Karl Rove Makes Fun of Donald Trump for 'Catastrophic' Debate Against Woman He Once Called 'Dumb'

Karl Rove, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, reviewed Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's presidential debate on September 10, 2024. Although there are no clear results as to who won the elections, according to Rove, the Republican nominee "let his emotions get the better of him" and in his eyes, he was a total failure for whom the debate was a "train wreck." 

The Wall Street Journal columnist wrote in his journal, "Tuesday's debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a train wreck for him, far worse than anything Team Trump could have imagined." He further added that Harris did her homework right, and throughout the night, she kept him on the edge by frequently attacking his biggest weakness- his ego and he "lost his cool," per Mediaite.

"As is frequently the case with Mr. Trump, he let his emotions get the better of him. He took the bait almost every time she put it on the hook, offering a pained smile as she did. Rather than dismissing her attacks and launching his strongest counterarguments against her, Mr. Trump got furious," he continued. 

The 73-year-old shared his observations about Trump's body language, "As her attacks continued, his voice rose. He gripped the podium more often and more firmly. He grimaced and shook his head, at times responding with wild and fanciful rhetoric. Short, deft replies and counterpunches would have been effective. He didn't deliver them." 

The debate was the most-awaited moment in the current political circumstances. Although before Harris and Trump agreed to the presidential debate, the 78-year-old dodged the showdown many times making multiple excuses. While the vice president continued to challenge him for a face-off. Some people favored the former prosecutor, others defended Trump and blamed ABC moderators for being 'biased.' 

For instance, House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Tonight, President Donald Trump exposed Vice President Kamala Harris for the dangerous radical she has always been. From overseeing an open border, record-high costs, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, and wars around the world over the past 3 and a half years, to backing left-wing ideas," adding that she "refused to do a press conference" to avoid answering tough questions. 

Meanwhile, celebrities like Mark Ruffalo lauded Harris for her fiery performance. He wrote on X, "Honestly, I was anxious about this debate but what is clear is that Kamala not only has a vision for the future and lifting America up but she is just so much even-tempered and so much smarter than Trump. She crushed him."

However, Republican strategist Rove told Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Tuesday, September 10, "I think it was a mistake for Trump to basically diminish her, calling her stupid and lowering the bar for her because expectations matter a lot in these kinds of things." Although he agreed Trump missed the golden opportunity by following the same-old strategy, it'll still be a tight race this November, per The Hill.