Plus: Court move of the day
IN TODAY’S EDITION
1️⃣ Six lines from the Harris-Trump debate |
2️⃣ The Intrigue jobs board |
3️⃣ Court move of the day |
Hi Intriguer. How do you judge the winner of a US presidential debate? It’s certainly not based on sensible answers to policy questions alone.
So, is it based on whoever had the most fun? Whoever pulled off the most aggressive handshake? Or, perhaps, whoever gave the best side-eye(s)?
Keep in mind that previous presidential candidates have arguably lost their debates for seemingly trivial reasons, including for checking their watch (George H. W. Bush), sighing too loudly (Al Gore), and being clammy and refusing makeup (Richard Nixon).
We’ll dissect some choice moments from last night’s debate, and how the candidates performed in our top story today.
Brent dips below $70.
The price of Brent (the oil, not some guy) tumbled below the $70 mark for the first time since 2021 yesterday (Tuesday). Downbeat economic figures out of China and the US, coupled with abundant supply from OPEC countries, had already fuelled expectations of an oil surplus next year.
Protests swell as Mexico passes controversial judicial reform.
Mexico’s senate has approved a judicial reform spearheaded by the outgoing president (‘AMLO’), requiring supreme court judges to stand for election. The reform has proved controversial, with critics saying AMLO has sought to undermine Mexico’s judicial independence before his protégé (Claudia Sheinbaum) takes office on October 1. The move has sparked mass protests, diplomatic spats, and investor unease.
Blinken warns of Iranian missiles, reproaches Israel.
Speaking at a press conference with his UK counterpart in London, the US Secretary of State has warned that Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles. Blinken also called for “fundamental changes” in the way the Israeli military operates in the West Bank after the IDF admitted it was highly likely it had unintentionally killed a US citizen at a demonstration last week. Blinken then arrived in Kyiv earlier today (Wednesday) to meet top Ukrainian officials.
China mulls delaying retirement age.
Beijing is reviewing plans to increase the retirement age for state employees amid concerns around its ageing population. China has one of the lowest retirement ages in the world, unchanged since the 1950s: 60 years for men, 55 for white-collar women, and 50 for blue-collar women.
UK economy sees zero growth again.
The UK unexpectedly recorded zero economic growth in July for the second month in a row. The UK’s new chancellor (Rachel Reeves) is warning of tough decisions in her first budget due late next month.
US president to mark 9/11.
Joe Biden is due in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon today for memorials to mark 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks at all three sites.
TOP STORY
Six lines from the Harris-Trump debate
Image credit: ABC News.
So there you have it, folks. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris just had their first – and possibly last – presidential debate. Interestingly, it was also the first time they've ever met – Harris introduced herself with a handshake.
So we've picked six quotes to squeeze the juice out of that pulpy 105 minutes: three from Harris, three from Trump, and all focused on how they propose to approach the world from the Oval Office.
Voilà:
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“If she doesn't like 'em, they should have gone out and immediately cut the tariffs” – Trump
Harris had criticised Trump's proposed 10-20% blanket tariffs on imports as effectively being a sales tax contributing to US inflation. So Trump’s above point in response was that the Biden administration has kept (and expanded) his own earlier tariffs on China. And maybe that's a semi-nice, semi-bipartisan starting point here – everyone in DC seems to concur on the US needing a tougher approach to the way China trades. The disagreement is really in the details.
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"He ended up selling American chips to China to help them improve and modernise their military" – Harris
Harris was highlighting by contrast the Biden administration's escalating tech export controls, which (as we wrote on Monday) China may now be circumventing. In response, Trump noted that most chips are made in Taiwan (Intriguers will know they're also made with US tech, which is mostly how US law gets involved).
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"Iran was broke under Donald Trump… Iran had no money for Hamas, or Hezbollah or any of the 28 different spheres of terror" – Trump
Trump was referring here to his policy of 'maximum pressure' on Iran, and arguing that Biden's back-channel steps to re-engage Iran on its nuclear program simply empowered Iran to throw more money at groups like Hamas that attack Israel, a US ally. In response, Harris reiterated her pledge from the DNC last month that she’ll “always give Israel the ability to defend itself”.
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"Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favour?" – Harris
Harris was claiming here that Trump's plan to end the Russo-Ukraine war is really just a plan to give up. “And that’s not who we are as Americans”, she said. Her point was that, if Putin was to win, Russia's next stop would (again) be Poland, a US ally. And wouldn’t you know it, but there are apparently 800,000 folks with Polish ties living in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.
For his part, Trump wouldn't be drawn on direct questions around whether he wants Ukraine to win. Instead, he reiterated his claim that he wants the war to end.
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“These people did the worst withdrawal and, in my opinion, the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country” – Trump
This was Trump's description of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, reiterating his assertion that it also inspired Putin to invade Ukraine, "because they saw how incompetent [Harris] and her boss are." In response, Harris said Trump negotiated the withdrawal deal directly with the Taliban, even invited the Taliban (a listed terrorist group) to Camp David, and that with the US now out of Afghanistan, fewer US soldiers were now losing their lives abroad.
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“It is well known he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong-un" – Harris
North Korea barely rated a mention. Rather, Harris was citing Kim (and Putin) as evidence that "these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they’re so clear they can manipulate you with flattery and favours." Trump's response? Referring to Biden and Harris, he said "the leaders of other countries think that they're weak and incompetent, and they are."
Of course, we're barely scratching the surface here. Responding to questions, Trump also reiterated his claims about the last election, and dismissed his legal cases as politically motivated, while Harris had to play defence on immigration.
But the only thing more surprising than the number of questions about geopolitics was the way the two candidates occasionally flipped the script: Trump mused about sending Harris a 'MAGA' hat, and Harris invited viewers to check out a Trump rally for themselves.
INTRIGUE’S TAKE
Let’s take a quick look at the three obvious questions that come next:
First, who won? The initial market and survey responses are on balance suggesting it was Harris (last time they gave it to Trump over Biden).
Second, will we see another debate? Presumably feeling good about the night, it only took the Harris campaign an hour to announce she's ready for round two. And Trump’s supporters have voiced frustration at the fact-checking by moderators, so he may well feel an urge to go again.
Third, will this debate change anything? Absent something spectacular like, say, a candidate dropping out (!), any single debate is unlikely to alter the election's trajectory. Hilary Clinton was mostly deemed the winner of all three debates back in 2016, but remember who won the election that year?
Anyway, let's all agree on one thing: America's role in the world is a campaign issue that impacts everyone, so it was good to see it featured way more this time around.
Also worth noting:
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Shortly after the debate concluded, pop star Taylor Swift responded to an AI deepfake of her endorsing Donald Trump, by outlining her decision to vote for Kamala Harris. She concluded by noting, "your research is yours to do, and the choice is yours to make."
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MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE…
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🇵🇰 Pakistan: Local media outlets are reporting that tests have found an oil and gas deposit within Pakistan’s territorial waters, large enough to “change the country’s destiny”. Pakistan is currently dependent on both imported oil and LNG.
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🇬🇷 Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a series of policies aimed at protecting some of Greece’s most popular destinations from over-tourism. The proposed measures include a $22 fee for cruise passengers and an increased tax on short-term rentals.
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🇵🇭 Philippines: Local authorities have arrested a high-profile friend and spiritual advisor to former president Rodrigo Duterte on child-trafficking charges, including in the US. Apollo Quiboloy denies the charges and handed himself in after a 16-day manhunt across his vast compound.
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🇪🇨 Ecuador: A Canadian mining company, Solaris Resources, is relocating its HQ to Ecuador as it develops a major copper project there. The move comes after Canadian authorities forced Solaris to terminate a $130M investment from a China-based firm, citing concerns around China-based investments into Canadian critical mineral assets.
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🇰🇪 Kenya: A Kenyan court has suspended a deal to cede control of the country’s main airport to Indian conglomerate Adani Group, following intense local backlash. Adani would add a second runway and upgrade the terminal at what is one of Africa’s busiest hubs, but critics say the deal would cost jobs and deny Kenyan taxpayers future airport profits.
EXTRA INTRIGUE
Just a few jobs we thought you might like…
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Director, Global Trade @ BMO Bank in San Francisco
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Senior Social Media Manager @ International Crisis Group in Brussels
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Advisor, Strategy @ ADNOC in Abu Dhabi
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Major Gift Coordinator @ Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C.
COURT MOVE OF THE DAY
The effects of coral bleaching. Credits: The Ocean Agency
If you look up the definition of ‘small but mighty’ you might find that several Pacific Island nations fit the bill.
On Monday, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa filed a proposal for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to recognise ‘ecocide’ as a punishable criminal offence. That’d allow the court to prosecute individuals for unlawfully destroying nature, much like how it currently prosecutes warlords and leaders for war crimes.
Only a handful of states around the world have listed ecocide as a crime in their domestic law, ranging from Russia and Ukraine through to Vietnam and (as of this year) Belgium, the first EU member to join the list.
But we’re unlikely to see a change any time soon, as countries would presumably first have to agree on an amendment to the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute.
DAILY POLL
Less than two months out from the US presidential election, who do you think will win? |
Yesterday’s poll: Do you think the EU is in decline?
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 📈 Yep, but it'll pick up again (42%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 📉 Yep, and it's inevitable (44%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👍 No, the EU's doing just fine (12%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!) (2%)
Your two cents:
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📉 M.R: “Tech is the growth engine and the EU is busy doing a shake down of all the big tech players for billions.”
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📈 S.Z.K: “It only takes an outside threat to reinvigorate. Brexit and the Russian invasion of 2022 forged the member states into rarely seen unity.”
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👍 E.R: “8 of the top 10 happiest countries in the world are in Europe (5 in the EU). The United States is nowhere near the top. Life is about much more than trillion dollar companies!”
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✍️ M.M: “Decline? No. But a post-Brexit malaise? Yes. It's still struggling to find its own identity now that this unpleasantness has been dealt with.”
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✍️ Corrections corner
In our efforts to bring you the most steaming, piping-hot takes (like ‘liquid-hot-magma’), we sometimes burn our own fingers. So thanks to those Intriguers who pointed out yesterday’s typo regarding the late-breaking news of a “non-binding” (rather than ‘non-binging’ 🤦) text on the use of AI in the military.