Kamala Harris did not show up to the Democratic debate to play games

The second Democratic debate was befuddling to say the least. With 10 disparate candidates vying for precious airtime on stage, it felt as though most of them didn’t know which point to make, what question to respond to, or even where to put their hands.

One candidate who did not have that problem, however, was Senator Kamala Harris of California, whose clear-headed arguments, fierce retorts, and steely-eyed command of the stage easily earned the loudest applause and most dramatic moments of the night.

Harris did not have the greatest momentum before tonight’s event, but she’ll likely leave the debate stage as the candidate to beat when the campaign heats up in the coming months. In case you didn’t get a chance to watch tonight, here are a few of Harris’s best moments:

Kamala Harris gets the first big applause line by calling out the media for not asking Republicans how they will pay for their tax cuts for the rich. #DemocraticDebate #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/ZrTymwStLJ

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 28, 2019

This moment where Kamala Harris called out Joe Biden was phenomenal. She authentically used her personal story to expose the pain he’s caused. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/3uZm1VGyKf

— Adam Best (@adamcbest) June 28, 2019

Lots of applause for Kamala Harris for this moment pic.twitter.com/OBQvwz1DHT

— Weston Blasi (@westonblasi) June 28, 2019

Kamala Harris food fight moment pic.twitter.com/KsibLlOfmu

— ??arcusD ?? (@_MarcusD3_) June 28, 2019

Not for nothing, but Harris’s social media team was on it, too. After a tense exchange between Harris and former vice president Joe Biden on the subject of segregation and school bussing, Harris’s Twitter account tweeted this:

There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school. That little girl was me. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/XKm2xP1MDH

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 28, 2019