While Donald Trump’s team is publicly portraying the debate as a victory, private discussions tell a different story as many members of Trump’s closest circle were reportedly disappointed with the former president’s performance during his Tuesday debate with Kamala Harris.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said Wednesday night that Trump’s campaign was taken aback by his handling of the debate. According to Collins, several Trump associates were “stunned” by Harris’ ability to provoke him.
Collins stated that as soon as Trump left the debate stage, he immediately sought feedback from his followers in the viewing room. “He began quizzing those waiting in his viewing room about how the last 90 minutes had gone,” Collins stated. While some praised him directly, a different sentiment surfaced in private conversations.
Those close to Trump have described his performance as “a draw at best and a loss at worst,” according to Collins. Many people were surprised when Trump failed to use his prepared talking points against Harris, notably her record and policy changes.
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His team had spent weeks preparing these arguments, but they appeared to fall flat during the discussion.
Collins noted that, despite extensive preparation, which included meetings with former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, the former president failed to effectively deploy his most vital charges against Harris.
“He didn’t go there until his closing argument, which surprised a lot of people in his inner circle,” Collins explained. This left many feeling it was a missed opportunity.
The supporters of Trump were especially surprised by his inability to highlight important charges of Harris, such as her unfulfilled campaign pledges. They expected him to focus on these arguments early in the discussion, but he appeared to be distracted by Harris’ methods. “Instead, they believe that Trump took the bait every single time Harris offered it up,” Collins reported.
Several supporters of Trump regarded the event as a wasted opportunity to strengthen his position against Harris. Despite careful preparation, they felt he failed to adequately challenge her claims or identify obvious weaknesses in her political record.
After the debate, many in Trump’s camp began to minimize the importance of the event, “they have since started downplaying the debate’s significance overall,” according to Collins.
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