Donald Trump and Kamala Harris met for the first time on the debate stage in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening for what could possibly be their first and solely presidential debate.

It was a stark distinction from the June 27 debate between President Joe Biden, 81, and Trump, 78.

Although Trump didn’t carry out nicely in opposition to Biden in June—fighting a scarcity of substance and repeating falsehoods—these points have been overshadowed by Biden’s disastrous efficiency, which was arguably one in every of the worst by any presidential candidate in historical past. This, mixed with Trump being shot in the ear in July, a COVID analysis, and continued missteps, finally pressured the present president to drop out of the race in his bid for re-election—selecting as an alternative to endorse his 59-year-old VP, Harris.

So, one query stays: was there a transparent “winner” in final evening’s debate?

The Polls After Harris-Trump Debate

In a CNN/SSRS ballot of 600 registered voters who watched the debate, 63% mentioned Harris was the higher performer, whereas 37% sided with Trump. Before the debate, the identical voters have been evenly break up on who they anticipated to carry out greatest.

This end result could possibly be a momentary snapshot, however Harris’s technique of placing Trump on the defensive was evident early in the night, notably on subjects like the economic system and abortion.

Trump maintains a powerful and devoted base, and the seven swing states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada—are usually extra conservative than the nation as an entire. Meanwhile, Harris holds a slim lead in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and is tied with Trump in 4 different swing states: Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona.

Polls, together with the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist ballot launched on Tuesday, present that extra individuals belief Trump over Harris to deal with points reminiscent of the economic system, immigration, and the Middle East. A New York Times/Siena College ballot urged that Trump leads Harris nationally by 48 to 47 p.c, which is nicely inside the margin of error. A CBS News/YouGov ballot additionally reveals Harris forward by one proportion level in Michigan and Wisconsin and tied with Trump in Pennsylvania.

While nationwide polls present a helpful gauge of a candidate’s recognition throughout the nation, they don’t seem to be all the time dependable indicators of the election’s consequence.

How Observers Felt After the Debate

Snap polls appeared to seize the quick reactions of viewers recent from watching the two candidates trade phrases. Among voters who watched the debate and determine as political independents, Harris’s favorability rose to 48%, up from simply 30% earlier than the debate.

“Perhaps men are too emotional to be President,” remarked Justin Wolfers, a professor of public coverage and economics at the University of Michigan.

“Harris played the long game in tonight’s debate, allowing former President Trump to reference his relationships with Viktor Orban, Kim Jong-un, and Vladimir Putin, as well as present internet-meme conspiracies about Haitian immigrants ‘eating dogs and cats’ in Springfield, Ohio, for a full 56 minutes before she asserted that Trump lacks the ‘temperament’ to be president,” commented Henrietta Treyz, managing companion and director of financial coverage analysis at Veda Partners.

“A lot of Trump’s supporters tuned in tonight expecting to see the mask fall off. The man who marketed himself as strong and in command is flailing, getting rattled, and looks small when challenged. There will be some genuinely surprised and disappointed Trump supporters after tonight’s performance,” noticed Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House communications director throughout the Trump administration.

“It wasn’t even close. Vice President Harris proved she’s the best choice to lead our nation forward,” mentioned President Biden.