Washington Edition: Debate bait

Harris puts Trump on defensive [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( This is Washington Edition, the newsletter about money, power and politics in the nation’s capital. Readers of the Balance of Power newsletter are also receiving this debate special in which Bloomberg Businessweek national correspondent Joshua Green assesses the first, and perhaps only, Trump-Harris debate. [Sign up here]( and follow us at [@bpolitics](. Email our editors [here](mailto:dcnewsletter@bloomberg.net). Provocation From the opening moments of their debate, it was clear that Kamala Harris had a plan: provoke Donald Trump into losing his temper, launching personal attacks and making wild claims. She could hardly have scripted a better outcome. Confounding expectations that the focus of the evening would be Harris, the newcomer to the race, much of the 90-minute showdown in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center consisted of [the vice president baiting Trump]( who readily chased the hook. Trump after the debate Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket in July because the party feared the president wasn’t up to the task of effectively prosecuting a political case against Trump. Harris leapt at the chance. It didn’t take long before she was mercilessly needling Trump about his 34 felony convictions, the size of his rally crowds, his 2020 election loss, and his refusal to give a yes or no answer on whether he would veto a federal abortion ban. She made every effort to bruise his vanity, claiming that he was “weak and wrong on national security” and “adores strongmen” like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who, Harris charged, “would eat you for lunch.” A glowering Trump spent long portions of his answers defending his popularity — “the most incredible rallies in the history of politics” — and falsely asserting that he won the 2020 election, instead of maximizing the time he spent on what polls show is Harris’ biggest liability, voters’ unhappiness with inflation and the economy. When Trump did go on the offensive, he made little attempt to appeal to voters beyond his base, often speaking in a coded conservative shorthand that would only be familiar to inveterate watchers of Newsmax or Fox News. He claimed Harris would do a poor job of managing the economy because she was “a Marxist.” He was far more animated by the latest phony right-wing conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating people’s dogs and cats. During the debate, “dog eating” spiked on Google’s Search Trends, which is probably not something Trump’s campaign strategists were hoping to see. Perhaps more damaging to Trump’s cause, he didn’t do much to rebut Harris’ assertion that he’d sign a federal abortion ban, which is destined to be an issue with the swing voters who’ll decide the election. Trump partisans blamed the moderators. But Trump couldn’t manage his own emotions or muster a clear and consistent attack on his opponent. As is common, both campaigns declared victory. But Harris’ team showed one clear sign of confidence — as soon as the debate concluded, they issued a statement calling for another one. — [Joshua Green]( Key Reading: - [Betting Market Sees Harris Win Over Trump: Debate Takeaways]( - [Taylor Swift Endorses Harris for President After Debate]( - [Trump Refuses to Say If He Wants Ukraine to Win Against Russia]( - [Harris Says Trump ‘Sold Us Out’ to China, Slams His Praise of Xi]( What’s Next UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Biden at the White House on Friday. The next meeting of Federal Reserve policymakers to set interest rates takes place Sept. 17-18. Presidential candidates, parties and PACs file their monthly financial reports with the Federal Election Commission on Sept. 20. Current government spending authority expires at midnight Sept. 30. The vice presidential nominees, Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, are scheduled to debate on Oct. 1. 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