Presidential debates or gladiatorial contests?

US presidential debates draw massive attention but have minimal influence on voter behaviour.

In what may be the only presidential debate before November’s election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris squared off in Philadelphia on September 10. Topics discussed ranged from the economy to border security, abortion rights to the bizarre but debunked claims about Haitian immigrants consuming cats and dogs, the Taliban, and Ukraine. Since then, many polls and pundits have declared Harris the “winner” of the debate.