EPIC BEATDOWN — The Weekly Opine

Kamala Harris treated Trump like a cagey lioness treats a tired, old wildebeest. (Photo credit ABC News screenshot)

Harris shines, Trump whines

The buildup to the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump, the former president, reminded me of the anticipation for the huge prize fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974. I remember a feeling of excitement, angst and butterflies percolating inside me as the day of the fight arrived, hoping my hero Ali would prevail. A similar adrenaline swelled inside leading up to the Harris-Trump debate.

If Harris-Trump had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped it in the 3rd round, awarding Harris victory by technical knockout. Unfortunately, for Trump, ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis could not stop the carnage as Harris thoroughly whipped Trump from top to bottom and side to side. After just 10 minutes Trump became unhinged, lying profusely about his intent to make abortion illegal at the federal level. Harris never let him regain his composure.

Trump was reduced into a caricature of Pavlov’s dog as Harris dangled bait (e.g., crowd size at Trump’s rallies) and then watched as a seething, demonic Trump uncontrollably and repeatedly took the bait. Among his myriad bad characteristics Trump is an undisciplined, spoiled juvenile masquerading as an adult.

After the debate, two things are not up for debate. First, Harris destroyed Trump, an immature, angry man not fit to be president. And second, the debate was as embarrassing for Trump as the first debate was for President Joe Biden. The difference being, of course, Republicans cannot change horses. The combination of Trump and the dopey, out-of-touch J.D. Vance is easily the worst presidential ticket of my lifetime.

Moderation

The debate moderators, Muir and Davis, were accused of favoring Harris by conservative commentators but in my view bent the rules in Trump’s favor. Several times Trump’s mic was left on, for example during the abortion discussion, allowing him to argue with Harris when it was her turn to speak. And on numerous occasions the moderators permitted Trump to break the rules by interrupting their next question to him, allowing Trump to follow-up on Harris’ follow-up. The few times Harris tried to do that the moderators cut her off.

ABC journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis were above average as moderators. (Photo credit ABC News screenshot)

There was some fact-checking but there should have been more. Davis did provide reality when Trump incredulously claimed Democrats support abortion in the ninth month and “execution” immediately following birth. Davis plainly explained that in no state in the U.S. is that legal. However, Muir said little as Trump once again erroneously claimed China pays the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. That is simply not true. When tariffs are placed on foreign products, American consumers pay a higher cost for the products after the products enter the U.S.

It can be maddening to watch highly-paid professional journalists from Fox, from CNN, and now from ABC often punt when given obvious chances to ask key follow-up questions (of both candidates). And moderators allow Trump much broader leeway compared to his opponent, as if they are afraid of Trump. Muir declined a golden opportunity to persistently follow-up and make Trump account for why he directed congressional Republicans to kill the border bill. It’s incredible that a journalist of Muir’s stature would let Trump slide on the topic Trump spent much of the evening railing about.

My other irritation with moderators (and many in the media) is their insistence on referring to Trump as President Trump. It should be former President Trump. Or convicted felon Trump.

Size didn’t matter

It’s been noted that Americans like a tall president. We’ve all seen photos of gatherings of world leaders where the U.S. president is usually the tallest person in the photo. Tuesday night, Trump’s height advantage was nixed when Harris walked over to greet him. While noticeably taller, in that moment Trump began to shrink as Harris forced him to shake hands while exchanging pleasantry. Then Harris walked to her lectern and proceeded to dismantle Trump with the timing and precision of a prosecutor dissecting an unprepared defendant.

Harris wasted no time setting the stage. Trump, she said, would spend the debate lying while she would use the opportunity to demonstrate a vision of unifying all Americans. Like an actor reciting his lines, Trump lied because he wakes up lying and goes to bed lying. Harris poked Trump from the outset, including ridiculing his rallies and the fact that Trump supporters often leave early, bored by his rambling grievances and nutty conspiracy theories.

Just like water boils at 212 degrees, Trump accelerated his irretrievable descent by arguing about – what else? – crowd size. Trump falsely claimed his rallies are the biggest in history and lied again by claiming Harris pays people to attend her rallies and buses people into her rallies.

Harris took control by forcing Trump to shake hands. (Photo credit ABC News screenshot)

The most ridiculous lies Trump told were the lie about late-term abortions and post-birth executions, and the whopper that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are stealing people’s dogs and cats and eating them. Harris’ reaction was priceless, a combination of incredulity, amusement and outright laughter. Muir cited Springfield authorities’ rejection of Trump’s claim as false. Yet, Muir allowed Trump to talk over him when Muir should have emphatically shut down the mentally deranged Trump’s immigrants eating dogs and cats story, which has also been promoted by J.D. Vance.

Harris’ timing was flawless throughout the debate. When Trump lied about migrants committing crime and lied about the trajectory of overall crime statistics in America, Harris forcefully reminded Trump (and voters) that Trump is a 34x convicted felon awaiting sentencing and has been indicted on felony counts in three other criminal proceedings. This sent Trump into another tailspin of lunacy. And he shriveled up when Harris landed a haymaker telling Trump that Vladimir Putin would “eat you for lunch.” Somebody fetch the smelling salt.

Seriously, folks, Trump is a sick, mentally disturbed man who is finally being fully exposed, now that the media is no longer obsessed with President Biden’s mental acuity. (On his worst day Biden is superior to Trump’s best day.)

Trump’s incoherent answers when questioned about Ukraine, Putin, and Kim Jong Un are telling. His lying about his involvement with Project 2025, his lying about his treasonous insurrection, his bragging about his plan to imprison political opponents, and his continually talking about World War III – almost as if he hopes it will happen – reinforce that Trump is arguably the most dangerous human on Earth. When pressed about plan specifics to replace Obamacare, which he’s bragged about doing for nearly a decade, Trump muttered he has a couple of “concepts.” Really, no detailed plan after all this time?

Ever the sore loser, yesterday a rattled Trump offered another lie, suggesting ABC furnished debate questions to Harris in advance.

Pre-debate, several MAGAs thumped their chests with pride because they were part of Trump’s debate prep team. Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard are among those who contributed to the GOP debate disaster. If I was a Republican in charge, I wouldn’t let Gaetz, Gabbard and their ilk help me prepare a grocery list.

After the debate’s ironclad proof, anyone who still cannot see that Kamala Harris should be our next president is beyond salvation. Along with displaying their ignorance, Trump supporters are a disgrace to America.