The biggest loser in the first (and likely only) presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump was ABC News, which hosted the showdown. The moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, made fools of themselves and their network by, among other things, fact-checking Trump in real time on more than one occasion — sometimes incorrectly — while allowing Harris to spout serial lies and distortions.

Early in the debate, there was a lot of discussion on social media. Commentators, particularly from the right, called Tuesday night’s meeting the worst and most one-sided debate in history.

IN THE TRUMP-HARRIS CONFLICT THERE WAS A CLEAR WINNER, BUT DON’T BELIEVE THIS ELECTION IS OVER

Some of the untruths Harris could (and should) have checked:

1. Talking about Project 2025 as if it were Trump’s manifesto, and saying he will implement a nationwide ban on abortion

2. Bringing up Trump’s comment about Charlottesville – that there were “very fine people on both sides” – which has since been debunked

3. Saying that Trump was responsible for the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, which was caused by the pandemic

4. Saying Donald Trump is against IVF

5. Denying that Kamala Harris ever called for gun confiscation (there are videos of her doing so)

6. Saying that Trump’s tax cuts only helped rich people

7. And my special bete noir: saying she and Biden have “created” 800,000 manufacturing jobs, which is simply not true.

There were others. Harris lied about her own record and Trump’s and was not called to account for either.

LEFT-WING FACT-CHECKER ADMITS TRUMP NEVER CALLED CHARLOTTESVILLE NEO-NAZIS ‘VERY NICE PEOPLE,’ A BUMP FOR BIDEN

Perhaps that was inevitable; the left-wing media is in a panic now that Harris’ honeymoon appears to be over and Trump is back in the lead and in some polls even leading.

Harris’s pathetic attempt to not commit to any policies during the campaign failed; her refusal to give solo interviews and press conferences left American voters in the dark. As a result, the debate was important. People wanted to know where she stood. Unfortunately, because she deflected on most questions and failed to elaborate on the few policies she did propose, they still have little idea of ​​her positions.

ABC DEBATE MODERATORS OUTRAGE OVER TRUMP’S AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING, HARRIS’ EASY TREATMENT

That should have been the moderators’ job, but they refused to do it. Instead, they let her continue with Biden-esque platitudes. Once again, a bitterly partisan candidate promises to unite the country. Remember that one?

Early on, the moderators asked Harris whether people were better off under the Biden-Harris administration than they were under the Trump administration. Instead of identifying areas where progress has been made (perhaps because there hasn’t been), she began describing her “opportunity economy.” This refers to her “plan,” which she has often touted, and which is apparently based on giving people money to buy houses, giving people money to start businesses, and giving people money to help them raise children.

How taxpayers will pay for all this “opportunity” was not said. This is, of course, very Bidenesque — promising money to key voting groups like young people who have turned away from Democrats and small business owners who have historically backed Trump.

TRUMP ATTACKS WITH HARRIS, MODERATORS DURING HEATED PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘SHE HAS NO PLAN’

Trump, on the other hand, failed to prosecute his case. While Harris seemed over-prepared and rehearsed, with ready-made gestures and measured mannerisms, Trump was clearly under-prepared. It’s frustrating for his supporters, because he has the facts on his side. He actually built a strong economy, only to see it collapse because of COVID. He actually left the world at peace and negotiated important new alliances between Middle Eastern countries. He actually degraded Iran’s ability to wage proxy wars through sanctions and limited Russia’s energy dominance by canceling the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. And he warned the world about China’s crooked intentions and rule-breaking; none of his predecessors had tried to rein in Beijing.

But instead of arguing forcefully about his successes, he digressed. And he forgot to smile.

TRUMP CHANGES ‘I’M TALKING’ SCRIPT FROM 2020 DEBATE AGAINST KAMALA HARRIS DURING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SHOWDOWN

Instead of patiently and systematically challenging Harris with evidence that his administration had helped the middle class more than hers, Trump fell into his old habit and once again claimed that he had actually won the 2020 election.

That was a mistake, and the liberal press will undoubtedly have jumped for joy. His comments will breathe new life into Biden and Harris’ warnings that Trump is a threat to democracy, a topic that has all but disappeared from political discourse in recent months.

He repeatedly lashed out at Harris over her failure to curb illegal immigration, but failed to specify the damage done by the influx of migrants into our cities, failed to mention the staggering number of people killed by fentanyl because of our open border, or the 320,000 children the White House was no longer tracking. That was low-hanging fruit and a missed opportunity.

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He also took the bait more than once. When Harris trashed his rallies, saying people were bored and walking out, he couldn’t resist starting a discussion about crowd size again…

Trump did make some good points, such as noting that the Biden-Harris White House, despite criticism of his tariff policies, had left its tariffs on imports from China in place because they were effective. He also railed against the jobs supposedly “created” by the current White House, calling them “bounce-back” jobs. He’s right.

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His most effective moment of the evening was when he asked in his closing statement why she hadn’t continued with her “opportunity economy” and her other plans for the past three and a half years? Why hadn’t she fixed the border or created more jobs?

That’s the question the moderators should have asked.

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