“Diva With the Fake Tan”: New Yorkers Sound Off on the Presidential Debate

Since the last presidential debate, Joe Biden has exited stage left and Kamala Harris has stepped up to the podium to go head to head with Donald Trump. On Tuesday night, bars across New York decided to turn down the music and turn up the politics as residents came together to watch what they could only describe as “chaos” unfold. While Trump spouted conspiracy theories about transgender “aliens,” dog-eating Haitians, and the Central Park Five, and as Harris countered him with a steady and often bemused hand, the crowds erupted in raucous laughter and even louder boos. New Yorkers, of course, don’t typically hold back. So we went bar-hopping through the city, first to the Williamsburg Comedy Club and then to the local DSA watch party, to get their instant reactions to the debate to end all debates.

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PHILLIP PANTITANONTA | @philippantitanonta

 

ARY RUSSELL: What’s your name?

PHILLIP PANTITANONTA: I’m Philip.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

PANTITANONTA: Well, I was on the internet and me and my friend Maro were like, “We should do something, a little drinking game.” I searched up on the internet “drinking,” “party,” “debate,” “NYC.”

RUSSELL: Fabulous. What’s one word to describe the debate?

PANTITANONTA: Funny.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low?

PANTITANONTA: Well, the low is definitely that Trump lied too much. We have this rule that every time that Trump lies, we’re going to drink.

RUSSELL: How blasted are you then?

PANTITANONTA: Oh, I’m super blasted.

RUSSELL: Are you going to work tomorrow?

PANTITANONTA: No, I already called my half-day off.

RUSSELL: What was your high then?

PANTITANONTA: My high, I really like how Harris opposed him. She was very factual. She’s very real. I trust her. Before this I was very neutral about it, but now I’ve kind of changed my stance.

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

PANTITANONTA: Yeah. Honestly, from this debate, definitely Harris.

RUSSELL: No doubts?

PANTITANONTA: No doubts.

RUSSELL: What is your policy non-negotiable? 

PANTITANONTA: Honestly, affordable healthcare, because I recently got injured and I realized how much I have to pay, even with insurance. But affordable housing as well, because I have a lot of friends who are really struggling to find housing and the rent’s too high right now.

RUSSELL: What do you want the president to do in their first 100 days?

PANTITANONTA: Well, anything that would make our world more peaceful. It’s a fucking hellhole right now.

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LAWRENCE REESE | @lawrencereese

 

RUSSELL: What’s your name?

LAWRENCE REESE: My name is Lawrence Reese.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

REESE: I’m a comic. This is a comedy club. And they were showing the debate.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe this debate?

REESE: “Insane.”

RUSSELL: Elaborate.

REESE: It was a bunch of back-and-forth. Trump was losing. Kamala had receipts. He was just going back and forth off some shit that he didn’t know and it just was a lot of chaotic, insane moments.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low from tonight?

REESE: High was Kamala Harris pulling up with receipts that Trump didn’t have no back-and-forth for. Low was that I don’t know if Kamala Harris really cares about the shit she’s talking about.

RUSSELL: You think she’s a liar?

REESE: I wouldn’t say a liar, but I just think she wants to beat Trump more than she wants to be president. It feels like Biden couldn’t do it, so she’s like, “I’ll take the mission.”

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

REESE: No, never. Presidents really don’t do shit for people at my level. Just because you’re the president don’t mean you’re going to care about Americans and Black people, so.

RUSSELL: So this debate had no influence on your vote at all?

REESE: Nah, I wasn’t planning on voting at all.

RUSSELL: Do you have an ideal candidate then?

REESE: Maybe my local drug dealer. I might vote for Shaquan.

RUSSELL: I’m sure you still have desires and wants for a candidate. What do you want the president to do in their first 100 days?

REESE: Give people money again. That’d be dope.

RUSSELL: In what form?

REESE: Cash.

RUSSELL: Okay.

REESE: Just make it fun. Make America fun again.

RUSSELL: Got it.

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RAINA BORA | @RAINATHEORCA

 

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

RAINA BORA: I’m here because I’m a lapsed DSA member. I wanted to gradually reintegrate into the community. I also wanted to see Kamala dunking on Trump, surrounded by other people who also wanted to see Kamala dunking on Trump.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

BORA: Bleak.

RUSSELL: What was your high and your low of tonight?

BORA: My high was when Trump said she was trying to get transgender operations for illegal immigrants in prison, just because it was funny. And I think the worst moment for me was when Kamala Harris was like, “I have always been a staunch supporter of Israel.”

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

BORA: I am planning to vote.

RUSSELL: And has this debate influenced who you’ll be voting for?

BORA: No, I was already going to vote for Kamala and I will continue to vote for Kamala.

RUSSELL: If she’s elected, what do you want her to do in her first 100 days?

BORA: I think she’s made a lot of really great and bold economic promises. In order to achieve any of those things, she’s either going to have to take a really bold view of what she can do by an executive order, as Trump did and as Obama did to a limited degree, or she’s going to have to abolish the filibuster or at least limit its use in certain cases. Otherwise, how is she going to do the $6,000 child tax credit that she’s promising, and the $25,000 credit for first time home buyers that she’s also promising? I don’t see a path forward for her unless she is politically effective in her first 100 days. That’s what I would be looking for. And if she’s not going to do that, I guess I have to wait for our current generation of political leaders to die because they don’t know how to wield power.

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GREER STOKES | @greerstokes

 

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

GREER STOKES: I just decided to come out because I wanted to see a safe place to be able to watch the debate and also be around like-minded people.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

STOKES: I want to say “entertaining,” but I feel like that’s a little insensitive and rude. But it was entertaining and it was eventful. My jaw was open. But at the end of the day, it was a debate, and I guess it’s what I expected.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low from tonight?

STOKES: I enjoyed hearing people clapping, I enjoyed hearing people getting excited, and I enjoyed hearing the crowd around me getting excited about Kamala speaking. But my lows were just looking at Trump, seeing his face and his reactions. And I honestly did feel bad for him at points because he just looked like he was about to cry. He looked like he was freaking out.

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RONNIE SMITH | @therealronniesmith

 

RUSSELL: What’s your name?

RONNIE SMITH: My name is Ronnie Smith.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

SMITH: It was very dramatic.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low from tonight?

SMITH: The highest point was probably the part where Kamala pulled up the fact that Trump had 36 felonies. The low point was when Trump kept playing the same shit over and over again. It was like watching Kendrick Lamar play “Not Like Us” 12 times.

RUSSELL: “All right, we get it.” Are you planning to vote this November?

SMITH: Yes.

RUSSELL: Has this debate influenced who will you be voting for?

SMITH: I already knew I wasn’t going to be voting for Trump prior to this debate and I knew I wasn’t going to be voting for Trump after this debate. So I will say, no.

RUSSELL: What’s your policy, non-negotiable?

SMITH: The one point that has stuck out with me is the abortion issue, simply because there are so many women in my life that I care about and I want them to be able to have the choice to do whatever they want with their bodies.

ARY RUSSELL: I’m sure that Kamala’s answer made you happy then.

SMITH: It very much did.

ARY RUSSELL: What do you want the president to do in their first 100 days?

SMITH: I want them to at least make an effort in putting an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Just some effort. I’m not asking them to solve it in 100 days, but just do something about it. You know what I mean?

ARY RUSSELL: Who do you think is more likely to do that?

SMITH: Both of them ain’t shit, but between the two of them, at least Kamala has an idea of what she’s doing. So even if she fucks that issue up, I know there’s at least maybe two more she’ll get right down the road. Let’s be honest, man. Trump was tweeting about world domination at 3:00 in the morning. Trump was talking like a fucking Red Sox fan during the debate. I didn’t like that. But honestly, my favorite part of the debate tonight is just watching Trump have an argument with a Black woman for the first time. It was so beautiful. I’ve been arguing with Black women for 24 years. I haven’t won once.

ARY RUSSELL: Well, yeah.

SMITH: Kamala was pushing his buttons. She was baiting him into saying certain things and he didn’t even realize it. That was a beautiful technique.

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BRANDON WEST

 

RUSSELL: Tell us your name.

BRANDON WEST: Brandon West. I am currently on the organizing committee for the Central Brooklyn Branch of the New York City DSA.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

WEST: Well, we were obviously organizing an event with North Brooklyn for members and non-members to come see the debate and be able to talk to other like-minded folks who come from a left-socialist perspective.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

WEST: Frustrating.

RUSSELL: Frustrating. Why?

WEST: Well, clearly the Democratic Party is presenting a Clintonian version of politics minus populism. And we’re faced with a proto-fascist party with Republicans and Trump. We’re in a situation where there’s a move to the right. It could really be damaging to everyone in this country and in the world. The Democratic Party is presenting an option that is very reminiscent of moderate conservative politics, too. It’s not meeting the needs of everyday people and we’re stuck in this binary.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low tonight?

WEST: I mean, the high is at least we don’t have Biden, and Kamala Harris actually pushed back. We love the entertainment, the craziness, the spectacle of this. But what really wasn’t funny was the complete anti-immigrant nonsense that is coming out of this. It’s an affront to the lives of everyone in this country.

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

WEST: Yeah, I am planning to vote.

RUSSELL: And has this debate influenced who you’ll be voting for?

WEST: No. I think in New York, clearly, I feel very frustrated and upset at the direction of the Democratic Party, especially in its approach to Israel and Palestine and the war in Gaza. Also, Eric Adams has a bunch of really terrible proposals that are going to be on the ballot. And we have an actual potential good one: the Equal Rights proposal on the ballot.

RUSSELL: What does Kamala need to get your vote with enthusiasm?

WEST: I don’t think there is really a path forward, but a path at least that I would feel would be agreed to by most people in this country and by Democrats who are supposed to be members of the left would be to push for a ceasefire, push for an arms embargo, push a politics that gives people access healthcare and housing and the things that we all need. I think that would be popular and I think Democrats could do that if they wanted to.

RUSSELL: What do you want the president to do in their first 100 days?

WEST: Obviously, if Kamala wins, I think getting to a ceasefire, if we haven’t gotten there already. I also think that the Democrats should chart a course around a bunch of really well-supported ideas: access to housing, access to healthcare. They can be done at the state level. And this is the direction they should go in the first 100 days.

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MARA SANDBERG | @sandberg.mara

 

RUSSELL: What’s your name?

MARA SANDBERG: My name is Mara Sandberg.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

SANDBERG: I’m here to watch the debate. I was talking to my friend Phil and I said, “We should do a drinking game for the debate.”

RUSSELL: And on a scale of one to 10, how drunk are you right now?

SANDBERG: I don’t know. I’m going to say seven.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

SANDBERG: Chaotic. Honestly, I’m just here for the drama. Let them go at each other. Let them fight.

RUSSELL: Can they work it out on the remix?

SANDBERG: Honestly, I kind of hope they do. I think they’d break the internet.

RUSSELL: Who’s the bigger brat? Kamala or Trump?

SANDBERG: Honestly, Kamala’s brat. But Trump is diva. I feel like he needs acrylic nails.

RUSSELL: Diva with the fake tan.

SANDBERG: Diva with a fake tan. That’s what he needs.

RUSSELL: What was your high and low from tonight?

SANDBERG: Oh, just all the different things that Trump was saying. Honestly, I was looking out for the craziest things he was saying, because I find humor in things.

RUSSELL: If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

SANDBERG: Like, this country’s deteriorating fast, so if I don’t laugh I’ll cry.

RUSSELL: And are you planning to vote this November?

SANDBERG: Yes.

RUSSELL: And has this debate influenced who you will be voting for?

SANDBERG: Yes, it has. I would say that I’m more inclined to vote towards Kamala now.

RUSSELL: What’s your policy non-negotiable?

SANDBERG: I would say less control on women’s healthcare. Let people make their own choices for their own healthcare. My body, my choice.

RUSSELL: What do you want the president to do in their first 100 days?

SANDBERG: I want there to be more affordable housing. That’s a huge issue right now, especially all over the country. I’m from Texas, so I’ve seen this affect the people I care about here and in Texas, all over. And definitely bring inflation down. More affordable groceries. I should not be paying $7 for lettuce.

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ALEX RIVERA | @alexrivera_f

 

RUSSELL: Can you say your name?

ALEX RIVERA: My name is Alex Rivera.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

RIVERA: Just to see what the future leaders of our country stand on and what to expect in the next four years.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

RIVERA: Underwhelming.

RUSSELL: Really? Underwhelming?

RIVERA: I guess I expected a little bit more from the Democrats, but they seem to have moved way far right when they used to be the progressive party.

RUSSELL: What was your high and your low from tonight?

RIVERA: My high was having a competent Democratic candidate that can actually cook Trump. And the low was hearing Kamala Harris talk about our lethal military. I am anti-war and I’m pro-peace. So yeah, increasing the military budget is antithetical to that motive, especially when the American people are so underfunded.

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

RIVERA: I’m a green card holder, so I cannot vote.

RUSSELL: If you could vote, how would this debate have influenced your decision?

RIVERA: If the US gave me citizenship, I would probably vote Democrat, but it’s a safe state, so I don’t think my vote would matter all that much.

RUSSELL: And if you could vote, what would Kamala Harris need to do to secure your vote?

RIVERA: Probably commit to a ceasefire in Palestine and to the de-privatization of healthcare. And maybe more concessions to the working class. I don’t imagine she would ever stop being a neoliberal capitalist, but a little bit more social, democratic concessions to the people.

RUSSELL: Whoever becomes president, what do you want them to do in their first 100 days?

RIVERA: Definitely stop the endless wars. With either Trump or Harris, there’ll be a lot of pressure to be strong in the first 100 days, so I would definitely put more of my hope in the ceasefire deal, both in Palestine and in Ukraine.

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JAMES THOMISON | @jamesthomisoncomedy_

 

RUSSELL: What’s your name?

JAMES THOMISON: My name’s James Thomison.

RUSSELL: What brings you here tonight?

THOMISON: Work. This comedy club decided to host the debates, and normally I get to serve here and they also let me perform, but tonight I just bar-backed and served, so that was kind of lame. But it was a good money night, I guess.

RUSSELL: What’s one word to describe the debate?

THOMISON: I’ve got to choose this one carefully. I want to say “hilarious,” but I feel like it’s too basic a summation. “Fascinating.”

RUSSELL: What was fascinating about it?

THOMISON: Well, I only got to hear bits and pieces. I was running drinks. I just heard a lot of Williamsburg people laughing at a lot of the ridiculous shit that Trump was saying. I myself thought it was very funny that he was talking about Haitians eating dogs and cats. I thought that was very, very funny. I haven’t looked into it. Something tells me that that’s not 100% accurate, but it is very funny to say that on a national platform. He’s one of the most entertaining people on the planet, but that’s probably not a good trait for a Commander-in-Chief.

RUSSELL: Are you planning to vote this November?

THOMISON: Absolutely not.

RUSSELL: No. Why not?

THOMISON: Well, I’m against all the things that they are talking about in Project 2025, but I don’t want to vote. I’m also against the lack of measures that have been taken to fight inflation. Inflation is really out of control. Basically, I’m too stupid to know which side has the right angle, and I think both sides have the major potential to drop the ball and make it a lot worse. Although I will say, I was living in Toronto during a lot of Trump’s presidency, so I missed out on a lot of stuff.

RUSSELL: You escaped?

THOMISON: Yeah, I was a fugitive for a bit.

RUSSELL: What would Kamala need to do to get your vote?

THOMISON: If she could take taxpayer money and give it to George Miller so he can make another Mad Max movie with Tom Hardy, that would definitely get my vote.

RUSSELL: Did you like Furiosa?

THOMISON: I loved Furiosa very much.

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