At last night's presidential debate in Philadelphia, former President Donald Trump parroted a factually incorrect right-wing claim that he would execute babies if they were born. (Of course, that is infanticide, which is 100% criminal.) This is not the first time Trump has told this lie. Nor is this the first time Trump has told this lie in a presidential debate this year. But last night he was finally called on it.

Moderator Lindsey Davis was quick to correct him, bringing up the first fact check of the night. Davis said, “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a born baby.”

Vice President Kamala Harris then spoke up firmly. 'Nowhere in the United States is there a woman who continues to carry a pregnancy to term and then seeks an abortion. That is not possible, and it is insulting to American women.”

The issue of abortion was brought up earlier in the evening, changing the energy of the debate as Trump and Harris bickered over an issue that has been a pivotal point in the election cycle. While Trump focused on his false claims about women executing their babies after birth, Harris pointed out that three of Trump's Supreme Court picks helped overturn federal protections against abortion under Roe v. Wade. She detailed all of the egregious treatment of women occurring in states where abortion is banned, including women being denied treatment for miscarriages in emergency rooms and 12-year-old incest survivors being forced to continue their pregnancies.

“You don't have to give up your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government, and certainly Donald Trump, should not be telling women what to do with their bodies,” Harris said. She spoke forcefully and looked directly at Trump, who did not look back. 'It is inexcusable that you are causing [women] to suffer.'

This question was brought up because of Trump's recent flip-flopping on abortion. He has gone back and forth on whether or not to support a ballot measure that would add Florida abortion protections to the state constitution. During the debate, he did not answer a question about whether he would veto an abortion ban, despite being asked. When Davis pointed out that vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance had commented on Trump vetoing the ban, Trump brushed off the answer and said he and Vance had not yet discussed it.

When Trump made false claims about post-natal abortion in June, Biden said Trump was lying but derailed on immigration. Abortion activists were outraged that Biden did not give a stronger answer, but it was not entirely out of line for Biden, who is not even good at saying those words.

In contrast, Harris's answer on abortion was the highlight of the debate. David Plouffe, a senior advisor to her campaign, said, “Her answer on abortion put her 40 points ahead of undecided voters. That's the biggest margin I've ever seen on a debate dial.” According to a deputy campaign manager for the Harris campaign, 71% of the campaign's grassroots donors were women in the first hour of the debate when the abortion exchange took place. [According to Pew Research, 63% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Democrats have made supporting access to abortion a key part of their platform. Trump, on the other hand, boasts of overturning Roe v. Wade. But he wants to make Harris and the Democrats look radical on an issue that the majority of the public supports. So Trump's measure is to create a situation where there is no such thing.

“Execute the baby” and “9th abortion” trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, where the NAACP wrote, “Just in case: just in case: you can't have an abortion in the 9th month. You cannot have an abortion after birth. If we hadn't kept banning the book, we might not have had to clear it.”

“Donald Trump was totally incoherent. Harris Walz campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement, “He was angry and upset. Trump refused to say he would veto a nationwide abortion ban.”

Nourbese Flint, president of the All* In Action Fund, said Harris showed “fierce leadership” in the debate. Flint said in a statement, “In the face of Donald Trump's lies and dangerous rhetoric, she was clear and firm in her stance on abortion care access and unwavering in defending our freedoms.”

“It is clear that she understands the widespread harm of the abortion care crisis we are facing and will fight for us every day.

When Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, abortion activists expressed hope that this would amplify the importance of reproductive health care. Now they seem to have gotten their wish. Harris has long been a strong supporter of abortion rights, and in March he became the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic. (Ironically, that clinic is in Minnesota, and Tim Walz visited with her.)

Biden's debate responses on abortion and Harris' were a day-and-night contrast, underscoring how radical Trump is in making up lies about executing babies after birth . only served to underscore how radical Trump sounds.