Trump insiders reportedly said that the former president did more to prepare for the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris than he did ahead of his showdown with President Joe Biden.
Even some conservative commentators have admitted that former President Donald Trump had a bad night on Tuesday, as he let Harris, who remained very much on the offensive throughout the debate, get under his skin.
Trump repeatedly fell for Harris’s bait, ranting about debunked rumors that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets in Ohio and growing visibly angry when she made a jab about the size of his rallies, claiming supporters have been leaving “out of exhaustion and boredom.”
As soon as he left the stage, Trump began asking aides and advisers how he had performed during the debate, according to CNN. Several of them praised him to his face and said he did a great job, but in private, their assessments were not so rosy.
Those close to Trump describe the debate as either a draw or a loss, with a number of them telling CNN that they were stunned that the former president was unable to stay focused on his talking points, which had been in the works for weeks.
Trump actually did more prep ahead of his meeting with Harris than he did for the debate with Biden, allies told the network.
Many in Trump’s inner circle were surprised that the former president didn’t question why Harris hadn’t acted more forcefully on her election promises during her last three and a half years in office until his closing statement.
Several Trump allies have since said that the debate was a missed opportunity, but they’ve already begun downplaying its importance, saying that it won’t eat into his support in swing states like Pennsylvania, where the debate took place.
While Trump hasn’t committed to a second debate, his allies told CNN that they believe he’ll ultimately agree to take on Harris yet again.
Meanwhile, Trump appeared on Fox News on Wednesday morning, claiming that the debate was “rigged” against him, with Harris and the moderators ganging up on him.
The Harris campaign was quick to challenge Trump to another debate following Tuesday’s showdown, but the former president appeared to hesitate while speaking on Fox & Friends.
“I’d be less inclined to because we had a great night. We won the debate. We had a terrible a terrible network,” he said.
“They lost very badly, the first thing they did is ask for a debate,” he added. “They always ask for a rematch.”
“People are just starting to give me credit for having a GREAT DEBATE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday night. “The Voters and Voter Polls showed it, but the Fake News Media wasn’t giving the credit that was due. Now they are seeing the results with independent Voters, Evangelicals, and more — and saying, WOW!”
But the polls appear to be showing the opposite. In fact, three snap polls following the debate found that Harris won by a combined margin of 23 percentage points.
Polls conducted by CNN, YouGov, and SoCal Strategies revealed that Harris won by an average of 57 to 34 percent.