Kamala Harris won the debate, but she could still lose the election.

Before Harris met Donald Trump on the debate stage, they were locked in a virtual tie in most national and battleground-state polls. It’s unlikely that Tuesday’s debate will change that.

Neither candidate had a night as devastating as June 27 was for President Joe Biden, when he fumbled his way through the first debate with Trump and ultimately succumbed to public pressure and dropped out on July 21.

Trump supporters likely agreed with him in Tuesday’s debate, and Harris supporters likely applauded her strong performance. It’s unknown whether the slim number of undecided voters in the presidential election were swayed by the latest debate.

The debate will likely generate more social media fodder than voters. But when you cut the noise, the election really comes down to a handful of big topics for most Americans: the economy, immigration, abortion, health care and foreign policy.

Here’s what the candidates had to say about those issues on Tuesday:

‘I had nothing to do with’ Jan. 6

In his weakest moment of the debate, Trump deflected two questions from co-moderator David Muir about whether he had any regrets about his actions and inaction during the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump and his top surrogates claimed for at least two months that the 2020 election was stolen and rigged. He repeated those false claims at the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the attack that day. Trump told his supporters to go to the Capitol, and he said he would join them there.

On Tuesday, he took no responsibility and said “I had nothing to do with” Jan. 6. He also refused to concede the 2020 election, saying recent reports on his acknowledgments that he “lost by a whisker” were just “sarcasm.”

Harris’ weakest moment at the debate

One of the biggest challenges facing Harris in the 2024 election was displayed in Philadelphia on Thursday, as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered hours before the debate and pushed an “Abandon Harris” effort.

Pro-Palestinian protesters in battleground Pennsylvania and across the country have said they won’t back her without a cease-fire in Gaza. They’re also not backing Trump. They say they will vote for a third-party candidate instead.

In a virtually tied race, losing votes to a third-party candidate could hurt Harris, especially in battleground states. She did little to allay those fears Tuesday night, repeating her comments from the Democratic National Convention.

Harris said she would defend Israel and “far too many Palestinians have been killed.” She supported a two-state solution, but mostly she tried not to take a firm position on either side. It was diplomatic, but likely landed as inauthentic to voters.

Harris and Trump on the economy

The first question of the night went to Harris. She was asked if Americans are better off than they were four years ago, a nod to the economic struggles Americans face.

In poll after poll, voters say the economy is a top issue for them in the 2024 election.

Harris referred to herself as a “middle-class kid” and said she is the only candidate in the race with a plan to lift the middle class. Trump rebutted that claim and described the current economy as “the worst in our nation’s history.” It has been a disaster for “the middle class and every class,” he said.

Later in the debate, Harris again referred to herself as being from a middle-class family and drew a contrast with Trump, who she said received $400 million from his wealthy father.

‘It’s insulting to the women of America’

Trump described the six Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade as “courageous.” Harris said Trump handpicked three conservative justices specifically to overturn Roe v. Wade, and she claimed he would sign a national ban on abortion.

Trump said he wouldn’t sign a national ban because the issue is up to the states. He also claimed that Democrats allow full-term abortions and “execute” babies after they’re born. Co-moderator Linsey Davis and Harris both said there are no states that allow people to kill children that have already been born. “It’s insulting to the women of America,” Harris said.

Harris turns the tables on Trump

Trump found himself in an unfamiliar position: on defense.

Harris spent most of the debate on offense, needling Trump, getting under his skin and using some of his words against him. For example, she said the nation’s military leaders think he’s “a disgrace” for his cozy relationships with foreign dictators.

Harris told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “eat you for lunch.”

Harris is Black and Indian. When Trump again questioned her race — “Whatever she wants to be is OK with me” — she remained calm and collected, and reminded Americans they have a clear choice: the politics of fear and division or forward motion with hope.

“I think the American people want better than that, want better than this,” Harris said.

Candy Woodall is the opinion editor at The Baltimore Sun. She wants to read your thoughts on the debate and can be reached at cwoodall@baltsun.com.