Tuesday night was possibly the highest-stakes moment in the presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as they squared off in their first—and possibly only—debate.

1. The candidates actually shook hands

For the first time since 2016, the two presidential candidates shook hands before the debate began. Harris approached Trump’s podium and reached out her hand.

“Let’s have a good debate,” she could be heard saying.

“Nice to see you. Have fun,” Trump responded.

This symbol of respect and civility was a welcomed gesture after nearly a decade of the presidential candidates not approaching one another.

2. What to do about the economy

The economy and inflation, a topic many Americans are extremely interested in after prices have hiked over the last several years, was one of the opening topics on Tuesday night.

Trump discussed his tax plan, including sweeping tariffs and enforcing other countries to pay back their debts. He said will return the economy back to the way it was during his previous presidency.

Harris claimed that Trump’s plan will only benefit billionaires and instead touted herself as the candidate for the middle class. She plans to offer a $6,000 tax credit for families during the first year of their child’s life and a $50,000 tax deduction to those who want to start small businesses.

A poll from the Associated Press in August showed that voters trust Trump slightly more than Harris to wrangle the economy.

3. Stances on reproductive rights

One of the most intense conversations of the night was on the topic of reproductive rights, as Harris and Trump gave very different answers.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, a decision that Trump has often credited to himself, as three of his appointed justices voted for the reversal.

Trump said on Tuesday night that now the decision on banning abortion will fall into the lap of each state, and he will not be signing a national abortion ban. 

“There’s no reason to sign a ban because we’ve gotten what everybody wanted— Democrats, Republicans, and everybody else and every legal scholar wanted it to be brought back into the states,” the former president said.

When asked if he would veto a national abortion ban if it came to his desk, Trump would not affirm or deny, he simply said, “I won’t have to.”

Harris, on the other hand, said that she will sign and restore the federal right to abortion, as long as such a bill is passed through Congress.

Her campaign website says that if made president, she will never allow a national abortion ban to become law.

4. War in Ukraine

When asked about world peace and their plan of action regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both candidates said they want to bring the war to a swift end, but their plans on how to do so differed.

Harris emphasized that she had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy multiple times and would continue to support Ukraine to defend itself against Russia.

Trump said that within 24 hours of his election, he could bring the war to an end. However, he did not detail his plans for this and would not say if he believed Ukraine should win the war.

The former president instead insisted that if he had been in power at the time, the war would never have started.

Harris responded by saying that Trump would immediately neglect Ukraine if he were elected. The vice president said Trump was too focused on handing out favors and making friends with dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“[Putin] would eat you for lunch,” Harris said to Trump.

5. Harris emphasizes she isn’t Joe Biden

Multiple times throughout the debate, Trump referenced decisions President Joe Biden had made and claimed Harris was responsible for them.

“She is Biden,” Trump said at one point. 

He also said that Harris has moved away from some of her progressive stances during the 2020 Democratic primary, like immigration, and told voters not to trust her more moderate tone. 

Harris fired back, attempting to separate herself from Biden.

“Clearly, I am not Joe Biden and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country,” the vice president said.