Former President Trump and Vice President Harris are fanning out across the battlegrounds following Tuesday’s debate, which was watched by more than 67 million Americans.
Trump said on his social media platform TruthSocial on Thursday that there will not be a second debate between them. He declared himself the winner of Tuesday’s debate, even as many Republicans vented frustration over his performance and urged him to try to redeem himself in a rematch.
“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH.’ Polls clearly show that I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate, on Tuesday night, and she immediately called for a Second Debate….KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Democrats are riding high, as new post-debate polls from Reuters/Ipsos and Morning Consult find Harris with a 5-point national lead.
Here’s a look at what the candidates are doing in their first events since the debate.
🔴 TRUMP
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The former president will deliver remarks Tuesday in Tucson as he seeks to grow support among Latino voters. The latest New York Times-Siena College national survey found Harris leading Trump 51 percent to 42 percent among Latino voters, a much smaller margin than President Biden’s 61-36 advantage over Trump in 2020. Arizona is key to Trump’s Sun Belt strategy, and it might be a must-win state for the former president, who in 2020 became the first GOP presidential candidate to lose there since 1996. The latest polling average from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ finds Trump and Harris are tied.
- On Friday, Trump will hold a rally in Las Vegas another crucial Sun Belt state. Trump was running strong in Nevada when Biden was in the race, but Harris has since regained a small lead in the polls.
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Over the weekend, Trump will hold a rally in Nassau County on Long Island, a GOP stronghold in the blue state of New York.
🔵 HARRIS
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The vice president is making two stops across North Carolina on Thursday as she tries to steal a traditionally red state that has been extremely competitive in recent elections. The Tarheel State might be another must-win for Trump. The candidates are currently tied there in the polls. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) told The Hill’s Alexander Bolton Tuesday’s debate was bad for Trump: “I think you may have a few coming out, particularly [in the] female demographic, that’s lean-Harris now. I believe we missed a lot of opportunities [Tuesday] night.”
- On Friday, Harris returns to Pennsylvania, which could be the tipping point state for both candidates in the race for 270 Electoral College votes.
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The Hill’s Brett Samuels reports that Harris will be doing more interviews with local media outlets as part of her swing-states blitz. She’ll also sit for an interview next week with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Trump was interviewed by the NABJ last month, where he questioned whether Harris is Black.
Perspectives:
The Washington Monthly: Harris is good at this.
The National Review: Is it too much to ask that Trump prepare for debates?
The American Prospect: Notes for Harris for next time.
Unherd: ABC News lost the presidential debate.
The Nation: Harris baited Trump into scaring swing voters.
Vox: Will Taylor Swift’s endorsement actually matter?
The Liberal Patriot: Harris’s working class problem.
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