CNN’s Jake Tapper praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ debate performance on Tuesday night, highlighting her ability to provoke Donald Trump into reactive outbursts throughout the 90-minute event.
“Vice President Harris’ supporters have got to be pleased with her performance this evening,” Tapper commented shortly after the debate aired on ABC News. He pointed out that Harris repeatedly led Trump into discussing his favorite grievances, drawing him off-topic on multiple occasions.
“Over and over, baiting Donald Trump into talking about crowd sizes and court cases and Nancy Pelosi and Russiagate and grievances,” Tapper said. “And he took the bait almost every time!” Tapper remarked on how easily Trump reacted to Harris’ jabs. “He cited Fox hosts as fact-checkers reported MSNBC.
He invoked Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban as a character witness. It was like a 4chan post come to life,” Tapper observed, noting Trump’s frequent divergence into unrelated topics. He really took her bait, almost every time,” Tapper emphasized, underscoring Harris’ strategic approach to the debate.
The event, which spanned more than 90 minutes, covered a wide array of topics, including abortion, the war in Ukraine, health care, and immigration. While both candidates debated these crucial issues, it was Trump’s remarks on immigration that caught Tapper’s attention.
At one point, Trump cited a debunked conspiracy theory about Haitian migrants. “He invoked what authorities in Springfield, Ohio are saying is just false, a debunked meme that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets,” Tapper said, noting the unusual and baseless claim Trump made on the debate stage.
The night saw Trump frequently diverting from policy discussions to focus on personal grievances, much to Harris’ advantage. Tapper’s analysis suggested that Harris’ deliberate provocations were effective in exposing Trump’s tendency to spiral into controversial and unrelated topics, allowing her to maintain control of the debate’s narrative.
As the night came to a close, Tapper’s assessment reflected the view that Harris had succeeded in pushing Trump off balance, showcasing her ability to handle the high-pressure situation while keeping her opponent on the defensive.