The debate about the debate is over. Kamala Harris And Donald Trump will share the stage for the first time in Philadelphia next week, in the must-win state of Pennsylvania. They will mute their microphones when not speaking—as the former president’s campaign did. favoriteapparently out of concern that he might be so agitated that he exploded otherwise. But within hours of the campaign Agree According to ABC News’ debate rules, Trump still complained about how unfair Tuesday’s match would be to him.
“They are the most dishonest network,” Trump said of ABC News, in a recorded conversation with Fox News. Sean Hannity Fourth, baselessly suggesting that Harris would be given questions in advance and mocking the host George Stephanopoulos with one of his nicknames—“George Slopadopoulos”—to the delight of the audience. “They’re disgusting. I think a lot of people will watch to see how disgusting they are.”
The debate—which will be moderated not by Stephanopoulos but by David Muir And Linsey Davis—the stakes are extremely high: Trump has widened his lead in the polls after the first debate of this cycle, after Joe Biden‘S poor performance raised concerns about his age and sensibility. But the race upside down after Harris took over the Democratic ticket, and the upcoming debate gives her a chance to continue her momentum. Speaking to Hannity, Trump again attacked her intelligence—“She doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing,” he declared—but insisted that the network was biased against her. “ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness,” Trump said.
Trump—as he did in June and many times before—is looking to lower his own expectations, making it easier to dismiss a poor performance as the result of the whole thing being rigged against him. You might recall this strategy from 2020, when he tried to sow doubt in the election process before he ultimately lost to Biden—and then sought to undermine the results afterward rather than concede. It’s a blueprint he’s using now, as he lays the groundwork to challenge the results of the election this fall.
“This election is terribly rigged,” he said. speak his supporters.
This is partly a chronically insecure man’s attempt to save face at all costs. But it is also part of his broader project to erode faith in the electoral process and democratic institutions, which he again showed contempt for on Wednesday night when he once again heaped praise on the illiberal Hungarian leader. Viktor Orban“Sometimes,” he told Hannity, “you need a strong man.”
