Republicans dismayed by Trump’s ‘bad’ and ‘unprepared’ debate performance

GOP lawmakers and analysts virtually unanimous that Trump was second best to Harris in first presidential debate

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arriving to begin speaking to reporters in the spin room after a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. Picture: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Donald Trump’s campaign was in damage control mode on Wednesday amid widespread dismay among supporters over a presidential debate performance that saw Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, repeatedly goad him into going wildly off-message and missing apparent opportunities to tackle her on policy.

Republicans were virtually unanimous that Trump had come off second best in a series of exchanges that saw the vice-president deliberately bait him on his weak points while he responded with visible anger.