Following a widely criticized debate performance against Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance in the post-debate spin room, attempting to frame the moment as an act of “leadership.” Despite numerous negative reviews of his debate, Trump and his legal team used the opportunity to tout his performance and take questions from reporters.
Trump, in characteristic fashion, praised himself, claiming that polls showed up to 90% of viewers believed he won the debate. However, when asked by a reporter to clarify where he was getting those numbers, Trump did not provide a source.
Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, took to social media to present his post-debate appearance as a demonstration of strength. “No headphones in, and taking questions from all journalists,” she wrote in an X post. “THAT is leadership. That is strength. Where’s Kamala?”
Critics were quick to respond, with many speculating that Vice President Harris was celebrating her successful debate performance and solidifying her position as the Democratic nominee. Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, quipped, “Laughing at your desperation,” while Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall added, “At her victory party.”
Other commentators piled on. Legal analyst Jeffrey Evan Gold remarked, “Speaking to voters after crushing Trump,” and journalist Brian Karem noted, “She mopped the floor with him.” The general consensus was that Harris had outperformed Trump, leaving him scrambling to spin his appearance in a positive light.
Mike Harvey, a former Democratic candidate for Florida’s state Senate, criticized the Trump team’s approach. “She doesn’t need to be in the spin room because she has nothing to spin,” Harvey commented. “Her performance spoke for itself. You probably should have run this tweet past a spox because it does your client a disservice.”
Comedian Jay Black humorously chimed in, “Where’s Kamala? Celebrating her victory with some Taylor Swift music, Alina. Winners don’t have to slouch into the spin room and desperately try to turn their flop sweat into wine.”
As Trump’s team tried to salvage the night, many observers felt that Harris’ debate performance spoke louder than any post-debate spin Trump could offer.