The day after the Trump-Harris conversation, I have some ideas.
1. Trump did n’t plan.
Let’s not sugarcoat it — Donald Trump did n’t have his strongest showing. I know I’ll get criticism for saying thus, but it’s true. If you think Trump prepared for this conversation, you’re kidding yourself. We have the same Donald Trump we’ve seen at his gatherings and in every other conversation. The problem is that’s not good enough.  ,
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Kamala Harris may include over-prepared and come off as over-rehearsed and unauthentic, but she was confident in her words and phrase choice for each subject. Trump, but, sounded like he was flying by the seat of his trousers, using older talking points that Kamala was expecting. Worse still, we knew that Kamala’s plan was to fish him, and he took the bait pretty much every day.
2. It likely wo n’t move the needle for either candidate.
Aside from the Biden-Trump discussion back in June, political responses to conversations follow the same pattern: Both edges walk away declaring success, even when it’s far from clear-cut. Trump supporters saw him holding his ground in what was essentially a three-against-one battle ( Harris and the moderators vs. Trump ), taking on Harris’s lies.  ,
On the other side, Harris’s followers might see her as quiet, composed, and effectively getting under Trump’s skin. This is not new; disputes have been so diluted that they frequently reinforce already-existing prejudices rather than influence undecided voters. It’s unlikely that this discussion will have much of a negative impact on the individuals ‘ loyal followings because both candidates have such a strong following.
3. ABC was really terrible.
This is a no-brainer. Trump has lengthy accused the press of discrimination, and this conversation has proven it. Kamala Harris was ably carried throughout the conversation by ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis, not again checking her obvious lies. It was precisely the kind of partial achievement that Trump has been praising for years.
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Who would’ve thought we’d be romantic for CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper as administrators?  ,
Related:  , What the Heck Happened in the Trump-Harris Argument?
4. Trump was n’t at his best, but…
As much as I felt Trump’s performance was n’t great, it was n’t a disaster. I’ve watched a lot of conversations, and even though I believe Trump may have done much, I still believe he did worse in his fight against Hillary.
I believe he performed better than Barack Obama did in his first discussion with Mitt Romney in 2012. I can recall watching the conversation and being so pumped up after it was over because I knew Romney would win the election in the end. Of program, Obama knew he flopped and came back stronger in following conversations.
This leads me to the next stage.
5. Another argument could be a great thought, but…
Before the dust settled after the debate, the Harris-Walz campaign demanded a second one, which some thought was a sign Kamala did n’t do as she should. Given Trump’s less-than-stellar displaying, agreeing to a next debate may be wise for him— but only if he’s more organized.
I suspect that Trump’s biggest failure was his optimism. He did n’t need to prepare because he believed he could survive the debate like he did against Joe Biden. But here’s the truth: Trump did n’t “win” against Biden, Biden just imploded.
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Trump’s campaign officials must make it clear that he must make for a second argument if it is to be held. If he wo n’t, then there wo n’t be a debate. Plain and simple.
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