Our role in digital media is not that of a political media outlet, but rather an inspiring lifestyle outlet. Elections and the politics that come with them is a lifestyle asset that you leverage with your vote. Our role is to be as fair and as balanced as
we can be and look at ways to share that insight with you.
Vote for who you want and be proud that you did. Now to the debate
offering up harsh reality on the momentous event.
If you tuned in to witness the first-ever debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, then you probably saw the sparks fly—well, at least from Harris’ side. Trump took his shots, but it was a tough night. He says he won. That's not the buzz. In a historic face-off that aired on ABC, the two squared off in Philadelphia, and the question on everyone’s mind afterward was, “Who won?” Trump fans will confidently tell you he crushed it, and Harris fans? They’ll say she walked all over him. Objectively speaking, though, let’s just say Harris was driving the bulldozer—and Trump was… in the way. Let’s dive into this with some humor, sarcasm, and a sprinkle of dark humor (just like Trump’s tan).
Yes, it's no secret that the overwhelming majority (and many of Trump's most ardent supporters) say he lost, but did well. The one high point that several Trump advisers noted was Trump’s closing statement – which were rehearsed remarks where he questioned why Harris had not already enacted her proposed policies as part of the Biden administration’s agenda. She pivoted and talked about the future, her own policies, the successes of the Biden Administration and hoping the negative aspects of the current administration would likely fall squarely on Biden, and that her title as President would be different than his? Nope!
Facts, Composure, and the Message (Or Lack Thereof)
Before getting into the juicy bits, let’s establish how we judged this brawl—er, debate. First, the facts. Because, you know, facts are supposed to matter. Second, composure, because we’d rather not see a future president of the United States go full reality TV on us. And lastly, the message, because even though both candidates like to dodge questions like it's dodgeball, what they actually say matters. Or at least we hope so.
Harris: Dominant from Start to Finish
Trump had to know she would be on the atack. She's a former California criminal prosecutor. Well, we can put it nicely, not to step on any toes, but reality is reality. Let’s be real: Kamala Harris dominated this debate. She was the political equivalent of a heavyweight champion walking into the ring, throwing shade like uppercuts, and making Trump look like he should’ve trained harder. From the get-go, she didn’t waste a second playing nice. Forget heading straight to her podium—she marched right up to Trump and shook his hand, signaling she wasn’t afraid to get in close. The confidence, the gamesmanship, the sheer boldness—let’s just say Trump didn’t see it coming. He looked less like a former president and more like a contestant on “Survivor” wondering when the next immunity challenge was. He refused to smile or look at her the entire night.
Harris: "Weak and Wrong"
One liners are often what peole take away from debates and that has been Trump's playground. In one of the best one-liners of the night, Harris turned the classic political trope of “strong and wrong beats weak and right” on its head, calling Trump “weak and wrong.” Ouch. Trump’s expression said it all—he wasn’t used to being the one on the receiving end of those zingers. You could almost hear his inner monologue: “Is this how I make people feel? No wonder they leave early at my rallies.” And speaking of that…
Trump’s Crowd Sizes: “Leaving Early
from Exhaustion and Boredom”
Harris got under Trump’s skin in a way that few people manage to do. Sure, Trump has his bag of tricks to rile people up, but Harris wasn’t having it. In a moment that would make any seasoned roast comic proud, she jabbed at Trump’s rallies, saying that people were leaving “early out of exhaustion and boredom.” Trump, clearly rattled, didn’t quite recover. And really, who would? Having your political events compared to a bad Netflix show that people fall asleep to is a hard blow.
Not satisfied with just poking at his rallies, Harris went for the jugular, reminding America that Trump inherited $400 million “on a silver platter” and then went on to file for bankruptcy six times. SIX. Now, filing for bankruptcy once might be chalked up to bad luck. But six? That’s a habit. And Harris was there to remind everyone that this Art of the Deal businessman, was not quite the self-made success story he always claimed to be.
Harris: “You Got Fired
by 81 Million People”
If there’s one thing Trump likes to avoid talking about, it’s losing. And Harris wasn’t about to let him live it down. In a moment that had Twitter lighting up like a Christmas tree, she delivered the ultimate burn: “You got fired by 81 million people,” referring to the 2020 election. Trump’s face? Priceless. He looked like someone had just reminded him that, no, his inauguration crowd wasn’t the biggest in history either. He tried to remain stone faced. That didn't help.
She wasn’t done. Harris further painted Trump as confused, detached from reality, and “still not over” the fact that, well, he lost in 2020. Add that to her quip about him being a “bad businessman,” and it’s safe to say Trump was feeling the sting. You could almost hear the distant echo of “you’re fired.” Still, in all debates, there is an opportunity to counter punch. Trump was ready. He was fired up, but he was way-too fired up to make sense and score points. He didn't do the basics; take a deep breath, gather your talking points and attack. Nope. Trump lost it.
The Policy Divide:
“I Have a Plan” vs. “I Have Concepts of a Plan”
Now, onto the policy differences, because after all, that’s what these debates are about, right? Harris came prepared, repeatedly outlining detailed ideas, such as tax breaks for small businesses and first-time home-buyers, all under the confident banner of “I have a plan.” Trump?
Well, he offered “concepts of a plan,” which sounds about as useful as a car without a steering wheel. Sure, it might go places, but good luck getting it where it needs to go. He could have pivoted as Harris did. He tried to flip the script and attack her, but Trump found himself floundering in a sea of vague ideas and self-congratulatory claims. Meanwhile, Harris would hit him. chill out with a warm smile on her face. She was calm, cool, collected and presidential talking about the future. Then she went into shark-mode and attacked again, beating him to the punch, keeping him on the defense. Trump isn't a fool. He still had openings to counter and he didn't want to let her off the hook. He rightfully counter attacked again and again. But remember, Vice President Harris is a skilled and experienced prosecutor at the top of her game. Trump supporters refuse to admit that she is the real deal who is clearly among the best at her craft, who has mastered the court-like debate format. As hard as he tried, blaming nearly every crisis and calamity on her, Trump just could'nt make her crack, but in the heat of battle, it was Trump that got extremely overheated himself. It was fascinatinig to watch. The shoe was on the other foot and Harris clearly looked less like a VP candidate and more like someone with a laser focus on the Oval Office. When Trump went after her with tough attacks and harsh criticism, V.P. Harris never took the bait or got away from her game plan. Trump never effectively seized on opportunities to do damage. Then came his most remarkable error.
Trump’s Biggest Blunder: “Immigrants Eating Pets?”
Trump wanted to score big points on immigration and had his golden opportunity. Trump suppoters were likely licking their chops at the thought of Trump calmly slicing and dicing the border challenges. Team Trump was hoping he would dive into issues that tie Harris to everything bad about the Biden administration, and he did exactly that.
Unfortunately for him those attacks were overshadowed by Trump's visible anger, his over the top statements and off-topics rants. Uh Oh. This was looking like a Biden moment from the last debate . Age and temperment were now clear. Trump's vulnerabilities were a clear contrast to a calm Harris on the other side of the stage. Just when you thought things couldn’t get weirder, Trump veered off into bizarre territory (again). At one point, he claimed immigrants in Springfield, OH, were eating their neighbors’ pets. Even the moderator, David Muir, couldn’t resist a quick fact-check, but Trump stood his ground, saying he “saw something on TV about it.” You can almost imagine the collective eye-roll of everyone watching at home. The internet went wild with jokes, stunned remarks and memes that won't stop. Trump was being roasted and deep fried. but he's Donald Trump and he's been down before so his supporters are locked in and riding with him until the wheels fall off, or worse.
The Knockout Punch: Harris’ Story of a Woman Bleeding Out in Her Car
Harris didn’t just score points with sarcasm and jabs—she delivered a gut-wrenching story about a woman who bled out in her car due to a lack of healthcare access. This wasn’t just a well-rehearsed talking point; it was a vivid illustration of the stakes. Trump, meanwhile, stumbled through his response, all while dodging the fact that his administration never came up with a viable replacement for the Affordable Care Act. Again, this was a chance for Trump to lean into Harris' story by showing calm compassion. It was his chance to simply look like a caring human. Nope!
Final Verdict: Harris Wins by a Mile
When all was said and done, Harris was calm, in command, and looking toward the future. Trump, meanwhile, was flustered, off-balance, and stuck in the past, still angry, if not angrier, and still harping on about the 2020 election and his so-called “massive” crowds and his irritation that he's not facing Joe Biden. Some Trumpers are putting the blame on ABC and the moderators. Well, they knew Trump had more answering to do than Harris with 34 criminal charges, Jan. 6th stormimg of the Capital, recent and old acial, social and a myriad of political controversies. So at the end of the day, who won? You already know if you're being real, fair and honest. If we’re counting composure, facts, and just plain old not making up insane stories about immigrants eating pets, then it’s safe to say Harris crushed it. Trump fans might insist otherwise, but at this point, they’d probably believe it if he said he invented sliced bread and created rain as the most talented candidate in the U.S. history.
In spite of a horrible night, Trump still has a chance to recover with strong support from his base. His message over the remainder of the campaign and his perceived stability and maturity has to be at a premium. Can he recover? Will he recover? Will Harris gain strength among voters? Will Trump grab some idependent voters? There are enough out there to take him over the top in November, or push him into the past and possibly in jail as this unfolds.
So, while we don’t know who the next president will be, we know one thing: Kamala Harris isn’t just ready for debates—like it or not, she’s ready for battle. Stay tuned, folks. The memes are already flooding in.
Comments