Focus group reacts to Trump, Harris faceoff over Project 2025

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Kamala Harris, Donald Trump face off over Project 2025: 'That's out there'

Democrats, Republicans, and Independents react in real time to an exchange between the 2024 candidates over a conservative transition plan known as Project 2025 and COVID pandemic policy. (Credit: ABC News Presidential Debate)

A focus group reacting live to the presidential debate appeared to have strong opinions about the controversial conservative plan, Project 2025.

Project 2025 was launched by the Heritage Foundation as part of their Presidential Transition Project for the 2024 cycle. The project has become a talking point for Democrats, who have attempted to smear it as radical and tie it to former President Donald Trump.

During the presidential debate on Tuesday, Democrats and independent support for Vice President Kamala Harris shot up as she railed against Project 2025. 

"On this debate tonight, you're gonna hear from the same old tied playbook. A bunch of lies, grievances, and name-calling. What you're gonna hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again," Harris said. "I believe very strongly that the American people want a president who understands the importance of bringing us together."

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Former President Trump gestures during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump, however, denied any involvement with the group.

"As you know, and as she knows better than anyone, I have nothing to do with Project 2025. That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely. I'm not going to read it," Trump said during Tuesday's debate. 

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As he spoke about the controversial group, he gained support among Republicans but saw a dramatic shift downward from both independents and Democrats. 

Vice President Kamala Harris during the debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg)

"This was a group of people that got together. They came up with some ideas, I guess some good, some bad. But it makes no difference," he added. "Everybody knows I'm an open book. Everybody knows what I'm going to do."

All three voting blocs, however, shot up in support for Trump when he said he was going to "cut taxes very substantially and create a great economy like I did before."

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris greet each other before the debate on Sept. 10, 2024. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Independents showed dissatisfaction with Trump while he talked about the coronavirus pandemic, but both Democrats and Republicans were consistently more supportive of the former president as he discussed the pandemic and the economy.