The SEIU 1021 San Francisco Committee on Political Education (COPE) invited all SEIU 1021 members union-wide to join in a presidential debate watch party on Sept. 10.

Many members showed up, there was a lot of reaction in the room to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s remarks. Laughter would break out throughout his answers, while Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s responses were met with applause .

There was a sense of respect and understanding of what was unfolding before the audience. “If there was any doubt that working families and labor are not her priority, that was assuaged put to rest that night,” said Nicole Christian, SF COPE chair. 

She explained there is a lot of misinformation and negative publicity out there for Harris around her time as California’s attorney general but shared, “I think her answers in the debate solidified for our members how beneficial she will be for the union.”

Christian said Harris had some really good one-liners and Trump came across like a buffoon. 

Members chuckled and scoffed in disapproval as Trump made outlandish claims about abortion and immigration. He claimed Democrats are aborting babies at nine months pregnancy and that undocumented migrants are eating pets in the Springfield, Ohio.  

“Moderators said it wasn’t proven true, and he held tight to his lies. Members paid close attention,” said Christian.