In the virtual coin toss that preceded their presidential debate, Donald Trump prevailed over Kamala Harris, but it was essentially his only victory.
Trump was practically coerced into shaking her hand by the vice president on Tuesday night, setting the tone for their crucial clash only eight weeks before Election Day.
In Harris’s opinion, everything about the evening was perfect.
She seemed full of life and optimism for the future. Gesturing, ranting, and criticizing the United States as a failed nation, Trump appeared to be out of his element. Despite her history of wobbles in high-pressure settings, the vice president put on her most impressive political performance to yet. Trump, who had promised to prove boxing great Mike Tyson’s axiom that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”—was taken aback by numerous jabs and managed to land few of his own in the discussion.
The vice president’s performance appeared to be more suited to broaden Harris’s support at a time when one survey found that almost one-third of respondents sought more information about her. Despite the importance of these swing states to the election’s outcome, Trump did little to alter the public’s view of his socialist agenda. He had a hard time letting go of his own two terms in office and frequently appeared to wish he could continue to debate his former opponent, Joe Biden.
Winning a debate doesn’t guarantee you’ll win the election.
It usually takes a few days or weeks for the effects of a presidential debate to sink in and for voters to form lasting opinions. Even candidates that do very well in debates don’t guarantee victory in the general election. It was widely believed that both Trump (2016) and George W. Bush (2004) lost the debates, but they ultimately won the presidency.
Even while Democrats were overjoyed by Harris’s performance, partisans tend to evaluate debates according to their personal political leanings. No matter how much ground Trump loses in the debate, he will still come out on top on the two most important topics of the election: immigration and the economy. It seems unlikely that any debate will sway voters’ decisions, given that many are still waiting for the post-pandemic economic resurgence to take effect. Although Trump’s statements about crime and immigration are exaggerated, they have had an impact in the past. Anything might happen in the next two months, either domestically or internationally, that could throw everything into disarray.
Harris’ campaign will be hopeful that she has enhanced her chances among the perhaps 200,000 moveable voters who will decide the next election in a handful of states. It is too early to tell if her excellent performance will convert into new momentum, but they are optimistic nonetheless.
Harris set up the trap. Trump repeatedly got caught in it.
On Tuesday night, Harris did not squander any time accomplishing her objectives.
She spoke to her audience on a personal level, pledging to help working Americans who are struggling due to rising housing and food costs. She provoked Trump by criticizing his audience sizes and portrayed him as feeble. Surprisingly, he fell into the trap each time, letting his fury feed her assertions that he is unsuitable to serve another term and that the nation is about to lose a precious opportunity to escape his harsh anarchy. Her thorough planning paid off as she averted gaffes that may have jeopardized her campaign.
Harris, in her terrible June debate that doomed Trump’s reelection campaign, performed the forensic demolition of Trump’s character, policies, and legacy beyond the presidency. This, in essence, confirmed the Democrats’ decision to reject Biden as their nominee.
Not only that, but as soon as the debate concluded, Taylor Swift announced, “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” confirming what the Trump team had mistakenly stated last month using AI—her megastar support.
Harris did not reciprocate Trump’s anger; instead, she giggled and, on multiple occasions, put her chin on her palm. Even though it appeared staged the second time, this gesture has the potential to become a symbol of the online discussion.
Unreasonably, Trump let her off the hook on the southern border, one of her most delicate subjects, when she criticized him about his fixation with rallies. “Regarding the rallies, first, I will respond,” Trump stated. My rallies are always well-attended. Unlike any other political movement in history, our rallies are massive and unforgettable.
It was a perfect illustration of how Harris regularly allowed Trump to derail his own debate performance by bringing up what she saw as Trump’s character defects.
Because he couldn’t resist the temptation, the most terrifying political performance of the modern era wasted the evening hurting himself more than his opponent. His racist slur about Haitian immigrants devouring pets, which even his vice presidential candidate JD Vance admitted on Tuesday might not be factual, was never more apparent than when he repeated it. After hearing her opponent back her claims about his extremism, Harris simply shook her head.
Following her refusal to be dragged into Trump’s efforts to turn the election into a gender and race referendum, the vice president delivered a far more blatant rejection of her opponent on Tuesday. She portrayed him as a divisive figure who wanted to take advantage of America’s most painful historical memories by bringing up his calls for the execution of the Central Park Five and his false claims regarding the birthplace of President Barack Obama. She expressed her sadness at the fact that one of the presidential candidates has tried to divide the country along racial lines throughout his career.
Harris stumbled a bit throughout his performance. The first question she posed was a traditional one: whether voters are better off now compared to four years ago. However, she evaded addressing it. The 13 American servicemen and women who lost their lives in 2021 during the US’s ill-planned pullout from Afghanistan have been a rallying cry for Trump’s campaign, but she avoided explicitly answering the question of whether she regretted their deaths. She refocused on her talking points and evaded Trump’s cross-examination, demonstrating that she has grown into a more accomplished political performer.
Trump failed to present his strongest argument.
Many Republicans were concerned that Trump had not been able to adequately handle his new opponent, and their suspicions were verified when he failed to consistently attack Harris or ignore her obvious attempts to divert his attention.
Trump, however, was unable to articulate a compelling vision for the future and was unable to nail down his opponent, just like Biden did in their June debate.
Frequently, Trump veered off the right-wing path, drawing comparisons that would be understood solely by conservative media watchers. It appeared as though the former president showed up for a debate on occasion, but his speech was more reminiscent to his erratic rallies. Backing up his claims about his first term and global leadership, he referenced Viktor Orban, the strongman prime minister of Hungary, lending credence to Harris’ assertion that he reveres foreign autocrats. His assertion that Fox News opinion hosts supported his baseless accusations may have appeased his conservative supporters, but it also hinted that he was unable to connect with moderates due to his upbringing in the extreme echo chamber.
Apparently in an effort to thwart the vice president’s plans to fact check the former president in real time and restrict his temptation to interrupt her, Trump’s team argued for the candidates’ microphones to be switched off when they weren’t speaking. On the other hand, Trump was hurt by the limits. He had no choice except to remain silent as Harris publicly shamed him, a treatment an ex-president would never endure.
Turning down the TV volume and observing the candidates’ body language is one approach to evaluate a discussion. Trump appeared as thunderous as he twisted the muscles surrounding his mouth and smoldered on Tuesday night. Harris grinned knowingly as she landed each jab, locking eyes with the home audience.
The ex-president’s biggest gaffe was not investigating Harris’s worst flaw. She excels when things are going according to plan, but has a hard time keeping her cool when caught off guard. There were simply too few of such opportunities for Trump to annoy his opponent. He saved his most forceful criticism for last: Harris, after being an integral member of a government for over three years, has failed to implement any of the policies she now claims to support.
His support among female voters has been steadily declining, and he faltered on the controversial topic of abortion. Though he incorrectly asserted that the majority of Americans always wanted the matter returned to the states, Trump nevertheless sought credit for assembling the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that revoked the nationwide constitutional right to an abortion. This allowed Harris to utter a scathing remark: “It’s insulting to the women of America.”
Near the conclusion of the discussion, when he attacked Biden and Harris for their support of Donald Trump in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the former president had his strongest performance. By bringing up the possibility of Russian nuclear escalation, he positioned himself as the sole bulwark protecting the US from a third world war. His calls for an end to hostilities may resonate more with rural Americans than Biden’s commitment to remain in solidarity with Kyiv indefinitely. However, Harris was likely accurate in stating that a peace deal that benefits President Vladimir Putin is necessary to implement Trump’s objective.
Even in his disagreements with Harris over the conflict in Ukraine, Trump seemed to long for a campaign that he was far more enjoying than the one he is currently engaged in.
In a declaration that could yet define the entire election, the vice president informed Trump, “You’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me.” This helped to explain Trump’s confusion.
