is a convicted felon. Harris also poked fun at the number of people who leave Trump’s rallies early.
Cynthia Morales, a resident of Boyle Heights, said she enjoyed seeing the vice president on the offensive.
Morales appreciated the live fact checking from the moderators, even if she felt the moderators heavily targeted Trump.
“I feel like they’re not on Donald Trump’s side right now. I feel like they’re shutting him up because he has nothing to prove,” Morales said.
Debate watchers gasped and nervously laughed when Trump repeated a debunked claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets. Trump also falsely claimed that “migrant crime” was up.
Lisseth Sandoval said the former president’s comments about immigrants was the most disturbing part of Trump’s performance. The 35-year-old said it was distasteful to target immigrants because it further isolates the already vulnerable communities.
“That upset me a little bit. That is not the purpose of these debates, and I feel like he was calling out certain cultures … it’s ridiculous. He keeps mentioning these communities and it’s very targeted. It’s bullying,” Sandoval said.
Boyle Heights resident Celina Jauregui, 28, was disappointed with the candidates and left the debate watch party seeking answers.
“Both candidates were playing around the questions. They were not only generalizing but playing this game of who’s to blame,” she said.
Jauregui hoped the candidates would have outlined their plans on issues like immigration and the war in Gaza. She pointed to Harris’ mention of a ceasefire resolution, which she says she’s heard before.
“[Harris] mentioned working around the clock [for a cease-fire]… but I didn’t see a whole lot of answers that specifically outlined a plan.”
As the debate came to a close, residents stayed to chat. Sandoval said the debate was unintentionally entertaining even as the candidates discussed important issues.
She was impressed by Harris’ debate performance but remains nervous about the election outcome.
“If we were not discussing a person (Trump) who has just gone through so much in our judicial system, and gotten away with so much, I would say confidently there is no way he’s going to win,” Sandoval said.
