Mika: Trump was the loser at the debate, and for the first time everyone saw it

FRIDAY MORNING. "MORNING JOE" STARTS RIGHT NOW. >>> I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING REALLY UNUSUAL, AND I'M GOING TO INVITE YOU TO ATTEND ONE OF DONALD TRUMP'S RALLIES. ♪ THERE'S NO NEED TO FEEL DOWN I SAID, YOUNG MAN ♪ >> REALLY INTERESTING THING TO WATCH. >> WOMEN, I WON'T BE FOLLOWING YOU AROUND TO THE HOSPITALS, MONITORING. >> WHAT YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE IS PEOPLE START LEAVING HIS RALLIES EARLY OUT OF EXHAUSTION AND BOREDOM. >> BY THE WAY, HER CROWDS ARE ZERO. HER CROWDS, SHE HAS NO CROWDS. >> I'LL TELL YOU, THE ONE THING YOU WILL NOT HEAR HIM TALK ABOUT IS YOU. >> THEY'RE TAKING THE GEESE. YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, THE PARK AND THE LAKE, EVEN WALKING OFF WITH THEIR PETS. MY DOG HAS BEEN TAKEN. >> YOU WILL NOT HEAR HIM TALK ABOUT YOUR NEEDS, DREAMS, AND YOUR DESIRES. >> I ALWAYS LIKED HIM. I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM ANYMORE. I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM BECAUSE HE'S NOT LEGIT. WHAT HE DID, I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM. [ APPLAUSE ] AND HIS HAIR IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW? >> I'LL TELL YOU, I BELIEVE YOU DESERVE A PRESIDENT WHO ACTUALLY PUTS YOU FIRST. >> MOM IS SO PROUD. COME ON, BABY, YOU CAN DO IT. YOU SAW IT. UH, CAN'T DO IT. SHE COULDN'T GET IT UP. >> I PLEDGE TO YOU THAT I WILL. >> MY WIFE HATES WHEN I DO THIS. SHE SAYS IT IS SO UNPRESIDENTIAL. >> YEAH. >>> GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO "MORNING JOE." IT IS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th. WILLIE, YOU READY FOR THE WEEKEND? >> I AM. I LOVE HIS OBSESSION WITH DAVID MUIR'S HAIR. HE'S DISAPPOINTED THE HAIR HAS GOTTEN WORSE, IMPLYING HE THINKS HE HAS GREAT HAIR. WENT ON ABOUT THAT. FASCINATING. >> DOES HE REALLY WANT TO BE TALKING ABOUT HAIR? I DON'T KNOW. THEN THE WEAVE, I DON'T KNOW. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, RIGHT NOW, THE BIG STORY IS THE FACT THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO DEBATE AGAIN. I'D LOVE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS. >> YEAH. >> SEEMS TO ME THEY COULD HAVE WAITED A WEEK OR TWO, BUT HE MUST HAVE BEEN SO TRAUMATIZED BY BEING SO BADLY BEATEN THAT HE JUST WANTED TO GET IT OUT OF HIS MIND, THAT HE'D EVER HAVE TO BE ON STAGE AGAIN WITH KAMALA HARRIS. >> YEAH, I MEAN, HE OBJECTIVELY GOT BLOWN OUT OF THE ROOM AT THAT DEBATE THREE NIGHTS AGO. HE KNOWS THAT. HIS ADVISORS KNOW THAT. REPUBLICANS WHO SUPPORT HIM GENERALLY HAVE SAID THAT ON TELEVISION. FOX NEWS HOSTS ARE SAYING THAT. HE KNOWS HE GOT CREAMED. NOW, HE'S FRAMING IT AS THE DEBATE WAS UNFAIR TO ME. THE MODERATORS WERE MEAN. I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN. HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET BACK IN THE RING WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. THAT'S THE TRUTH. AS YOU SAID, DONALD TRUMP OFFICIALLY NOW IS BACKING OUT OF A SECOND DEBATE WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT. DESPITE PREVIOUSLY CLAIMING HE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN ONE MORE DEBATE WITH HARRIS, THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAID YESTERDAY DURING THE RALLY IN ARIZONA THAT BECAUSE HE, QUOTE, WON ON TUESDAY NIGHT, HE DOESN'T NEED ANOTHER ONE. >> BUT WHEN A PRIZE FIGHTER LOSES A FIGHT, YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF FIGHTS, RIGHT? THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF THAT FIGHTER'S MOUTH IS, "I WANNA REMATCH. I WANT A REMATCH." THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID, "I WANT A REMATCH." POLLS CLEARLY SHOW I WON AGAINST COMRADE, KAMALA HARRIS. SHE WENT TO ABC, WHICH IN MY OPINION HAS TAKEN A BIG HEAT. THESE PEOPLE WERE BAD NEWS. THEY KEPT SCREAMING AT ME. I SAID, WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING? I'M SAYING TO MYSELF, I ALWAYS LIKED HIM. I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM ANYMORE. I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM BECAUSE HE'S NOT LEGIT. WHAT HE DID, I'M NOT GOING TO WATCH HIM. [ APPLAUSE ] AND HIS HAIR IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW? SO BECAUSE WE'VE DONE TWO DEBATES AND BECAUSE THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL, THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE. [ APPLAUSE ] IT'S TOO LATE ANYWAY. THE VOTING HAS ALREADY BEGUN. YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND VOTE. WE HAVE TO VOTE. >> NORTH CAROLINA, TWO NIGHTS AGO, DONALD TRUMP AND I HAD OUR DEBATE. [ APPLAUSE ] DID YOU WATCH IT? DID YOU WATCH IT? LOOK, I BELIEVE WE OWE IT TO HAVE ANOTHER DEBATE, RIGHT? WE OWE IT TO THE VOTERS. BECAUSE HERE'S THE THING, IN THIS ELECTION, WHAT'S AT STAKE COULD NOT BE MORE IMPORTANT. >> THAT'S KAMALA HARRIS, WILLIE, ON THE ROAD IN FRONT OF YET ANOTHER MASSIVE CROWD, DESPITE WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAYS. HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH EVERYTHING DONALD TRUMP SAID IN THOSE SOUND BITES, HOW MANY PEOPLE WATCHED THE DEBATE? I THINK IT WAS A PRETTY BIG NUMBER, LIKE 70 MILLION OR SOMETHING. >> YEAH. >> ACROSS MULTIPLE NETWORKS. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY SAY, OH, HE'S LYING. LET'S FACT-CHECK THAT. EVERYONE SAW IT. EVERYONE SAW IT. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT HE'S LYING. >> YEAH, AND HE LIKES THAT BOXING METAPHOR ABOUT A REMATCH, SOMEHOW FRAMING THAT AS HOW HE WON. DOESN'T NEED ANOTHER ONE. I THINK THE MORE APT BOXING METAPHOR IS HE JUST GOT HIS BUTT KICKED IN THE THIRD OR FOURTH ROUND, AND HE'S DECIDING NOT TO COME BACK OUT FOR THE NEXT ROUND, WHERE KAMALA HARRIS IS HANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING SAYING, "LET'S DO IT AGAIN." HE WANTS NONE OF IT. LET'S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH CO-HOST OF MSNBC'S "THE WEEKEND," MICHAEL STEELE. ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF "THE WASHINGTON POST," EUGENE ROBINSON. AND MANAGING EDITOR OF "THE BULWARK," SAM STEIN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN SOMEONE DECLARES THEY DON'T WANT ANOTHER DEBATE? >> YEAH, YEAH. WHEN YOU COME OUT AND TRY TO FRAME THIS THE WAY DONALD TRUMP IS FRAMING IT, AFTER WE SAW WHAT WE SAW, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU ONLY HEARD ON RADIO OR YOU JUST DIDN'T TUNE IN AND MISSED IT. NO, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAW THIS. WE KNOW HE'S LYING. WE KNOW HE GOT -- NOT JUST GOT STUNG, BUT HE GOT KNOCKED DOWN. HE GOT KNOCKED DOWN IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE COULD NOT GET UP. BASICALLY, WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE -- TO KEEP THE BOXING METAPHOR GOING, THE GUY ON THE MAT LOOKING UP, ONE HAND IN THE AIR, TRYING TO GET UP OFF THE FLOOR, SAYING, "I DON'T WANT ANYMORE. NO MAS." IT'S VERY CLEAR WHY. BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THAT DEBATE, AND, FOR ME, WILLIE, IT WAS THE MOMENT HESHE WALKED OVER AND SHK HIS HAND. HE HAD NO INTENTIONS OF SHAKING HER HAND. HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE GENTLEMAN TO GO TO THE CENTER OF THE RING, IF YOU WILL, AND SHAKE YOUR OPPONENT'S HAND, AND TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION. BUT SHE DID HIM ONE BETTER. WENT OVER TO HIM AND INTRODUCED HERSELF, KAMALA HARRIS. FROM THAT MOMENT, HE WAS NOT THE SAME. SHE STARTED OFF A LITTLE ROCKY, BUT SHE FOUND HER FOOTING VERY QUICKLY ON ISSUE AFTER ISSUE. AND THE ONLY THING HE WAS REDUCED TO WAS TALKING ABOUT DUCKS AND CATS AND WHINING ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LYING ABOUT HIS CROWD SIZE. IF THAT'S THE -- THAT IS BASICALLY THE ESSENCE OF THAT DEBATE FOR DONALD TRUMP. YEAH, HE'S ON THE MAT LOOKING UP FROM THE FLOOR, SAYING, "I DON'T WANT NO MORE." GOD BLESS YOU, DONALD, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET UP, SHE'S GOING TO HIT YOU AGAIN. AND SHE'S READY. I THINK THE COUNTRY IS READY FOR HER TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK I HEARD MIKA SAY AT SOME POINT EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE'RE JUST EXHAUSTED. AND I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH ALL OF THIS. AND SHE HAS BECOME -- AS DONALD TRUMP WAS THE AVATAR FOR GRIEVANCE AND REGRESSION AND LOOKING BACKWARDS, SHE'S NOW THE AVATAR FOR LOOKING FORWARD AND HOPE. PEOPLE SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING AHEAD THAT THEY CAN MOVE TOWARDS AS OPPOSED TO STAYING STUCK WHERE WE ARE. >> KUDOS TO YOU, MICHAEL STEELE, FOR TAKING OUR EXTENDED BOXING METAPHOR TO THE DORAN AND SUGAR RAY LEONARD FIGHT WITH NO MAS IN 1980. NICELY DONE THERE. WE SAW THE STARK CONTRAST. WE SAW DONALD TRUMP IN HIS RALLY IN ARIZONA TALKING ABOUT DOGS AND CATS AND GEESE AND DAVID MUIR'S HAIR. >> YEAH. >> CUT TO TWO RUCKUS, CROWDED EVENTS, CONTRARY TO WHAT DONALD TRUMP KEEPS SAYING, FOR DONALD TRUMP IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. >> WHOA, LOOK AT THAT. >> JUST TRUST YOUR EYES. IS THERE A BIG CROWD THERE? ARE THEY ENTHUSIASTIC? ARE THEY EXCITED? YES, THE ANSWER IS. AND HOW GLEEFUL THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE DEBATE. THE SMILE ON HER FACE. SHE, TOO, KNOWS HOW IT WENT IN THE FLOOR IN PHILADELPHIA TUESDAY NIGHT. >> YEAH. SHE HAD TWO RALLIES IN NORTH CAROLINA YESTERDAY. ONE WAS, LIKE, 7,500 PEOPLE. THE OTHER WAS 17,500 PEOPLE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY WERE HUGE. AND THEY WERE RUCKUS. THEY WERE ENTHUSIASTIC. THEY WERE FULL OF JOY. THEY WERE EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP AND HIS CAMP MOST FEAR. LOOK, THIS DEBATE WAS -- WE'LL SEE IF IT WAS A REAL TURNING POINT IN THIS ELECTION, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY A MOMENT. A MOMENT THAT CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR KAMALA HARRIS AND A MOMENT THAT COME BE BAD FOR DONALD TRUMP. AND I IMAGINE THAT HIS STAFF, WHEN HE SAID, OKAY, MAYBE WE DON'T DO ANOTHER DEBATE, I IMAGINE THEY ENCOURAGED HIM, "OKAY, OKAY, SEND THAT OUT. SAY THAT TODAY. LET'S ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER DEBATE." HOW COULD THEY STAND ONE OF THOSE? ANOTHER BEATDOWN LIKE THAT? I JUST DON'T SEE IT. >> RIGHT. YOU KNOW, NOT OVERTLY TRYING TO BE MOCKING, BECAUSE THESE ARE REALLY SERIOUS TIMES. NOBODY MADE THAT MORE CLEAR THAN KAMALA HARRIS DID ON THE DEBATE STAGE. BUT ONE FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE DEBATE. I MEAN, IT REALLY WAS, NO JOKE HERE, IT WAS A "WIZARD OF OZ" FINALLY AT THE END. WHEN THE CURTAIN IS PULLED BACK. HIS ACT WAS DISMANTLED BY HER FACE ALONE, AND ALSO EVERYTHING THAT SHE SAID IN FRONT OF SO MANY PEOPLE. IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO CONVINCE ANYBODY, EXCEPT FOR DIE-HARD MAGA WHO DON'T -- THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO WILL FOLLOW HIM TO ANYWHERE, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR HIM TO CONVINCE MOST AMERICANS THAT HE HAD ANY HITS DURING THAT DEBATE. HE WAS THE LOSER. AND FOR THE FIRST