In the aftermath of the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, voters across the country expressed mixed reactions, with many praising Trump’s strong policy platform despite seeing Harris as the debate’s overall winner.
Fox News Digital gathered responses from a wide range of voters, capturing a nuanced view of the debate. Becky from Tennessee acknowledged Harris’s win.
“[Harris] made strong points about her policies,” she pointed out.
Edwin, an independent from Florida, noted Trump stuck to his familiar messaging, which he felt has been repeated over time. Despite this, Edwin remained supportive of Trump’s policies.
Concerns about economic conditions were evident among voters like Carolyn from Arlington, Virginia.
“Things are very high, and the economy is out of control,” she said.
She admitted to being worse off financially than four years ago. Carolyn, however stated she would trust Harris more than Trump to improve the economy.
“[Harris] was ahead of the game,” she said.
While several Harris supporters, like Mina from Texas and Alex from California, praised her debate performance, there were also criticisms of the debate moderators.
“They fact-checked [Trump] a lot and didn’t fact-check her, not even once,” said Alex.
For Trump supporters, the debate revealed both strengths and areas of concern. Sherry, a Trump supporter from California and Michigan, admitted disappointment.
“I love Trump… However, he was off his game and fed into her [Harris],” she said.
Meanwhile, Tamara from Washington D.C. noted Harris’s strategic approach.
“[Harris ]got under Trump’s skin.”
She, however, still trusted Trump to handle economic issues more effectively.
Other voters like Thomas from Michigan and Kenneth from Houston gave Trump the debate win for his solid policy focus.
“People want to be safe,” Thomas emphasized.
Kenneth praised Trump’s past leadership on the economy.
“He led this country to its peak of its economy,” he said.
Not all voters saw a clear winner. Gina from Michigan said both candidates left questions unanswered but praised Trump for being more direct. Voters were divided on whether further debates between Trump and Harris were necessary, with some expressing a desire for deeper policy discussions while others felt their minds were already made up.
Despite Harris’s win in the eyes of many voters, Trump’s policy focus remains a strong point for his supporters, and many are eager to see if further debates will offer more clarity on the key issues of the election.
FOX News, the Hill, and the New York Times contributed to this.
