After the conclusion of the second presidential debate between the candidates for the 2024 United States election, namely Trump and Harris, CNN analyzed that while Harris might have won the debate, it does not necessarily mean she will win the election. Multiple polls indicate that Harris had a slight edge during the debate, but there are also polls suggesting that Trump emerged as the victor.
On Tuesday, September 10, the debate was held in Philadelphia and broadcast by ABC News, where Vice President Harris clashed with former President Trump for the first time. Although neither candidate presented new specific policies, they showcased starkly different views on the economy, abortion, and foreign policy.
According to a poll conducted by independent agency SSRS commissioned by CNN among registered voters who watched the debate between Harris and President Trump, 63% believed Harris had a slight edge, while only 37% thought Trump performed better.
Prior to the debate, when asked which candidate would have a more outstanding performance, the opinions among the same group of voters were evenly split, with 50% believing Democratic candidate Harris would have a stronger performance and 50% believing Republican candidate Trump would prevail.
A YouGov poll conducted hours after the debate found that 43% of respondents believed Harris won the debate, while 28% thought Trump emerged as the winner. Approximately 30% stated that they were unsure.
However, polls by some right-wing media outlets concluded that Trump emerged victorious.
On September 11, CNN published an analysis pointing out that Harris’s performance in the debate energized the Democratic camp. When grading the candidates’ debate performances, individuals often do so with their personal political biases.
Even if Trump lost points in the debate, he has long held the advantage on the two main election topics—economy and immigration. Many voters are still anticipating an economic rebound post-pandemic, so the debate result may not be the decisive factor in their decision on who to vote for.
The article mentioned that while Trump may have exaggerated on immigration and crime issues, these shocking events have indeed occurred. If significant events take place domestically or internationally in the next two months, the deadlock between the two camps could potentially change.
Presidential debates often take days or weeks to resonate with voters and solidify impressions. Winning on the debate stage does not always translate into winning the election. Both Trump in 2016 and George W. Bush in 2004 were considered to have performed poorly in the debates and later went on to occupy the White House.
Furthermore, after the conclusion of the debate between Harris and Trump, Republicans in the studio believed that moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis showed favoritism towards Harris. Republican former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stated that the debate was a “three-on-one competition” against Trump, and Congressman Michael Waltz questioned the fairness of ABC News’ fact-checking.
Meanwhile, Democrats criticized Trump for appearing overly defensive when facing Harris. Governor Newsom of California stated in the interview room that Harris’s performance “exceeded everyone’s expectations”.