It’s pretty clear to me that on Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris won what may be the only debate between herself and former President Trump. The vice president had some help, too. She was aided and abetted by two ABC News moderators who seemingly felt the need to fact-check virtually everything the former president said.
The former president was clearly frustrated and became more strident and divisive as the nearly two-hour debate continued. And the vice president appeared to gain renewed confidence as she saw Trump faltering under relentless questioning from herself and moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Although Harris clearly won the debate in my estimation, it isn’t at all clear that this debate, just 56 days before the election, will fundamentally impact the outcome on Nov. 5.
ABC DEBATE MODERATORS SPARK FURY FOR AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING OF TRUMP, EASY TREATMENT OF HARRIS
I say that because Trump did speak directly to his base on Tuesday night. His supporters understood, as well as anyone, how much bias ABC News introduced into the process. To be sure, Harris had better answers on abortion, health care, climate change and leadership for the future. That much is clear. But what is also clear is that what Trump said in his closing statement remains the case.
Voters remain angry about the direction the country is headed, about the performance of both President Biden and Harris, as well as which candidate they trust more on the top two or three issues facing the country: the economy, immigration and law and order.
My best guess is that Harris will get a slight bump from her performance at this faceoff, which had Democrats cheering as soon as Trump began turning harsh and hostile within the first 45 minutes of the debate.
HARRIS TELLS TRUMP HE’S ‘NOT RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN’ DURING DEBATE
Yet, elections rarely turn on a dime as completely as they did after the June 27 debate between Trump and Biden. And while Trump was a seemingly different man on Tuesday night than he was back in June, the points he made were the same. And many voters, indeed a majority of voters, agree with his core assessment of the current state of our nation.
I also believe that this is likely to be the last debate that the candidates engage in. For Harris, the calculus is simple: she will claim victory, her supporters will be emboldened, money will continue to flow into her coffers and there will be absolutely no reason for her to reengage in any shape, matter or form with the former president.
The Harris campaign may claim that they want a second debate, but it will almost certainly be under conditions that the former president will never agree to. I doubt that Trump would ever agree to go back to ABC, much less NBC or CBS, and the chance that Harris will appear on Fox News is negligible at best.
TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT AFTER DEBATE: ‘I’VE MADE MY CHOICE’
For the former president, the calculation is very different but reaches the same conclusion: his worst fears were confirmed on Tuesday night. The debate was hardly fair. And absent a debate on Fox News, there’s little reason to believe he’ll get a fair shake from any other network.
He also knows that in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential contests, the first one a winning effort and the second one a losing effort, he was able to make up ground with voters separate and apart from any direct confrontation with his opponent. Trump, on the campaign trail, has a unique and compelling appeal. We have seen proof of that time and time again. ‘
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He and his advisers will likely conclude that they can do a lot better with voters by eschewing direct confrontation with Harris. They will do that by sending him out on the campaign trail to do both interviews and rallies. That will be far more effective than taking the risks inherent in a night like the one we witnessed on Tuesday.
But, it is important to note that Harris did reaffirm, for her supporters and potentially many swing voters, that she is the real deal. She’s ready and able to govern. Still, at the same time, doubts about her as the next president of the United States remain strong and clear. Indeed, the great weakness of Trump’s performance on Tuesday night was that he failed to underscore the issue of the economy and the contrast between his economic leadership and that of Joe Biden in a way that was clear and accessible to voters.
Trump’s emphasis on the southern border struck me as over the top, even if the points he was making have wide resonance.
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Put another way, I am virtually certain many on the left will proclaim the election over based on Harris’ strong performance. That will almost certainly be an exaggeration or an overstatement.
Trump will no doubt face a political setback from this week’s encounter with the vice president and the two moderators from ABC. But judging by the past, it would be a profound mistake to count him out.
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Body language expert gives take on Trump and Harris at presidential debate
Vice President Kamala Harris successfully baited former President Trump on several occasions at Tuesday’s ABC Presidential debate, making him see red and knocking him off course, according to body language expert Susan Constantine.
Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first time Trump and Harris shared the debate stage, with commentators opining that it was a good night for Harris while Trump has had better performances.
That was, in part, due to how Harris sparked reactions from Trump, who became more frustrated and angry as the night wore on.
IN THE TRUMP-HARRIS FACEOFF THERE WAS A CLEAR WINNER BUT DON’T BELIEVE THIS ELECTION IS OVER
Constantine tells Fox News Digital that Harris knew Trump’s weak points, such as questioning crowd sizes at his rallies, and when she brought them up, he defiantly responded — to his detriment.
“He fell for every one of her games; they were all tactics,” Constantine says. “So when she would poke the bear, he would growl back, and she would keep poking the bear and especially when it came to, of course, the crowds.”
Harris said that people at Trump’s rallies often leave early out of exhaustion and boredom. Trump responded by saying that his rallies have record-breaking crowds, whereas Harris buses people to her rallies and pays them to be there.
“She knew every single one of his weak points, and he would defend it instead of answering the question and just staying on task. He was spending most of his time hitting her back with the ball and also defending himself, which was not a good approach,” Constantine says.
“You could see that Trump was getting really, really upset about it. At one point, he dropped his shoulders, dropped his head, and he sunk. And then you see the upper lip [move upward] very quickly. It was a micro-expression of leakage, of hatred and disgust and scorn… he was really angry at her for saying that.”
HARRIS TELLS TRUMP HE’S ‘NOT RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN’ DURING DEBATE
Constantine says Trump was angry for a reason, noting that Harris made a lot of derogatory remarks, and thus he was unable to regain control of the debate after being goaded by Harris, whose smiles were reflective of her knowing she had cornered the former president.
“You would see his anger, his voice inflection, his breast eyebrows pursed or his tightened lips. He was angry. In fact, you could hear a lot in his voice,” she explains. “His lips were pressed most of the time. He was suppressing a lot of his own feelings towards her, which was anger. All that did was fuel for Harris because she knew she got him. That’s why you kept seeing the smiles. And every time she got him … she rewarded herself with a great big perma-smile.”
Constantine says that Harris’ smiles were often not genuine and were abnormally long. Harris also did this to prod Trump and smiled as a fallback plan when she didn’t agree with things Trump said, according to Constantine.
BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’
“Real smiles don’t last beyond the very longest four seconds. When a person holds that smile and does it throughout, that’s condescending, and what she’s doing is she is also dismissing what Trump is saying and [that] is covered with the perma-smile. That is inauthentic,” Constantine explains. “If she wants to diminish what Trump is saying, she smiles all the way through or even laughs at that in itself.”
Constantine says that there was a clear distinction between the two candidates: Trump with a more serious tone, Harris appearing happier.
In the beginning, Harris would kick her head back often and almost leave her head tilting up, which Constantine describes as a “superiority stance.” She raised her nose up and crossed her arms evaluating.
“It was condescending and also smug. Not a good move,” Constantine says.
Constantine says Harris was very illustrative with her hand movements and looked straight into the camera, knowing exactly how to frame her gestures.
“She spoke to the American people. She played the card musically perfect in a lot of ways. So I think that she had gotten a lot of coaching.”
Constantine says Harris went out of sync when she was tripped up about a question about whether she supports any restrictions on a woman’s right to an abortion.
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“She evaded that question because she couldn’t really answer,” she explains. “So that’s when her eyes go down she starts to do the ‘bobblehead.’ And that was a cluster of deception.”
Additionally, Constantine praised Harris for her pre-debate handshake, noting that the vice president moved into Trump’s space to engage with him.
“She paused for a minute. She was almost slightly hesitant, but then she went for it… So I’m going to give her a point for that one,” Constantine says. “Overall … it was certainly a boxing match. They were completely on opposite sides, of course. There was no love there on [the] Trump side, and then I think that Harris used that to her advantage and Donald Trump fell into the trap.”
Trump reacts to Taylor Swift endorsing Harris right after presidential debate
Former President Trump is not surprised by pop superstar Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Trump claimed the singer was always going to endorse the Democratic Party during a call-in to “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning.
“It was just a question of time. She couldn’t […] possibly endorse Biden. You look at Biden, you couldn’t possibly endorse him,” Trump said, clarifying that he is “not a Taylor Swift fan.”
TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT AFTER DEBATE: ‘I’VE MADE MY CHOICE’
“But she’s a very liberal person. She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it […] in the marketplace.”
Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president just minutes after the Democratic nominee’s presidential debate against her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
Writing on Instagram, the pop star said she will be voting for Harris because, “she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
TAYLOR SWIFT, BRITTANY MAHOMES HUG IT OUT AT US OPEN, HIT THE TOWN FOR DOUBLE DATE AMID TRUMP CONTROVERSY
Trump quipped during his “Fox & Friends” call-in that he “actually like[s] Mrs. Mahomes much better,” referring to Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“She’s a big Trump fan,” Trump said.
Mahomes first indicated her support for Trump on Aug. 13, when she liked Trump’s Instagram post that outlined the “2024 GOP platform.” The swimsuit model then appeared to respond to criticism on her Instagram Stories.
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“I mean honestly, To be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep-rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood,” she wrote on Instagram Stories after receiving criticism for her support. “There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”
Swift was with Travis Kelce and the Mahomes family at Flushing Meadows to watch the U.S. Open. Swift and Brittany Mahomes were snapped embracing each other lovingly.
Biden, Trump, Harris, Vance stand side-by-side in paying tribute to 9/11 victims
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both traveled to New York City following their first presidential debate showdown, to put politics aside and commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Nearly 3,000 people died as the result of a group of terrorists launching coordinated attacks against the U.S. by hijacking and crashing commercial airline planes at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in what became America’s most deadly terrorist attack.
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Trump and Harris participated in their first presidential debate Tuesday night before they both traveled to New York City.
President Biden; Harris; Trump; and his running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, attended the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center site, also known as Ground Zero, in lower Manhattan to commemorate 23 years since the terrorist attacks.
President Biden, former President Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and Ohio Sen. JD Vance were seen standing side by side Wednesday during the 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero.
Trump and Harris were seen shaking hands Wednesday at Ground Zero ahead of a remembrance ceremony for 9/11 victims.
After the ceremony, Trump is expected to visit New York Fire Department Engine 4, Tower Ladder 15.
He is then set to travel to Shanksville to the Flight 93 Memorial.
Biden and Harris are also expected to travel to Shanksville for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial.
Later, Biden and Harris will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
More than 400 first responders gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, including 23 New York City police officers, 37 Port Authority workers and 343 New York City firefighters.
The 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93, all of whom lost their lives, are believed to have prevented a larger attack by fighting back against the terrorists who hijacked the plane. The field in Shanksville where the plane crashed is just a 20-minute flight from the U.S. Capitol.
The Biden-Harris administration on Aug. 31, 2021, withdrew all U.S. military assets from Afghanistan, after having a presence for nearly 20 years following the 9/11 attacks.
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Amid the withdrawal, the Taliban took over Afghanistan and formally announced the formation of its new government. The Taliban’s government before 9/11 was the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before militants were ousted by U.S.-led forces in the wake of the attacks.
The 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by al Qaeda while it was being sheltered by the Taliban.
New poll shows which candidate Americans picked as winner of presidential debate
An overwhelming majority of debate watchers said they thought Vice President Kamala Harris outperformed former President Trump in Tuesday night’s debate, according to a CNN poll.
The survey respondents went into Tuesday night’s debate split, with 50% saying they expected Trump to win and 50% saying they expected a Harris victory. By the end of the night, however, 63% said Harris came out on top, compared to 37% for Trump.
Broken down by candidate, 96% of Harris’ supporters said they thought she won, while 69% of Trump supporters said the former president won.
CNN’s poll was conducted via text message, surveying 605 registered voters who said they watched Tuesday night’s debate. The poll advertises a margin of error of 5.3%.
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Trump allies have defended the former president’s performance at the Pennsylvania debate. Many have also criticized the ABC News debate moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis.
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“President Trump delivered a powerful America First message directly to the American people focusing on reining in inflation and strengthening our economy, securing our border, and peace-through-strength foreign policy,” House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said in a statement at the tail end of the debate.
“The ABC moderators were not journalists, they were pro-Kamala activists who baselessly attacked President Trump leading to a 3 on 1 debate, while allowing Kamala to lie repeatedly. President Trump won overwhelmingly and will win again on Election Day,” she added.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, similarly told Fox News host Sean Hannity, “The moderators didn’t do their job, but President Trump did do his job.”
ABC’S LINSEY DAVIS RAISES EYEBROWS WITH ABORTION FACT-CHECK AGAINST TRUMP: ‘COMPLETELY INTERJECTS HERSELF’
Trump himself said the debate was “three against one” as the moderators sided with Harris on a number of issues.
Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Trump about reports Harris’ campaign wants a second debate in October, and whether he would be open to it. Fox News has extended a formal invitation to both the Trump and Harris campaigns for a second debate next month.
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“She wants it because she lost,” Trump responded. “I don’t know. I have to think about it. But if you won the debate, I sort of think maybe I shouldn’t do it. Why should I do another debate? She immediately said we want another debate. That’s… you know what happens when you’re a prizefighter, and you lose? You immediately want a new fight.”
Iconic soup brand set to make historic name change after more than 150 years
The Campbell Soup Company is looking to make a historic change to its iconic brand name.
The company intends to take on the name The Campbell’s Company “as part of its evolution and transformed portfolio,” it said Tuesday.
“The subtle yet important change retains the company’s iconic name recognition, reputation and equity built over 155 years while better reflecting the full breadth of the company’s portfolio,” CEO Mark Clouse said in a statement.
Campbell announced the name change, which requires shareholder approval, as it provided updates on its growth strategy to investors.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPB | CAMPBELL SOUP CO. | 51.74 | -0.15 | -0.29% |
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The company said it aimed to “drive growth through 16 leadership brands” across its snacks and meals and beverages segments as part of its strategy.
Single dropped bag of Cheetos has devastating impact on one of America’s natural wonders
National Park Service officials got a little snarky with their serious message after crews rushed to stop the impact of a bag of Cheetos that was left inside Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.
In a Facebook post, the Carlsbad Caverns National Park posted an image of a full bag of Cheetos that was discarded inside the Big Room area of the cave system.
“Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go,” the post read. “How we choose to interact with others and the world we share together has its effects, moment by moment. And we feel it.”
The post continued, highlighting the times rangers are greeted with a smile or those times they get to share the dawn’s first rays with someone they care about.
COLORADO MAN FOUND DEAD AT GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, 7TH FATALITY IN PAST MONTH
On the flip side, rangers also get the experience of someone imposing their frustrations on anything, including times when they forget to pack their own sunscreen and snacks before visiting the park.
“Here at Carlsbad Caverns, we love that we can host thousands of people in the cave each day. Incidental impacts can be difficult or impossible to prevent,” the park wrote. “Like the simple fact that every step a person takes into the cave leaves a fine trail of lint.”
But there are other impacts, the park noted, that can be “completely avoidable,” like a bag of Cheetos left “off-trail in the Big Room.”
MISSING CLIMBER IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK FOUND DEAD AFTER SUFFERING APPARENT FALL
“To the owner of the snack bag, the impact is likely incidental. But to the ecosystem of the cave, it had a huge impact,” the post read.
The park went on to say processed corn in the otherwise crunchy, cheesy snacks was softened by the humidity of the cave and “formed the perfect environment” to welcome, and host fungi and microbial life.
Cave crickets, mites, spiders and flies can discover the snack and disperse the nutrients to the surrounding cave and formation. Molds also have the ability to spread high into nearby surfaces before fruiting, dying and releasing off a stench. After that, the park service explained, “the cycle continues.”
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In order to clean the mess, park rangers spent 20 minutes carefully removing foreign detritus and molds from cave surfaces.
“Some members of this fleeting ecosystem are cave-dwellers, but many of the microbial life and molds are not,” the post read. “At the scale of human perspective, a spilled snack bag may seem trivial, but to the life of the cave it can be world-changing.
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“Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go. Let us all leave the world a better place than we found it,” the park service added.