New insights into Tuesday night’s presidential debate indicate that Vice President Kamala Harris had a stronger performance than former President Donald Trump.
According to a CNN poll, 63% of viewers rated Harris as the superior debater during the event held in Philadelphia. Political analysts suggest Harris exceeded expectations and regained the trust of Democratic voters following President Joe Biden’s underwhelming debate performance in June.
“I think Kamala Harris performed better in the debate,” said Matt Webster, a voter at a Washington, D.C. watch party. “Her preparation was evident, and she was able to capitalize on Trump’s weaker moments. Emotionally, she outperformed him.”
“Tonight, it feels very clear that he was the crazy person on stage, and there was one sane person,” said Jackson Hurley, another Washington, D.C. voter.
“From former President Trump, there was a clear level of deflection,” commented William Hudson, who also attended the watch party. “Whereas Vice President Harris did give some sly remarks back to former president Trump, she gave a very clear actionable plan on what she was going to do for every issue that was raised.”
Despite Harris’ strong performance, voter opinions remain mixed. The CNN poll found that 45% of debate watchers viewed Harris favorably, while 44% had an unfavorable opinion. Trump’s favorability ratings were lower, with only 39% viewing him positively and 51% negatively.
“I think a lot of it is vibes,” Hurley noted. “People vote on vibes, and the vibes are not with Trump right now.
Voters were divided on which candidate better understands their concerns, with 44% favoring Harris and 40% choosing Trump. However, Trump maintained a 20-point advantage over Harris in handling the economy and a 23-point advantage on immigration. Despite the debate’s impact on viewer opinions, the poll revealed that a majority felt it did not influence their presidential decision.
Harris has already challenged Trump to a second debate, while Trump’s campaign has not yet committed to additional debates.
