Faceoff in Philly.

Last night Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump met in Philadelphia for the first – and potentially only – debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. I think it’s safe to say on the morning after that Kamala Harris performed better than her critics predicted, and that Donald Trump performed more poorly than his supporters had hoped.

The debate was hosted by ABC News and was moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis.

David Muir directed the first question of the evening to Kamala Harris, and she ducked it.

David Muir – ABC News: I want to begin tonight with the issue that voters repeatedly say is their number one issue, and that is the economy and the cost of living in this country. Vice President Harris, you and President Trump [sic] were elected four years ago, and your opponent on the stage here tonight often asks his supporters, are you better off than you were four years ago. When it comes to the economy, do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago? 

Kamala Harris: So, I was raised as a middle-class kid, and I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America.

Ms. Harris went on to give what was in effect a stump speech, thus avoiding directly answering the question.

When given the opportunity to respond, Trump didn’t call her on it. He instead began talking about tariffs.

The moderators did ask Ms. Harris about her recent policy position changes. She again largely sidestepped the question. Trump, when asked to respond, said this:

Donald Trump: Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She’s going to my philosophy now. In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat. She’s gone to my philosophy. But, if she ever got elected, she’d change it and it will be the end of our country.

Prior to the debate Trump supporters were expressing concern that ABC’s coverage of Kamala Harris has been close to 100 percent favorable while their coverage of Donald Trump has been almost totally negative. In the post-debate coverage last night, FOX News’s Griff Jenkins said this:

Griff Jenkins – FOX News: Many critics would agree with the former president, who said it was three on one when it came to fact checking bias against Trump. Now by FOX’s tracking ABC’s moderators fact checked Trump five times while not taking Harris on a single time. Meanwhile, Harris was able to throw several unfounded punches with no pushback from the moderators. And Harris avoided being asked about things like bail funding for criminals, transgender operations on illegal migrants that are in prison, defunding the police, rewriting Title IX regulations, student loan debt forgiveness, electric vehicle mandates and reparations.

 

There were no knock-out blows last night. There were no, “There you go again,” moments. But Kamala Harris never got rattled and Donald Trump got pushed onto his back foot several times. If a winner is to be declared, you have to give this one to Kamala Harris.