Social media erupted Wednesday morning with a torrent of reactions following the heated presidential face-off. Taylor Swift, one of the world's most influential and best-selling artists, emerged as the loudest voice, declaring her unwavering support for Kamala Harris. An avalanche of endorsements included former President Barack Obama and incumbent President Joe Biden, yet while Democrats are celebrating, several Republicans took aim at the moderators for allegedly tilting the scales in Harris' favor.
Video: Trump on Harris: If she's president, Israel would not exist within two years. Credit: ABC News
The President lauded his vice president's debate performance, tweeting: "America got to see tonight the leader I've been proud to work alongside for three and a half years. Wasn't even close. VP Harris proved she's the best choice to lead our nation forward. We're not going back." President Obama chimed in, asserting, "We saw firsthand who has the vision and strength to move this country forward instead of dividing us. Kamala Harris will be a president for all Americans."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently bowed out and pledged support to Trump, seized on Harris's coronavirus comments, suggesting a potential slip-up that might undermine her credibility: "VP Harris sounds like she just admitted the Covid virus originated in a lab. That was one of the 'conspiracy theories' the Biden-Harris administration censored on the Internet," he posted on his X account.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential hopeful who exited the race, insinuated bias among the debate moderators: "This is an interesting debate format: 3-on-1." Bill Ackman, the Jewish billionaire and Pershing Square founder, echoed this sentiment, questioning: "Why do the moderators only fact check Donald Trump and not Kamala Harris?"
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, advocated for another debate, arguing that "The moderators might as well be on the DNC payroll. This is ridiculous. This is the worst moderated debate in history."
Graham also revealed that he commended Trump on what he considered one of the debate's pivotal moments – the former president's closing argument challenging Harris on her failure to enact significant changes in Americans' lives over the past three and a half years.
A snap poll conducted by CNN crowned Kamala Harris as the clear victor of the presidential debate, with 63% of those surveyed favoring her performance over Donald Trump's, while 37% believed the Republican candidate had the upper hand.
