The Demolition of Donald Trump

With clarity, passion, an ability to puncture her opponent's thin skin and, most of all, righteous indignation, Kamala Harris made clear why she should be the next American president

The Harris-Trump demolition derby. (Video screenshot)

Oh, did Kamala Harris get under Donald Trump’s skin. I think the point of no return for the malignant narcissist was when she talked about his failing rallies in which some of his followers leave out of boredom and exhaustion. After that (about a half hour in), he began to flail—his face pinched, his lips pursed, his eyes often cast downward. Obviously angry, struggling to control himself, drifting into tangents.

While Harris used the first minutes and virtually every chance she had to discuss her ideas for the future—$6,000 tax credits for new parents, $25,000 deductions for new homebuyers, $50,000 for entrepreneurs to start a small business, all part of what she calls her commitment to an “opportunity economy”—her aggrieved opponent could only talk about what’s wrong with America. America is “sick” and “dying” and “horrible.”

“We are a failing nation,” he said. “We are a nation in serious decline,” he said. “We are laughed at all over the world,” he said. “We are going to end up in a third world war,” he said. His plan? Well, there was no plan, except to blame—over and over and over—illegal immigrants for destroying the country. Immigrants…and Biden and Harris, of course.

The differences could be heard and seen, differences so stark that it’s hard to imagine that there could still be an undecided voter remaining among anyone who watched this debate. She was often smiling or shaking her head in disbelief, never flustered, clearly relishing the opportunity to prosecute the case against her opponent and articulate her vision for the country and candidacy. He was almost continuously aggrieved, struggling to contain his anger.

Harris’ attack was something to behold. Consider these words, intended to bait her thin-skinned rival.

What we have in the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem…I'm going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump's rallies because it's a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I'll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first.

His response? A lie, of course. “People don't go to her rallies,” Trump said. “There's no reason to go. And the people that do go, she's busing them in and paying them to be there...People don't leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.”

Soon, he shifted to blaming Harris and Biden for “allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country. And look at what's happening to the towns all over the United States.” What’s happening? “A lot of towns don't want to talk about it because they're so embarrassed by it,” he said. But “the people that came in, they’re eating the dogs…they’re eating the cats.”

ABC News’ David Muir, co-moderator with Linsey Davis, fact-checked that false and ridiculous statement. Repeatedly, Muir and Davis worked diligently to try and get Trump to answer direct questions, including whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russia and whether he would reject a national abortion ban. In both cases, he refused to answer the question.

But the vice president continued to explain why Trump should never set foot in the White House again. And she did so with a kind of righteous indignation that made clear how deeply she was feeling. Perhaps her most powerful moment came after Trump refused to say he regretted anything he did on January 6 and refused to acknowledge that he lost in 2020. He even insisted about J6: “I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech. I showed up for a speech.”

When Muir asked Harris about Trump’s refusal to admit he lost and his recent statements that he will prosecute “those people who cheated” and mete out “long-term prison sentences,” she responded with a wrecking ball:

Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people…Clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that. But we cannot afford to have a president of the United States who attempts as he did in the past to upend the will of the voters in a free and fair election. And I'm going to tell you that I have traveled the world as vice president of the United States. And world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you. And they say you're a disgrace.

And when you then talk in this way in a presidential debate and deny what over and over again are court cases you have lost, because you did in fact lose that election, it leads one to believe that perhaps we do not have in the candidate to my right the temperament or the ability to not be confused about fact. That's deeply troubling. And the American people deserve better.

His response: Hungary’s dictator Viktor Orban—”one of the most respected men”—supports him. And after Harris gave a nuanced answer about the Israel-Gaza war, including noting Israel’s right to defend itself after the horrific October 7 massacre, that too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, the need for a two-state solution and the right for Palestinians to have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve—Trump responded that “she hates Israel.”

Harris was not going to let that lie linger, delivering a final, fatal blow to the fabrication of Donald Trump the strong man.

That's absolutely not true. I have my entire career and life supported Israel and the Israeli people. He knows that. He's trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy. It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine. It is well known when that he said when Russia went into Ukraine it was brilliant. It is well known he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong un. And it is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they're so clear, they can manipulate you with flattery and favors. And that is why so many military leaders who you have worked with have told me you are a disgrace.

The closing statements offered a final contrast, just in case anyone missed it in the previous 90 minutes. Harris, who spoke first, closed with these last few words:

I'll tell you, as a prosecutor I never asked a victim or a witness are you a Republican or a Democrat. The only thing I ever asked them, are you okay? And that's the kind of president we need right now. Someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first. I intend to be a president for all Americans and focus on what we can do over the next 10 and 20 years to build back up our country by investing right now in you the American people.

And Trump’s closing words, talking about Biden and Harris:

What these people have done to our country, and maybe toughest of all is allowing millions of people to come into our country, many of them are criminals, and they're destroying our country. The worst president, the worst vice president in the history of our country.

There are still nearly two months before the votes in the 2024 election are tallied. We can expect that the thin-skinned narcissist, increasingly fearing defeat, will do anything to take down his opponent and escape the criminal accountability that will follow his loss. That includes declaring victory—whatever the outcome—and inciting his followers to demand he be installed by any means necessary.

But after this night—not simply a debate but a demolition derby—it would make sense for Trump to begin making serious plans for retirement. Because it’s increasingly clear: His days are numbered if all of us do the hard work of getting out the vote.

And that conclusion became more probable with the late breaking news that pop star Taylor Swift—with more than 280 million followers on Instagram—endorsed Harris. Young white women will be coming out in full force.

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $50 a year or just $5 a month, if you’re not already. This helps sustain and expand the work of America, America, keeps nearly all the content free for everyone and gives you full access to the comment sections.