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ROOKE: Harris Couldn’t Hide Major Blow Trump Landed During Biased Debate

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ABC News Hosts Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump And VP Kamala Harris At The National Constitution Center In Philadelphia

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Mary Rooke Commentary and Analysis Writer
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During Tuesday night’s debate, former President Donald Trump exposed a weakness in Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign that she has been desperately trying to hide.

There is no sugarcoating the fact that Trump was fighting from the moment he hit the stage until the debate ended. The moderators asked slighted questions, pushed back on all of his answers, and threw softballs at Harris. ABC wanted Harris to win the debate, as evidenced by the three-on-one battle Trump was in. However, amid the chaos, Trump was able to land a blow against Harris, which she wasn’t prepared for.

While Trump was careless enough to take the bait on Harris’s attacks on his rally size or his respect among international leaders, he found her weaknesses– Pennsylvania, fracking, and guns. The internal polling on these issues must be bad for her, or she wouldn’t have felt the need to defend herself or invoke Polish Americans who live in Pennsylvania, her stance on fracking, or her position on mandatory gun buyback programs.

She allowed his comments calling her a Marxist to slide but fiercely defended herself against his attacks on these issues because they are directly concerning to American voters who connect her energy policies to the failing economy. Once he realized these were her weaknesses, he hit her time and time again on her anti-fracking policy.

Regrettably for Trump, his most compelling arguments of the night were saved for his closing statements. “She’s going to do this, she’s going to do that, she’s going to do all these wonderful things,” Trump said. Why hasn’t she done it? She’s been there for three and a half years. They’ve had three and a half years to fix the border. They’ve had three and a half years to create jobs.”

He should have said this many more times early in the night. However, it was better late than never and clearly made a mark on voters. (How Liberal Pollsters Are Recreating The 2016 Wave Of Silent Trump Voters)

Donald Trump Participates In Fox News Town Hall

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall with Sean Hannity at the New Holland Arena on September 04, 2024 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris continue to campaign across swing states as polls show a tight race prior to next week’s presidential debate in Philadelphia. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Harris’s failure to address the economy in a manner that resonated with voters was a significant misstep. CNN’s post-debate polling revealed that not only did she fail to sway voters on economic issues, she actually lost ground while Trump gained. The debate left more American voters convinced that Trump is better equipped to handle economic matters than Harris.

There are definitely areas where Trump needs to improve, like not taking her bait on ego-driven topics and more efficiently landing blows on issues like illegal immigration. However, in the end, he successfully drove home the narrative in voters’ minds that Harris is the same as Biden. She will continue on the path of economic devastation for the middle class, she will continue to drive up energy prices for the sake of climate change, and she will weaken Americans’ safety with anti-gun policies.

Shortly after the debate, the Harris campaign said she was up for another one in October. While regime media framed this as her gloating about her obvious win on Tuesday, the reality is she failed to move the needle. They need another crack at the ball because voters are still confused about her economic policies, and she needs another outing to convince them. (ROOKE: Kamala’s Campaign Has Serious Wound Festering That Could Kill Her Election Victory Chances)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 10: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greet as they debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After earning the Democratic Party nomination following President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the race, Harris faced off with Trump in what may be the only debate of the 2024 race for the White House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

This is an opportunity for Trump to learn from his mistakes and hit her in these areas, which are clearly a sore spot for her campaign. The takeaway from Tuesday’s debate is that Pennsylvania is not only in play for Trump but likely leaning toward him.

Trump has to understand that if he agrees to another debate with opposition media like the one ABC held Tuesday, he won’t be fighting Harris but her and the moderators.  If he avoids the bait and attacks her on the substance, it will be a death blow for her campaign.

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