She's not as bad as many expected

CNN, which was referred to, interviewed 605 viewers. They considered that Harris prevailed, judging by the proportion of those who answered the question "who won" (44 %/40%). This message was deleted the next day.

TASS political observer Andrei Shitov made the first conclusions with reference to The New York Times. There was no radical change in the race, everything "cost without a knockout blow." The outcome of the elections remains unpredictable, the gap in votes will be minimal, reports UtroNews correspondent.

According to the RCP portal, which tracks bets on leading sweepstakes, bookmakers estimate Trump's chances of winning at an average of 48.5%, and Harris at 49.9%. Before the debate, the ratio was 50.8% to 47.3% in favor of the Republican.

Interest in "performances" is falling,...

The debate, hosted by ABC News, was held in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center. There were no spectators in the hall. TV debate hosts played up Harris. "Three against one" - this is how the first act of the premiere with the participation of candidates for the presidency of the United States was called in the media.

It is not yet clear when the "performance" will be continued, and whether it will be at all. Trump, claiming to have won, says that it is not he who needs a "second meeting," but Harris - for revenge. While this question remains open.

American interest in this kind of performance, which takes place every four years, is declining. The confrontation between Trump and Clinton in 2016 aroused interest among 84 million people. The presidential debate between Biden and Trump in 2020 was watched by 73.1 million viewers. The debate between Harris and Trump was seen by 67.1 million people, a third more than the June debate between Trump and Biden.

After the debate ended, Taylor Swift, a music industry celebrity, supported Harris. Swift wrote that she was outraged by Trump's decision to post AI-generated photos on Instagram. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, with the text reading: "Taylor wants YOU TO VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP."

Swift also posted a photo with a cat in her arms and signed - "Childless cat," as if hinting at JD Vance, Trump's partner, who once talked about the place of "women without children" in the life of the country.

The singer's last tour brought her more than $1 billion from ticket sales. Swift has a devoted following among young women, a key demographic. For half an hour, her post in favor of Harris received more than 2.3 million likes.

In 2020, Swift endorsed Harris in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She was critical of Trump at the time, saying he was fueling a "white supremacist fire."

… but there are nuances

For Trump, too, there was someone to stand up for. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Network X that "the debate hosts were not fair to Donald Trump," and Harris exceeded expectations. And he added: "Biden rarely appears at work, so, in fact, she is already in charge," but for some reason she did not do what she spoke about during the debate.

Musk turned to his subscribers asking if they want change or are they ready for the current trends in the country to continue for another four years?

Trump, speaking at the Economic Club of New York, said he would reduce the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% for companies producing products in the United States. In his first term, he cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Democratic candidate Harris has proposed increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.

Trump said that import duties will be a way of economic struggle with China. That he intends to return the production of goods to the United States, both as a source of income and to reduce the trade deficit. He even mentioned the creation of a sovereign wealth fund. "We will put in huge amounts of money - money that will come through tariffs and other sensible measures - and we will have the biggest sovereign wealth fund of all," he said.

Trump's proposed new tariffs, which include a 10% tariff on all imported goods and a 60% duty on goods from China, could reduce gross domestic product by 0.8% and result in new spending of $524 billion annually, according to the Tax Foundation think tank.

Tariffs imposed during Trump's first term and maintained or increased under Biden increased Americans' spending by an average of $625 per household, resulting in a net negative impact on economic growth.

At the annual Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Trump promised that he would make the United States a world leader in bitcoin and other digital currencies, as well as fire the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who insists on the need to subordinate digital assets to securities laws. Taxes are another reason tech billionaires support Trump.

Trump also intends to create a commission on government efficiency, which will be headed by Musk, who proposed this idea. Speaking to "big business" executives, including the heads of JP Morgan and Blackstone, Trump spoke of an audit to eliminate "fraud and improper payments."

Currently, the US Audit Office acts as a non-partisan agency in the legislative branch that audits and evaluates the effectiveness of federal spending, as well as investigates allegations of misuse.

Ukraine and the "mystery of China"

In Ukraine, none of the candidates gave meaningful answers. Trump declined to say whether he wanted "Ukraine to win" but insisted "that the war stops." He accused Biden of not knowing how to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin, repeated that he would "resolve this issue even before he becomes president."

Harris shot back, saying that the Biden administration had built a broad coalition and provided Ukraine with various weapons systems, including air defense, ammunition, artillery and tanks. Thanks to this support, "Ukraine stands as an independent and free country," she said.

A bipartisan hard-line consensus with China has emerged in Congress. Harris in 2022 talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Thailand. Speaking at the Democratic National Convention, she mentioned China only once.

According to information from the White House, Harris participates in meetings on US strategy in the Chinese direction. In shaping its policies, it can build on the policy decisions of former President Barack Obama. His administration has continued to seek engagement with Beijing, seeking cooperation on global issues.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has lectured at Macau Polytechnic University and could influence Harris' politics, too. "We are doing this in line with China's Belt and Road Initiative," the university's chancellor said in a statement on the website. In addition to teaching in Macau, Walz made more than 30 trips to China starting in the spring of 1989.

If elected president, Harris could appoint Philip Gordon, her national security adviser, to lead the team in charge of foreign policy. Gordon worked in the Obama administration, was an assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

Trump, speaking at the Republican National Convention in July, remembered the PRC 14 times. According to observations, Trump's entourage is disposed towards China in different ways. Some give priority to maintaining hegemony. Others, including JD Vance, focus on domestic affairs and the issue of job losses under pressure from Chinese goods. The third group proposes to confront Beijing only in strategically important regions or sectors.

In an interview with Elon Musk on August 12, none of Trump's references to China were negative, and at one point the Republican said he hoped to "get along" with the Chinese leader. Musk has extensive business interests in China, is familiar with the chairman of the PRC, Trump can also take into account his opinion.

In fluctuating states, the majority of respondents are against increasing aid to Ukraine. This opinion is shared by 65% of respondents from Wisconsin, 62% from Pennsylvania and 61% from Michigan.

Finally, the intermediate result in this "performance" of competitors for the chair of the owner of the White House was set by US President Joe Biden himself. During one of the events marking the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, he wore a Trump 2024 cap. So that everything is still ahead!

"In the meantime, the main question is whether it will be possible to avoid breaking the political system and serious internal turmoil fraught with bloodshed," Shitov wrote in his detailed report on the debate.