CNN host Chris Wallace said Tuesday's presidential debate was “devastating” for former President Trump, quipping that Vice President Harris “shut him out.”
“I never thought we'd witness a debate as disastrous as the one you and Dana moderated in June, where Joe Biden effectively destroyed his reelection campaign, and I believe tonight's debate was just as disastrous,” Wallace told fellow CNN anchor Jake Tapper after the debate, referring to the head-to-head battle between President Trump and President Biden moderated by Tapper and Dana Bash.
“I think Kamala Harris has silenced Trump on just about every issue that I can think of. She silenced him on abortion. She silenced him on January 6th and democracy. She silenced him on national security,” he added. “And she turned to the former president and said, 'The military leaders who served with you consider you a disgrace.'”
Harris and Trump squared off in their first and likely only debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, during which Harris appeared visibly irritated and at times refused to look at her Democratic rival. She also appeared angry at times, suggesting the vice president was getting on his nerves.
Various political commentators, as well as The Wall Street Journal's editorial board, claimed Harris was the “winner” of the debate. Trump He believes it was “the best debate ever.”
Wallace argued Tuesday that Trump appeared “angry” and “scowling,” while Harris appeared “happy, smiling” and “expressive.”
“she [Harris] “He was looking straight at the audience. He was looking at the hosts and arguing with them. And one more thing: Donald Trump looked old tonight. Someone said on my show on Saturday, 'She's winning just by showing up,'” Wallace said. “I didn't know that would be true, but I guess it was.”
In contrast to Trump, who seemed shaken up for much of the debate, Harris performed with a consistently confident tone and sought to position herself as a leader of a new generation, saying, “Obviously I'm not Joe Biden, and I'm not Donald Trump.”
A CNN poll released early Wednesday morning found that 63% of voters said Harris outperformed Trump in the debate. While Harris' performance may have boosted the Democratic candidate's approval ratings, the poll doesn't suggest she outperformed Trump.
