Despite former President Donald Trump’s claim that this was his “best debate”. American voters might disagree with his statement.
According to a CNN poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS, an independent research firm, Americans feel Harris outperformed Trump.
Viewers of the debate voted 63% to 37% in favour of Harris, saying she performed better. Before the debate, a poll by The New York Times and Siena College had shown both candidates were neck-and-neck in the race. Afterwards, 96% of Harris supporters who watched the debate said that their candidate had done a better job, while only 69% of Trump supporters said he did better.
As soon as the debate ended, the 59-year-old vice president also earned the endorsement of pop star Taylor Swift.
The result starkly contrasts the first presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. In the June debate, the polls indicated that Trump outperformed his rival, 67% to 33%.
But it’s not all bad news for Trump supporters. The flash poll showed that debate watchers also gave Trump a 23-point advantage over who they think will better handle immigration and the role of commander-in-chief. They gave Harris a 9-point edge on protecting democracy and abortion rights.
However, these polls only represent the views of the debate-watching public. The overall views of the full voting public may differ, highlighting the complexity of public opinion in the political landscape.
