Trump allies hope the debate will turn the page from Harris' 'honeymoon'
Allies of Donald Trump see Tuesday's debate as a pivotal moment for the Republican nominee — a chance to shore up support and turn the corner from Kamala Harris' post-nomination "honeymoon."
WASHINGTON — Allies of Donald Trump see Tuesday's debate as a pivotal moment for the Republican presidential nominee — a chance to shore up support and turn the corner from Kamala Harris' post-nomination "honeymoon."
“Failure would give people permission to leave,” said a former adviser, adding that Trump must clear a bar set by his own performance against Hillary Clinton in the second presidential debate of 2016, when he was seen as taking her to task on policy issues and skipped the rage-infused language of his stump speech.
Fresher in people's minds, however, will be the previous debate, where Trump finished on a high note; not only did President Joe Biden's stumbling answers ultimately lead to his replacement, but Trump's own performance was also largely lauded by Republicans as disciplined.
The intervening weeks, however, have been a roller coaster. As Biden floundered, Republicans rallied around Trump at the party's convention in Milwaukee after a failed assassination attempt on July 13.
But things quickly shifted when Biden dropped his re-election bid. Harris' unexpected ability to quickly consolidate Democratic support, raising significant amounts of cash and generating new enthusiasm in the party, left many Republicans fretting.
Rating: 5