In a heated discussion on CNN, senior political commentator Scott Jennings couldn’t hide his disbelief when Jamal Simmons, vice president Kamala Harris’ former communications director, claimed that president Donald Trump lost his first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle.
Jennings placed his face into his palms as Simmons argued that Trump’s apparent win might have cost him more than he realized.
The debate in question took place on June 27 between Trump and President Joe Biden.
Biden’s performance was widely criticized, leading to increased speculation about his ability to continue his reelection campaign.
This speculation culminated in Biden announcing his withdrawal from the race on July 21.
Simmons argued that this sequence of events signifies a strategic loss for Trump, despite his apparent victory in the debate.
“Look, Trump right now is zero for one when it comes to debates, right? Like he may think that he won that debate, but it might be that he actually lost the war because of that debate,” Simmons stated on CNN’s “News Central.”
He continued, “Because after that debate, Joe Biden left. And when Joe Biden left, he ended up with Kamala Harris, so he should be careful.”
Jennings, clearly taken aback, responded with a mix of humor and exasperation.
“Zero for one? Jamal, Jamal, my brother and colleague … He literally ran a man who’d been in politics for 52 years out of his chosen profession over a debate,” Jennings countered.
He went on to challenge Simmons’ logic by asserting, “I mean, look, I understand what you’re arguing, that you all traded in for a better candidate, but Trump won the debate. He is not zero for one. Are you saying he actually did so well that he did badly?”
The exchange highlights a critical question in the 2024 presidential race: Does the immediate impact of a debate performance outweigh the longer-term strategic implications?
Simmons suggested that while Trump may have won the debate tactically, the outcome may have strengthened the Democratic position by paving the way for Kamala Harris, whom he described as a stronger candidate than Biden.
“This is exactly the problem with campaigns. Very often people are focused on the minutiae of what it means in this tack or that tack,” Simmons explained.
“But the question is, are you winning the fundamental argument?”
“And for right now, Donald Trump may have tactically won the debate, but strategically, it may have cost him the entire election, because he ended up with a much better candidate than the one he was aiming for. And he’s probably now a couple of points behind.”
With Trump and Harris scheduled to face off in a debate on September 10, the stakes are high.
Simmons acknowledged that while Harris is a formidable opponent, her debating experience is limited compared to Trump’s.
“Remember this, Kamala Harris hasn’t been in a debate since she debated Mike Pence four years ago,” Simmons noted.
“Donald Trump has been in a couple of debates since then … She has not been in this debate format, so I think Democrats should give her a little bit of space to have maybe a slow start, give her a little bit of space to have some time to learn how to do the debate format again.”
Simmons remained optimistic about Harris’s chances, however.
“She’s going to do very well against Donald Trump. She’s got a lot of bullets in her arsenal, but let’s not oversell what’s going to happen this debate. Donald Trump will not be a whimpering pile of tears when the debate’s over,” he added.
As both parties prepare for the next showdown, the question remains: Will Trump’s debating prowess carry him to victory, or will Harris’s fresh candidacy provide the Democrats with a much-needed boost?
The upcoming debate will likely offer significant clues about the evolving dynamics of the 2024 presidential race.
Source: Resistthemainstream
