Trump vs Harris: Did the debate change the race?

Trump vs Harris: Did the debate change the race?

Author: Chatham House September 13, 2024 Duration: 42:33

Tuesday's debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump brought fierce exchanges over immigration, abortion and foreign policy, and showed that America's global role matters in this election. Bronwen Maddox is joined by David Weigel from Semafor and Clare Malone from the New Yorker to discuss what we learned and what to watch in the rest of the race. With them is Heather Hurlburt, associate fellow of our US and Americas programme.

Read our latest:

The Harris–Trump debate showed US foreign policy matters in this election

The US election will take place in a polluted information space

US dollar dominance is both a cause and a consequence of US power

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock.

Read the latest issue of The World Today📕 

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧 

Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Audio clip credit: ABC News Presidential Debate: Race for the White House


Hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Independent Thinking brings the institute’s private deliberations into the public ear. This isn’t a rehearsed lecture series, but a direct channel into candid, high-level discussions typically held behind closed doors. Maddox guides conversations with a carefully selected mix of leading policymakers, frontline journalists, and Chatham House’s own deep bench of experts, focusing on the international political issues that are shaping headlines and rewriting global strategies. The tone is analytical yet accessible, privileging substance and nuance over soundbites. Each episode feels like a privileged seat at a crucial roundtable, where complex topics-from shifting alliances and economic sanctions to climate diplomacy and conflict-are unpacked with clarity and intellectual rigor. Listeners gain a clearer understanding of the forces driving world events, hearing diverse perspectives clash and converge in real time. For anyone looking to move beyond the superficial news cycle and engage with the substantive arguments defining our geopolitics, this podcast offers an essential and thoughtful resource. It’s where informed opinion meets the pressing questions of our moment, fostering a deeper kind of political literacy.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Independent Thinking
Podcast Episodes
Iran war: regional shock or global crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:15
One month on from the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran, governments worldwide are trying to assess the scale of its long-term impact on the global economy and political system. Much will depend on how long the con…
Is Iran one crisis too many for Trump? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
The US-Israel war on Iran is straining Trump's alliances, at home and abroad. Three weeks into exactly the kind of war of choice that he spent years decrying, US President Donald Trump is not getting the amount of intern…
AI wars: Anthropic battles the Pentagon as China plans ahead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:59
The US military's AI provider Anthropic is feuding with the Pentagon after the company tried to impose 'red lines' over the use of its artificial intelligence products for lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance…
Trump's tariffs: Are they here to stay? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:25
The US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump on his first justification for tariffs, but he says he will push them through by other means. On this week's Independent Thinking podcast, our experts analyse why…
Rubio to Europe: A softer tone than Vance. But same message? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:02
In a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking podcast recorded at the Munich Security Conference 2026 over the weekend, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and R…
Oil, regime change, and what's next in Trump's MAGA playbook? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
After the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, our analysts discuss where in the Western Hemisphere US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio may turn their attention to next. Host Bronwen Maddo…
UK in China: Hard choices between rival superpowers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:32
Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Ben Bland, head of our Asia-Pacific Programme, and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China. They discuss the opportunities and risks of closer engagement between the UK and China, and…