Joe Biden Reacts to Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump Debate

Following Kamala Harris' debate against Donald Trump on ABC News, President Joe Biden praised her performance, declaring that she had "proved she's the best choice" for America. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Biden expressed his pride in working alongside Harris for over three years, stating that the debate was not close and that Harris demonstrated she is the right leader for the nation's future.

Biden, now 81, exited the presidential race shortly after a challenging debate with Trump on June 28, which raised concerns about his age and mental fitness. This left Harris, 59, as the Democratic nominee. In their first and possibly only debate of the election cycle, Harris and Trump clashed on a variety of issues including the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.

One of the most heated moments involved Harris criticizing Trump's opposition to a bipartisan border bill that had initially received support from both parties. Harris argued that the bill would have bolstered border security by adding agents and resources to combat drug and human trafficking, but Trump urged Republicans to block it. She accused him of preferring to campaign on unresolved problems rather than fixing them.

The debate also took a personal turn when Harris called out Trump for his rally behavior, suggesting that attendees often leave early out of boredom, and poking fun at his references to "fictional characters" like Hannibal Lecter. Trump, in turn, dismissed Harris' claim, boasting that his rallies draw massive crowds while accusing Harris of struggling to attract attendees without busing them in.

Polls conducted immediately after the debate indicated a strong performance from Harris, with 63% of viewers in a CNN poll believing she won the debate, compared to 37% for Trump. Harris also saw an improvement in her odds of winning the election, with major bookmakers showing a boost in her chances. However, Trump and his supporters criticized both Harris and the debate moderators for what they perceived as biased fact-checking, with Trump being fact-checked several times while Harris faced none.

Despite the controversy, Harris’ post-debate approval ratings stood in contrast to Biden's, whose performance in the June debate was viewed less favorably.