Harris Declared Winner of Presidential Debate, But Did Trump Lose It?

In the aftermath of Monday’s presidential debate between Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, analysts and unofficial polls largely declared Harris the winner.

A CNN poll showed that 63% of debate watchers considered Harris the winner, compared to 37% for Trump. A YouGov poll among registered voters had Harris winning 43-28.

Experts attribute Harris’s success to her ability to tap into Trump’s weaknesses, rattling him on issues such as rally sizes and fact-checking his claims.

Tomeka M. Robinson, a professor of rhetoric and public advocacy at Hofstra University, noted, “She won the debate and not just by default… Trump needed to talk about his policy ideas more rather than relying on dangerous rhetoric.”

Tammy R. Vigil, a media professor at Boston University, added, “Harris knew exactly what buttons to push to help Trump express himself in a manner revealing of his character.”

However, some experts questioned the value of political debates, citing a lack of substance and utility for undecided voters.

David A. Frank, a rhetoric professor at the University of Oregon, observed, “Harris adopted the persona of a prosecutor, putting Trump on trial… but did little to define herself and her policies.”

Nick Beauchamp, a political science professor at Northeastern University, noted, “Harris’s constant needling caused Trump to perform poorly, with increasingly angry and incoherent diatribes.”

Despite Trump’s history of resilience to blunders, Steven Fein, a psychology professor at Williams College, warned, “Undecided people see no differences between candidates because Harris didn’t offer policy specifics.”

James M. Farrell, who teaches argumentation and rhetorical theory at the University of New Hampshire, criticized the debate format, saying, “These performances aren’t really debates… This whole spectacle was miserable.”

Official post-debate polls of undecided voters are pending, leaving uncertainty about whether either candidate’s performance will significantly impact the election outcome.