While Trump Praises His Debate Performance, Allies, Donors, and Advisers Express Concerns

By Alexandra Ulmer and Gram Slattery

Some Republican officials, donors, and advisers have expressed concerns that Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, mishandled his recent debate against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, despite Trump himself praising his performance.

“I think it was one of my better debates, maybe my best debate,” Trump stated during an appearance on a morning news program, suggesting he might be less inclined to participate in another debate because he felt he had performed well.

During the debate, held on Tuesday, Harris aggressively challenged Trump, questioning his fitness for office and highlighting his various legal troubles. The election is scheduled for November 5.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of Trump, was one of the few party leaders to criticize Trump’s performance publicly, describing it as “a missed opportunity.” He noted that the former president failed to maintain focus and missed chances to promote his record.

Chris Christie, a former Trump supporter who is now a critic and is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, remarked that Harris appeared “exquisitely” prepared, while Trump was not. He insisted that anyone responsible for Trump’s debate preparation should be held accountable for the lackluster performance.

The Trump campaign did not respond when asked about potential changes to his debate team.

As the election date approaches and early voting begins in some states, the debate provided a crucial opportunity to engage with a vast television audience. The debate attracted 67.1 million viewers, surpassing the 51 million who watched Trump debate then-candidate Joe Biden in June. This figure does not account for online viewership, which has become increasingly popular.

Six Republican donors and three Trump advisers, speaking anonymously to candidly express their views, indicated they believed Harris won the debate primarily because Trump struggled to stay on message. Some expressed frustration over Trump promoting a misleading online claim regarding Haitian immigrants in Ohio.

Two advisers doubted the debate would significantly affect polling numbers. In discussions with ten undecided voters after the debate, six indicated they were leaning toward supporting Trump, three favored Harris, and one remained undecided.

In a show of confidence regarding the debate’s outcome, Harris’ campaign issued a challenge for a second debate in October.

Regarding the potential for another debate, two donors were uncertain, with one suggesting the decision would depend on Trump’s team’s confidence in his ability to be more focused. However, two other donors believed a second debate was necessary for Trump to regain momentum.

“My honest opinion is that Trump underperformed and she overperformed,” remarked donor Bill Bean, a commercial real estate investor from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He expressed a desire to see another debate.