US debate analysis: How Donald Trump tumbled into Kamala Harris’ traps

Kamala Harris tapped into her career as a prosecutor, delivering a well-prepared performance that brought out the worst in her more experienced opponent, writes Tom Minear.

Analysis

If you want to know how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are feeling about their first election debate, you only have to look at which one of them wants a second round.

While the former president’s aides boasted about his “masterful debate performance”, it was the Vice President’s campaign chair who declared seconds after the candidates left the stage in Philadelphia that she wanted to do it all over again.

It’s easy to understand why. The debate offered greater opportunities and held greater risks for Ms Harris, who had almost entirely avoided unscripted appearances since she was thrust into the race. Unlike Mr Trump, who is a known quantity for voters, polling showed a third of Americans wanted to learn more about the Vice President before they would vote for her.

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Picture: AFP

This could have been a trap, if she produced the word salads that have plagued her public appearances. Instead, she tapped into her career as a prosecutor, delivering a well-prepared performance that brought out the worst in her more experienced opponent.

Ms Harris stared down Mr Trump and confronted him directly. She laughed off his criticisms and responded while on the attack, rather than on the defensive. And when she baited him time and again, he could not resist tumbling into the traps she laid.

Donald Trump could not resist tumbling into the traps Kamala Harris laid during the US debate, writes Tom Minear. Picture: AFP

The debate strategy laid out for Mr Trump by his advisers was plain and simple: tie the Vice President to the failures of President Joe Biden, especially soaring inflation and record illegal immigration that have loomed as two of the most important issues for November’s election.

But it took him almost the entire contest to get that out in a sharp sledge: “She is Biden.” And one of Mr Trump’s best lines – when he asked why she failed to implement all of election promises when she was already in the White House – only landed in his closing statement.

Kamala Harris she tapped into her career as a prosecutor, delivering a well-prepared performance in her debate against Donald Trump, writes Tom Minear. Picture: AFP

In the meantime, Mr Trump tripped himself up on questions he should have seen coming. He boasted of his role in overturning the right to abortion. He suggested he would overhaul a popular health insurance scheme without saying how. And not only did he offer no regrets about the deadly January 6 riot, but he criticised an officer who defended the US Capitol.

Instead of nailing Ms Harris on immigration, Mr Trump’s most potent election issue, he repeated a bizarre conspiracy theory about Haitians eating people’s pets in Ohio.

The claims are catnip for his supporters – before the debate, he even posted AI-generated images of him defending felines. But in a neck-and-neck race that will be decided by a small number of swinging voters, it was not the game plan Mr Trump’s aides wanted him to follow.

No wonder Ms Harris wants to do it all again.