Harris wins 63 pc, Trump 37 pc, after ABC Prez debate

Kamala Harris

Rama  Krishna Sangem

Kamala Harris seems to be going strong. Stronger than her rival Donald Trump. This is the impression we got after their first presidential debate hosted by ABC News at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on September 10, Tuesday night.  In a quick post debate poll held by CNN, Harris scored 63 per cent support and Trump 37 pc from the respondents. This is more or less the trends in the US. One more -third and last -debate will be hosted in October.

In the much-anticipated presidential debate between US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J Trump, the stage was set for intense confrontations as the candidates clashed in a deeply personal and contentious exchange. The 90-minute debate, expected to be a battle over key policies, quickly turned into a war of words, with character attacks and disputes over crowd sizes dominating the discourse, reported The New York Times.

 

Trump on the defensive 

Throughout the debate, Trump found himself repeatedly on the defensive, particularly on issues like abortion, as Harris seized the opportunity to challenge him. The Vice President landed blows by mocking the attendance at Trump’s rallies and alleging that top American military officials view him as a “disgrace”. Trump, visibly frustrated, responded with sharp retorts, accusing Harris of lacking substantive policies and branding her “the worst vice president in the history of our country.”

Political analysts observed that Trump’s combative style often led him off-message, with Harris effectively baiting him into unproductive arguments. The former president’s inability to stay focused on key issues played into Harris’s hands, giving her the upper hand on multiple fronts.

 

Kamala dominates

The immediate reactions to the debate were as polarising as the event itself. Democratic strategists hailed Harris’s performance, praising her for being well-prepared and for deftly steering Trump off-topic. On the Republican side, there was frustration over Trump’s missed opportunities, with some conservatives voicing concern that he allowed Harris to take control of the narrative.

“She was exquisitely well prepared, she laid traps, and he chased every rabbit down every hole instead of talking about the things that he should have been talking about. This is the difference between someone who is well prepared and someone unprepared,” former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican who had supported Trump in 2016, told ABC.

Other commentators echoed similar sentiments, with Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic strategist, saying, “Harris repeatedly baited him into going off-topic or doubling down on his most unpopular positions. She cleared the bar in terms of telling her personal story, going deep enough on policy, but also showing she has the chops to go toe to toe with anyone.”

Republican voices remained critical of both the moderators and Trump’s performance. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt lambasted the debate’s format, accusing the moderators of favouring Harris and criticising Trump for not seizing more chances. “Trump did not win the debate, but I think he won the election with an assist to ABC because it was so in the tank for Harris that it was repulsive,” Hewitt said, while adding that Harris dodged tough questions.

 

Smiling Kamala, grumpy Trump 

Many commentators pointed to Trump’s fiery style, which, while energising his base, may have alienated undecided voters. Guy Benson, political editor at Townhall.com, noted that “Trump was poorly prepared and unfocused, left many points on the field, and missed numerous opportunities to press a case against her. He took a lot of bait.” Despite landing a few sharp blows, Benson argued that Trump’s approach left much to be desired.

 

On policy, Trump’s focus on tariffs as a cure-all for economic woes came under scrutiny. Eswar Prasad, a former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division, said, “Trump continues to highlight tariffs as the solution to a range of problems, failing to recognise that it would worsen inflation and not generate revenues from China.”

Harris, meanwhile, pivoted the conversation toward broader concerns over US manufacturing and competition with China.

 

Harris emerges strong

While some Republican strategists felt Trump’s aggressive approach landed him some points, Harris’s smart demeanour and ability to turn the conversation back to key issues helped solidify her standing. Henrietta Treyz, managing partner at Veda Partners, pointed out that Harris played the “long game,” allowing Trump to tout controversial alliances and fringe conspiracy theories before questioning his temperament for the presidency.

 

 

Rama Krishna Sangem

Ramakrishna chief editor of excel India online magazine and website

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Rama Krishna Sangem

Excel India national news magazine is a media startup founded and piloted by Rama Krishna Sangem, a Hyderabad based senior journalist with over three decade experience in the field of media, mostly in print journalism. His rich experience in reporting for both Telugu and English newspapers and heading a TV news channel and some online outfits will be of immense use to this venture. Excel India English news magazine seeks to fill the gap of analytical understanding to our readers who today are confronted with myriad media platforms. Our online version not only offers regular updates and commentary on happenings around us, but also gives larger stories not limited by space constraints of a print magazine. Excel India is ably run by a team of senior journalists committed to values and quality standards in the profession. We urge you all to support and guide us in this endeavour. Reach us at excelindiaweb123@gmail.com