DONALD Trump’s incendiary claim that illegal immigrants are eating people’s PETS have left our experts divided.
The Never Mind The Ballots panel was gobsmacked as the Republican nominee went on the attack in last night’s election debate clash with Kamala Harris.
Gary StoneLabour peer Ayesha Hazerika and former Tory Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng react to the US election debate[/caption]
Gary StoneHarry Cole hosts a Never Mind The Ballots special that you can watch in the video player above[/caption]
The Mega AgencyDonald Trump and Kamala Harris face off in their first TV debate[/caption]
Trump speaks during the debate
In one shock moment, Trump alleged that America’s illegal migration crisis is so bad that some are even eating people’s beloved animals.
He said: “A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they’re so embarrassed by it.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”
It led his Democrat rival Harris to accuse him of being “extreme”, while the debate moderators insisted there were “no credible reports of pets being harmed”.
But despite the dubiousness, ex-British Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng thought the shock and awe statement could play in his favour.
As host Harry Cole said the claim will “be a talker”, the former Tory Cabinet Minister said: “He’s winning. If we’re talking about people eating pets, he’s winning.”
Labour peer and broadcaster Ayesha Hazerika fumed at Trump’s “nonsense” and “misinformation off the scale”.
But Mr Kwarteng said “the fact people are talking about it” means it will gain traction.
Immigration has become a central issue of the election, with Trump accusing Harris of failing in her capacity as Joe Biden’s “border tsar”.
Illegal crossings have soared in the past four years when the vice-president was tasked with tackling the root causes of migration from Central America.
HARRY COLE: Both landed blows – but race is still too close to call
By HARRY COLE, Political Editor
AFTER a slow start, it was only once Harris began prodding and poking at the size of his rallies, a particular issue that is dear to his heart, that he actually went really on the personal attack about his personal wealth, his inherited wealth from his father, and his business career that the old Don that we recognize and entertains us, began to come out.
He was angry. He got more orange. He got more aggressive. There was tax, illegal migrants, eating cats and dogs.
There were the two camps really talking to their bases. They were addressing their fans because elections are decided on who can get their face out to a large degree.
Really strong moments from Harris on abortion, very strong moments for her on healthcare. She was a lot weaker on the economy.
Very tricky for someone who’s been in power for four years as Vice President to not be able to really defend the record.
She dodged questions on inflation, she dodged questions on cost of living, and then Trump really went on the attack.
He tried to link everything back to immigration. That is what he wants to talk about. He wants to talk about immigration and fracking.
He’s swinging states. He needs to win. Fracking is a big issue.
Kamala Harris’ record on that is dubious at best.
She’s saying the right things now but there wasn’t a real knockout blow on either side, the bar was lower for Harris.
She needed to prove that she could do the no notes, the no scripts, the no sound bite moments without a sort of prompt or without a soft soap interviewer to help her.
She was being very restricted and kept on a very tight leash during this campaign.
And you know, frankly, she she hit that, she cleared that, that low bar.
The money markets were moving tonight, Trump started out as favourite at the Betfair exchange and Kamala Harris ended up just nudging it.
It’s still too close to call, but really gaining on Donald Trump in the betting markets.
At the end, Trump had a very strong closing statement where he hit all of his key points on immigration, Biden, the economy, national security and defence. The race is still too close to call.
But our panel thought former president Trump – sporting a new hairstyle – missed some chances to land the killer blows on Harris.
During one immigration segment on the stage in Pennsylvania, Harris goaded him by suggesting people do not attend his campaign rallies.
Trump – who prides himself on pulling big crowds at his stump speeches – lashed back: “People don’t leave my rallies.
“People don’t go to her rallies. There’s no reason to go.
“We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.”
Baroness Hazerika – a former Labour adviser – said: “Her team would have told her to go for the rallies, the red mist will descend.”
The high-stakes debate – which saw the candidates trade blows on fracking, climate change, Ukraine and Afghanistan – seemed to fall in Harris’ favour as the betting markets swung to her.
More than £1million was wagered on the Betfair Exchange in the space of the debate and saw the Democrat leapfrog Trump slightly.
Heading into the bust-up, the Republican was the 20/21 favourite on – giving him a 52 per cent chance of winning.
But midway through the debate his odds drifted to 11/10, falling to a 48 per cent chance according to punters.
Key moments: Our experts choose their debate highlights
By ELLIE DOUGHTY, Foreign News Reporter
TONIGHT’S debate saw our panel of experts left shocked by comments made by Donald Trump as he claimed immigrants are eating pets, refused to side with Ukraine in talks on Putin’s war and said some states allow babies to be “executed” after birth.
As the turbulent debate came to a close our guests on Never Mind The Ballots gave their takes on the key moments of the evening.
Kwasi Kwarteng, former Chancellor, said: “She’s just edged it. Nobody knew who she was and she’s done well enough for people to remember who she is.”
He said Harris’ more personal attacks on Trump’s political rallies caused him to freeze up.
The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole described Harris’ opening minutes – which saw her drop over 1 per cent in Betfair polling – as “low energy”.
He said she failed to give straight answers on the economy and immigration, but “just nudged it” by the time of closing statements.
Harry said had a “very strong closing speech” where he touched on key topics including immigration, the economy, healthcare, Biden and more.
Trump “threw Kamala to the wolves” in the powerful round-up.
Labour peer and broadcaster Ayesha Hazerika said of Kamala: “She was well prepared, she rehearsed, and it shows,” dubbing her strong response on Trump’s abortion comments “powerful and compelling”.
“She was focused, calm, articulate and powerful,” Hazerika added.
Meanwhile she dubbed Trump “unhinged, negative and angry”.
When discussing the Ukraine war Trump refused to be drawn on supporting Ukraine, instead insisting all measures must be taken to “stop the war” and limit the loss of human life in both Russia and Ukraine.
He warned Harris would push the world towards World War 3 with a weak take on Putin’s illegal invasion, fast approaching its third year.
Hazerika said the debate could be a “game-changing moment” and could be the first and last debate he does with Harris.
She added: “He won’t want to do another debate. Can she take him on? She’s absolutely answered the question.”
Gary StoneBetfair’s Sam Rosbottom crunches the betting numbers during the debate[/caption]
Harris and Trump clash on abortion
By ELLIE DOUGHTY, Foreign News Reporter
KAMALA Harris gave Donald Trump a “duffing up” over abortion in the opening clash of the debate.
Our panel of experts on Never Mind The Ballots gave the Democrat the edge on the thorny issue.
They said Vice President Harris “struck the first blow on abortion” and solidified her support with female voters on the contentious issue.
After what The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole dubbed a “low energy” start to the long-awaited debate Trump and Harris came to explosive blows over the reproductive rights debate.
Trump claimed certain states allow abortions at nine months and said babies have been “executed” under some state laws.
Broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika slammed the comments as “outrageous” and said Harris’ response was the “money shot” for her to secure women’s votes in key swing states.
Moderator Linsey Davis stepped in after Trump’s comments and said: “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it is born.”
Harris quickly hit back dubbing his comments “a bunch of lies” and slammed his policy plans as “insulting to women in America”.
She said: “The government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”
Ayesha dubbed Trump’s comments “very inflammatory” and said his “nasty charges against him in terms of women”, referring to his recent criminal conviction, further damage his credibility with female voters on the topic.
She added: “He will not look at her, which is really interesting body language”.
Betfair polling expert Sam Rosbottom told Never Mind The Ballots how Harris’ popularity in the polls had her drop from around 47% to 46% in the first 15 minutes of the debate as the pair discussed the economy and immigration.
After their clash over abortion the Vice President had soared back up to 47% and by the end was 8% up at 51%.
Trump sat at 52% at the beginning and finished on 48%.