PHILADELPHIA — Former President Donald Trump found himself repeatedly outgunned in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, with Republicans angered by the GOP candidate's repeated fact-checking and apparent soft response to the Democrat's own controversial comments.
Harris, 59, came prepared to upset Trump, claiming that military leaders had described her rival as a “disgrace”, that world leaders were “laughing” at him and even that after he was “fired by 81 million Americans” in 2020, “people are starting to leave his rallies early out of fatigue and boredom.”
Trump, 78, had to respond not only to repeated scathing attacks by Harris on his pride and policies, but also to two moderators who complained about some of his remarks, even though his supporters viewed them as being unfair.
When Trump claimed that crime in the United States was increasing because immigrants were allowed into the country under Harris' watch, “World News Tonight” host David Muir interjected, “Mr. President, as you know, the FBI has said that overall violent crime is actually going down.”
Trump fired back by fact-checking the list himself, saying it didn't include the cities with the worst crime rates. omission Data from Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
The 45th president said Biden [Harris] negotiate [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelensky and [Russian President Vladimir] “Putin did, and she did, and three days later the war started. That's the talent she has,” he said, referring to the vice president being deployed to Europe in February 2022 to thwart the Kremlin's invasion of Kiev.
Muir asked Harris, “Vice President Harris, have you ever met President Vladimir Putin?” Harris, a Democrat, naturally cited that as one of Trump's “lies.”
In another moment, “World News Tonight Sunday” host Lindsey Davis intervened after Trump mentioned the 2019 election of former Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Statements about abortion This was part of a lengthy set of comments about the former president's beliefs on passing laws regarding sex after birth, as well as laws regarding rape, incest and maternal health.
“You look at the governor of West Virginia, the former governor, he said, 'When a baby is born, we decide what to do with the baby. We're going to execute the baby,'” Trump said, mistakenly referring to Northam's state, adding, “Democrats are extreme on that.”
“There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a newborn baby,” Davis said after Trump finished speaking, drawing criticism from conservatives who pointed out that six states and the District of Columbia currently have no restrictions on the procedure.
Meanwhile, Ms. Harris, 59, came off as a much stronger voice than President Biden's dismal performance in June. As a former prosecutor, she avoided any major gaffes and dodged potentially damaging questions about her record and changing stance on a range of key issues. Ms. Harris stoked Democratic fears about a landslide victory for Mr. Trump.
Ahead of the debate, Republicans focused on Ms Harris' close relationship with Dana Walden, a senior Disney executive who also covers ABC News, and questioned the news company's impartiality.
Those concerns appeared to be justified, as the debate focused less on Harris' shortcomings, such as her series of policy shifts during the 2019 presidential election. Abolish private health insurance, Decriminalize illegal border crossingsShe passed a string of bills, including a ban on fracking for oil and natural gas and a ban on new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035. She also served as President Biden's designated point person for the so-called “border secretary” as illegal immigration numbers soared to annual record highs during the first three years of her stint.
Trump vs. Harris debate: What you need to know
Trump allies and Republican critics were infuriated, with Muir and Davis listing a long list of missed opportunities to criticize Harris, including her comments about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol that resulted in the deaths of police officers, her comments that Trump has endangered access to IVF treatments, and her comments that she would implement provisions of Trump's right-wing “Project 2025” initiative despite Harris' repeated denials.
Harris' other unrefuted false statements included saying Trump had threatened a “carnage” if he lost the election — a comment made about the economy — and invoking Trump's comment in 2017 that there were “very fine people” on both sides of the Charlottesville race riots (although Trump supporters insist he was not referring to the white supremacists involved in the riots).
“David Muir is out of control,” tweeted Tom Fitton, chairman of Judicial Watch. write“This is not a 'fact check', it's an attack.”
“ABC is trying to fact-check on air, which is a huge mistake. They just show how biased they are. Harris lied to attack Trump over IVF. ABC just sat back and said nothing.” Tweeted Ari Fleischer, who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush.
“When he mentioned the Minnesota bail fund issue, she shook her head. That's true. Her tweet is still valid.” Tweeted Conservative political commentator Guy Benson.
“Harris just said that a police officer died on January 6th.[.] No police officers were killed on January 6th.[.] This is a blatant lie by Harris, but ABC has not fact-checked it.” Tweeted Sean Maguire, partner at Sequoia Capital.
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) Written“ABC's selective 'fact checking' is why no one believes biased 'fact checking'.”
“Harris lied about the Supreme Court ruling on immunity. Multiple fact-checks on Trump followed by zero fact-checks by the hosts. Really bad reflection for ABC News.” Tweeted Influential conservative commentator @AGHamilton29.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) Tweeted“ABC News refused to “fact check” that Kamala Harris lied about Trump's positions on: – Project 2025 – Comments on Charlottesville – Comments on 'Bloodbath' – IVF”
Hogan Gidley, former White House press secretary for President Trump Written“hang on. [Muir] and [Davis] “You're not going to fact-check Kamala's obvious and repeatedly disproven lies about 'Charlottesville' and the 'Massacre'? What on earth?”
Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary to President Trump Added“Kamala just brought up the 'both sides' and 'bloodshed' hoax of Charlottesville that has already been fact-checked by the left-wing Snopes. Why does Trump expose this and the hosts don't? ABC hosts only fact-check Trump.”
“David Muir slept for four years,” one former Trump administration official bitterly told The Washington Post, “and then woke up and decided that Americans were stupid enough to believe the same lie on J6.”
Democrats, meanwhile, celebrated the complaints against the moderator, saying it was proof it was a bad night for Trump.
“He wants to be president of the United States and we hope he can answer some obvious questions well,” one former Harris-Biden administration official said, adding that the attack was “very typical of the former president, who always blames others for his own failures.”
Another Democratic official pointed out that Trump himself had used a controversial story about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio, to undermine his own argument about the destabilizing effect of illegal immigration.
“Eating dogs and cats? You must be kidding me,” the Democrat joked, adding, “The hosts are letting Trump be himself, which is never ideal.”
In a sign of Democrats' confidence in the vice president's work, Harris' representatives immediately proposed a second debate next month, but the Trump campaign countered that the former president remains interested in further debates with Harris and has offered to participate in forums hosted by both Fox News and NBC News.
There was no immediate word Tuesday on a possible second showdown between Trump and Harris.
