First the pundits reacted to the debate. Then the people weighed in

To be sure, it wasn’t a great night for the former president — or for those of us hoping he would deliver a humiliating Tulsi Gabbard-esque takedown of Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump repeatedly allowed himself to take Harris’s bait, something he should have expected and been prepared for. Rather than pivoting and going on offense, he became rattled and defensive. 

Even Republican lawmakers, who spoke to Fox News on the condition of anonymity, were alarmed by Trump’s performance. One said, “It was terrible. The thing that’s terrible is he had so many opportunities to come after her and he didn’t. He got bogged down on the hook she was dragging through the water.”

Another called it a “dumpster fire” and “one of the worst bloodlettings I’ve ever seen,” adding, “I think it’s gonna sway the people in the middle, who matter.”

By the end of the debate, this much was clear: One candidate was well-prepared and the other was not. And despite Harris’s countless lies and obnoxious facial expressions, the biggest surprise of the night was just how ready she was to take on Trump. Gone were the “word salads” we’ve come to expect from her. Instead, the vice president was uncharacteristically articulate. Remarkably so. Harris had taken five days off from the campaign trail literally to memorize her lines so she could recite them at the debate.

Of course, she got a big assist from ABC News’s highly partisan moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, who fact-checked Trump on at least five occasions while repeatedly giving Harris a pass on her numerous lies. 

And yet, despite the viciousness of the post-debate pile-on from the pundit class, the reaction from the undecided voters who participated in CNN, CBS, and Reuters focus groups were entirely different. While many thought Harris had won the debate, her ”victory” didn’t appear to translate into increased support. 

Instead, these voters recognized that rather than introducing herself to the public and sharing her vision for America with the electorate, Harris’s sole objective on Tuesday night had been to stoke Trump’s anger. Voters were looking for substance and authenticity, and they heard neither from the vice president. 

There’s no doubt Harris’s effective trolling of Trump delighted her base, but it also appeared to have alienated many independent voters, particularly those who are still undecided and looked to the debate to provide some insight into what a Harris presidency might look like. 

Following the debate, one participant in a CBS News focus group said Trump “spoke facts.” Another noted that Harris was trying to hide behind a centrist “facade,” just as President Joe Biden had done in 2020. 

Dr. Phil asked members of a focus group which candidate they believe is stronger on the border. Just four people chose Harris, while the majority of the group chose Trump. 

One undecided voter told Dr. Phil she “still didn’t get answers from Kamala to fundamental questions that we need to know as voters.” Specifically, she did not hear any details about Harris’s “economic plans,” adding, “We know that Donald Trump CAN fix the economy.”

CNN asked voters before and after the debate which candidate they feel would better handle the economy. In the pre-debate poll, 53% chose Trump and 37% chose Harris. Post-debate, Trump had edged up to 55%, while Harris declined to 35%. 

One Erie, Pennsylvania, woman, who has voted for Trump before but is undecided, told CNN, “It’s important to remember that we are voting for the future of our country, not who we like the most or want at our wedding party. Who is actually going to make our country better?

“We’re in an incredibly unique situation where we’ve had both of the candidates in office before, and we’ve gotten to see what they would do, and when facts come to facts, my life was better when Trump was in office,” she said. “The economy was better. Inflation was lower. Things were better overall. And now, with Kamala’s administration, things haven’t been so fantastic. She’s saying she can fix the problems that her administration has caused, but I don’t know if I can afford to take that risk.”

After telling readers that Harris “was widely seen as dominating” the night, Reuters reported it had interviewed 10 undecided voters before and after the debate. Afterward, six said they would “either vote for Trump or were leaning toward” him because they “trusted him more on the economy, even though all said they did not like him as a person. They said their personal financial situation had been better when he was president.” Just three said they “would now back Harris,” and one remained undecided. 

And finally, a video that says it all:

Tuesday night wasn’t quite the victory Harris thinks it was.

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Elizabeth Stauffer is a contributor to the Washington Examiner and the Western Journal. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.