Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump squared off on Tuesday in their first debate of the 2024 presidential election. Reactions from political strategists, commentators, and donors were swift, offering varied assessments of the candidates' performances.
Marc Short, former chief of staff to Vice President Pence, commented on Trump’s inability to stay on message, saying, "Trump missed an opportunity to stay focused prosecuting the case against Biden-Harris on the economy and border and instead took her bait and chased down rabbit holes on election denialism and immigrants eating our pets. Harris passed the test of looking presidential and Trump didn't expose her historically radical positions." Short also suggested this could affect competitive House races.
Democratic strategist Karen Finney praised Harris, calling her performance "one of the most impressive debate performances in modern politics." She added, "The VP is doing exactly what she needed to do... Trump is rambling, making things up and spouting lies and nonsense faster than the fact checkers can keep up."
However, Chris Borick, a political science professor and pollster at Muhlenberg College, felt the debate might not sway polls significantly. "They both held pretty tight to their game plans. Harris baited Trump with some degree of success, but I don't think he ever departed far from the messages he wanted to deliver."
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean noted that while Harris managed to get under Trump's skin, it remains unclear if this will shift undecided voters. "The question now is how much she actually moved the needle. Trump didn't do himself any favours by agreeing to do this debate."
Fellow Republican strategist Matthew Klink felt Trump lost focus, allowing Harris to emerge stronger: "We didn't learn anything new about Kamala Harris... But certainly, put it this way, Kamala Harris, she stood up to the bright lights, she met the moment, she looked and behaved presidential."
Amy Koch, another Republican strategist, acknowledged Trump's preparation but criticised his focus on less relevant topics: "It's the most on message—save eating dogs departure—he has ever been."
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson was blunt in his critique of Trump: "Trump lost the debate and whining about the moderators doesn't change it... He lost because of his own performance while his lips were moving, not theirs."
In contrast, Republican donor Dan Eberhart praised Trump, saying, "I only saw one commander in chief on the stage. Trump looked focused, strong and in command of the issues."
Jeremi Suri, professor of public affairs and history at the University of Texas, applauded Harris’s performance: "Harris was near perfect... She went on the offensive against Trump, made him defensive, without appearing shrill."
Finally, Republican pollster Whit Ayres speculated on the future of the debates: "After tonight, I don't think Donald Trump will be insisting on another debate."
The reactions underscored the sharply divided opinions on both candidates, with Harris’s forceful approach drawing praise from Democrats, while Republicans remained split on Trump’s performance.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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