Trump Praises Nonexistent Debate Crowd: 'They Went Crazy'

Donald Trump recently claimed during an appearance on the Fox News show *Gutfeld* that, during the September 10th presidential debate, the audience “went crazy” when moderators fact-checked him. However, no audience was present at the debate. 

In his remarks, Trump accused the moderators of unfairly fact-checking him while not fact-checking Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent. He stated, “They didn’t correct her [Harris] once and they corrected me... And the audience went crazy.” Despite his insistence on an audience reaction, none existed, as the debate took place without a live audience.

Trump was fact-checked five times during the debate for making demonstrably false claims. Among these, he asserted that Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, supported the execution of newborn babies—a claim without evidence. He also alleged that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were “eating the pets” of residents, which has been debunked by the city’s Republican governor, the city manager, and the locals responsible for spreading the rumor, all of whom later apologized.

Despite these inaccuracies, Trump maintains that he won the debate, though many analysts and even some Republican strategists have declared it a victory for Harris. His claim follows a series of gaffes, including confusing states and people, which has led to growing concerns about his age and mental acuity.

Polling data further complicates Trump's narrative. According to *FiveThirtyEight*, Harris is forecasted to win all seven key swing states, with a 66 percent chance of winning the general election. In contrast, Trump has a 34 percent chance. While Nate Silver’s election model still gives Trump a slightly higher chance at 52 percent, the gap has been narrowing since the debate.

Meanwhile, betting markets such as Polymarket show Harris slightly ahead, with a 52 percent chance of victory, compared to Trump’s 47 percent.