Kamala Harris or Donald Trump: Who won the debate?
The first United States presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump on Tuesday began with a handshake but finished with the candidates portraying each other as unfit for office. Trump attempted to paint Harris as a far-left candidate who would support open borders, ban fracking, and take away people's guns, while Harris questioned Trump's ability to run for office and called him a "disgrace." Here is how the US media are ranking the debate.
Harris's debate strategy and Trump's response
The New York Times underlined how Harris effectively placed Trump on the defensive from the start and maintained control throughout. The newspaper noted a significant shift in dynamics following President Joe Biden's departure, calling Harris' message as "sharp and clear," while Trump appeared "angry and defensive." "Ms. Harris attempted to portray Mr. Trump as a friend to billionaires...who would soak the middle class. Trump characterized Ms. Harris as a policy lightweight who was far too liberal to lead the nation."
Media outlets praise Harris's performance
These sentiments were also echoed by The Wall Street Journal, which observed that Harris effectively enticed Trump into animated responses on a variety of topics, including his legal difficulties. USA Today described Harris's performance as forceful, stating that "Donald Trump knocked Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race in the last debate, but the Republican found himself repeatedly knocked on his heels Tuesday night when squaring off against his new Democratic opponent: Kamala Harris."
Fox News acknowledges Harris's debate victory
MSNBC declared the debate an easy win for Harris, praising her for maintaining a poised and presidential demeanor. Even Fox News, often seen as more sympathetic to Trump, acknowledged that Harris won the debate. "The vice president had some help, too. She was aided and abetted by two ABC News moderators who seemingly felt the need to fact-check virtually everything the former president said," an opinion article by Doug Schoen writing for Fox News read.
FOX News Media proposes second debate
Fox News stated it planned to hold a second presidential debate in October. The letter to each campaign also highlighted Fox News Channel's ratings success, implying that a large audience would tune in before the key election. In July, Fox News Channel outperformed CNN and MSNBC in key swing states such as New Hampshire, North Carolina, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan.
