Several Republicans have criticized Donald Trump’s performance in his highly anticipated debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News reported that a number of GOP lawmakers, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said Trump missed the opportunity to effectively undermine Harris’s record and sell his own vision for America. “It was terrible. I think you’re seeing that comment from everybody,” an unnamed member of the House of Representatives said.
The same lawmaker stated that the former President “got bogged down on the hook she was dragging through the water.” A second House Rep. called the debate a “dumpster fire” and said Trump looked old next to Harris, while another declared that the Vice President successfully got under Mr. Trump’s skin. Yet another offered advice to Donald Trump and said he’s got to stop treating his opponent like Joe Biden and more like Hillary Clinton. Harris is “able to get her thoughts out,” unlike Biden, the lawmaker said.
Some Republicans did, however, praise their party’s candidate, saying Harris had failed to present herself as “a person with credibility and a policy agenda.” Other comments from Republicans included a declaration that Trump had fallen into Harris’s traps, and “I think everybody’s just kind of bummed out.”
Nevertheless, Trump remained confident and insisted he was the evening’s victor. Some of his aides privately disagreed, with one saying the night did not help the campaign. Polls were mixed, with some conservative-leaning sites and networks declaring victory for Trump, and a snap CNN poll pronouncing Harris the winner by 63% to 37%. In the same survey, 44% said they believe Harris has a better grasp of important issues, while 40% said the same about Donald Trump.
The Harris campaign instantly floated the idea of a second debate, but Trump did not seem keen. The former President told reporters he was not inclined to agree to another bout because he had won the first. He said that when a fighter is knocked out, they immediately call for a rematch, but he sees little advantage in agreeing to one. Mr. Trump also remarked that he would not do a debate with Fox hosts Bret Baier or Martha MacCallum, saying he preferred Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, or Laura Ingraham.