Takeaways from Tuesday’s presidential debate

the countdown to election day now just 8 weeks away vice president Harris and former president Trump finally faced off last night in a highly anticipated and highly contentious ABC News presidential debate and joining us now with analysis as former DNC chair and ABC News contributor Donna Brazil and the Republican governor of New Hampshire Chris cudu good to see you guys and thanks a lot for being on so Donna we'll start with you your take from last night things got a little heated a couple of times well first of all let me just tell you that the vice president gave a very solid performance she didn't have to go in there and win the debate she had to own the moment this was our opportunity start with that handshake look she walked into she walked on that stage and she went to the president the former president and said good morning Mr President well maybe she said good afternoon Mr President but she did say my name is KL Harris I thought it was a great moment for the vice president to show once again that she has what it takes to be president of the United States she was able to get across her issues she was able to uh put the president the former president on defense but more importantly she was able to talk to the American people about the issues they care about a lowering inflation which we learned today it's down the 2.5% pre pandemic level she talked about lowering prices at the grocery store at the gas pump so this was a moment for the vice president to show that she had the leadership uh to not only deliver for the American people but she had the vision for the future I give her a Plus in terms of her performance Governor what were your takeaways watching it well I'll agree I think the the vice president had a game plan stuck to it and and it worked it really did um I'll disagree a little bit I think there was a lot of frustration I mean at least as watching as a republican you're watching and she was able to not have to get into some details but she didn't want to have to answer for the last three years but she didn't do that badly and in the last 20 seconds of every one of her answers she kind of hit Trump with a personal attack knowing that that's his vulnerability knowing that that is what's going to stick in his ear and that's what he was going to respond to so she was able to keep him kind of on the defensive on on kind of off of his game and I thought the the former president missed some opportunities to talk about price controls to talk about have that empathetic connection with what the cost of living has really meant you know for example when they when they asked the the Vice President are people better off now than they were four years ago completely avoided all of that Trump should have really you know stuck with it but you know she was able to kind of get under his skin and force kind of that that personal discussion a little to Avid the issues so again she did very well there's no question about it the question is for that 8 to 10% of Swing voters what did it mean to them we don't really care about the bases right they're they're set but that 8 to 10% of Swing voters who care about the cost of things Public Safety those are their key issues I think it's going to move the needle a bit for her there's no people say it's not going to move the needle it will 80% of those swing voters care about you know real discussion real issues cost of living 20% are more on the stylistic side and she did very well there Governor I want to ask you it was really unusual we saw the former president in the spin room which is you never see that after a debate like like this what do you think he needs to do going forward as we get to election day so he's in the spin room because he he clearly had it in his mind wait I have something else to say he he knew it wasn't his best moment he knew that he he could should have been focusing a little more on the issues and wanted to kind of get that last word in there so that I think shows that he understands that it wasn't the best night wasn't devastating um for one side or the other um there's 55 days to go and I think the opportunity that's going to present on the Republican side here is that uh rent comes due those credit card bills come in electricity bills come in the real pains that America is feeling on the cost of living those are going to keep coming no matter how many political ads you run and it's those anxieties that drive that swing voter and will it be enough to say yes who's the Agent of Change that can help this problem who's is kamla a a enough of an agent of change for her boss or is that really you know make getting back to to president former president Trump and we don't like his his approach and we don't like his personality sometimes but boy people do want a cultural change out of Washington DC so there's still a lot of game to play and and the majority of those swing voters they really won't decide who they're going for till maybe the second week in October right they'll be patient with it and and we'll see where it all plays out and D how big of a deal is it that Taylor S is saying she's going to vote for the Harris walls ticket I think it's very important look uh uh I I know campaigns are about moments and and having someone with her background the I read it I I couldn't believe it I'm a Swifty my students at Georgetown taught me years ago when Karma came out midnight the album she inspires hope uh this is a woman who if you read just some of the lyrics of her songs she understands how you overcome uh the emotional loss of someone that you gave it all to she understands how to move people to the to The Ballot Box Tilla Swift is not just a celebrity she is a change maker she encourages people to use the power to vote to make change but God knows 280 million people on on Instagram this woman can move the needle and I'm not just talking about records Donna Brazil the Swifty I had no idea no clue right Governor Chris newu we will be watching the swing States and the swing voters to see how this all shapes out thank good to see you guys yes thank you okay