Kamala Harris and Donald Trump finally squared off in what will likely be their only debate, and to no one’s surprise, it unfolded about as expected. While this debate probably won’t move the needle too much in the overall race, it did have its moments—and not all of them were in Trump’s favor. Trump needed to deliver a much stronger performance than he did in his showdown with Joe Biden, but let’s be honest, that didn’t really happen. Kamala showed up prepared, and Trump, being Trump, fell for her traps more often than not. Sure, he landed a few hits on the economy, crime, and immigration, but Kamala’s game plan was clear: rile him up and let him unravel on his own.
And, unfortunately for Trump, her strategy worked.
Trump’s debate with Biden was a different scenario altogether. Biden pretty much lost that one on his own, thanks to his gaffes, awkward pauses, and mumbles that no one could understand. Trump didn’t so much win that debate as Biden handed him the victory. But Kamala didn’t come with the same weaknesses as Biden. She didn’t need to be an exceptional debater; she just had to look competent and avoid falling into the Biden trap of self-destruction. She did that easily.
Then there were the moderators, who seemed more like Harris’s personal cheerleaders than neutral parties. I never thought I’d find myself reminiscing about the “fairness” of CNN moderators, but here we are. The way they constantly fact-checked Trump on the spot while letting Kamala skate by unchallenged was downright disgraceful. Not once did they put her on the spot, and that’s exactly how the media operates when Trump’s involved. It’s disappointing, but sadly, most people watching won’t care enough to notice.
Kamala came across as more disciplined, and it was obvious she had rehearsed well. Trump, on the other hand, had plenty of chances to hammer her on the catastrophic policies of the Biden-Harris administration, but he let himself get distracted. Once again, we saw him fall into the same traps, engaging in pointless back-and-forths instead of staying focused. Kamala managed to bait him on rallies, the 2020 election, and even the Central Park Five, and Trump took the bait every time.
The media, predictably, will shower Kamala with praise, because that’s what they do. But what’s concerning is that Trump allowed her to come away with more victories than she should have. His mission was simple: make the debate about the issues that actually matter to voters—rising crime, inflation, and the border crisis. Instead, Trump got dragged into personal jabs, allowing Kamala to steer the conversation in her favor, where she knew she could score easy points with the media and her base.
In the end, Trump didn’t tank his campaign, but he didn’t help it much either. This debate was his chance to win over the undecided voters, and I don’t see how he accomplished that. He started out calm and composed, but it wasn’t long before he was back to his old loud and angry routine.
Harris wasn’t exceptional, but she didn’t need to be. She just had to meet expectations, and she did. If Trump doesn’t tighten up his approach in the final stretch, he might just give her more momentum than she deserves. Trump’s highlight came in his closing statement, where he asked the right question of the night. Too bad he didn’t stick with that message earlier.
