This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind, and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every single day on your favorite podcast platform. And this anniversary of nine to eleven, right, I mean, that is truly the American way. Everybody ran toward the fire and to all of those heroes on Flight ninety three and the
Twin Towers, etc. That is the American way. So we remember them today as we try to save America for the future. And that brings us, of course to the debate last night. So I have to start with an apology, right because if you listen to this show, it took all the suspense out of last night because exactly what I predicted would happened would happen. And it was horrific, right, It was obscene. It was election interference. It was a form of rigging an election. It was a disgrace to journalism.
You know what these Harris staffers called moderators did last night. It was such a disservice to the American people because the American people deserved the truth, the American people tuned in for the truth. The American people wanted the answers from both candidates, and as I predicted, the way that they protected Harris to the extreme it was just downright dishonest. But it deprived the American people of what they needed.
And that in the end, for reasons I'm about to dive into, is going to end up backfiring on Harris. It's going to backfire on the left long term. It's going to actually help Trump. You know, for the same reason that all of these bogus criminal charges and all of this corruption of the criminal justice system to try to defeat Trump has backfired on the left and helped Trump. That's why the sentencing was put off right, that was supposed to be coming up in a week, because it
was going to help Trump. So for the same reason that fundamental unfairness last night is going to backfire in Trump's favor. But there's there's another reason. It's it's going to really hurt Harris and really help Trump. And I want to get into that right now. Eighty five for zero five A two five five text d an five seven seven three nine. I can't wait hear from me in the phones and text is always right, but man,
I'm gonna throwback. I'd love the phone calls too, And I want your take obviously on who won and lost and why, but also should Trump debate Harris again? The Taylor Swift effect? What do you think it's going to be. I'm looking at a headline right now on CNN or a second ago talking about the enormity of the Taylor Swift endorsement. But let me start with this, Okay, I want to give you my take on who won last night?
First of all, for all of these people, and I understand it's the majority of analysts, etc. Out there saying that Harris won the debate last night, I think they're provably wrong.
Oh.
I don't think anybody can credibly say that Harris won the debate because that goes back to the definition of winning. What is a win for Kamala Harris last night? There's only one meaningful definition of winning, changing the arc of the race so that she's elected president. This was her last best opportunity to do that, and I think she clearly failed at that. So how can you say she won the debate when all indications are that she did
not change the arc of the race. So I think she clearly lost the debate according to the definition that matters most, and the proof of that you don't have to take my word for it. The proof of that is that she immediately asked for a second debate. If she had won the debate, meaning change the ark of the race, so she was now on track to win, she would not have asked for a second debate. That's irrefutable. So I think it is inaccurate to say that Kamala
Harris won the debate. Now did Trump win the debate? Again? We come back to the definition. Listen, come on, anybody in the right mind watching that debate last night, if you want Donald Trump to win, was going to be very frustrated that he missed so many obvious openings. Yeah, yeah, I'm frustrated. Everybody's frustrated he missed those openings. I don't think he's getting enough credit for the many really good
things he did last night. Again, keeping in mind that that is such a tough scenario when it literally is three against one and the other two the Harris staffers who were there, Meir and Lindsey Davis. The Harris staffers are smarter and more effective than Harris's so in that three on one, limited time, etc. I think he did some remarkably good things he's not getting enough credit for. But clearly he missed a lot of openings. Is it possible to say that he won the debate? Well, this
comes back to what's the definition of winning. It is the definition of winning that you have polls right afterwards that say, oh, yeah, sixty percent say Trump on forty percent say Harris. That's not the definition of winning the debate. The definition of winning the debate is to do what you have to do to win the presidency. If that's the definition of winning the debate, Yeah, Trump won the debate, and that's because, hey, there was no major gaff that
turned the race in her favor. That that's winning the debate, especially under those circumstances. But think about the history of these presidential debates. You know, it's all about the big gaffes. It's not Wow, Johnny was so impressive in that debate, He's going to win the presidency, except for maybe John Kennedy, right, because that contrasted Nixon. But no, it's about the big
gaffs that cost people. And so Trump avoided that last night, which I think is very significant because while he missed so many opportunities, right, and it would have been great, and if he hit half those opportunities, she's clearly done now. She's not bidenized the way he was on June twenty seven, but she's clearly done now. And he missed a lot of those opportunities. But that's not a fraction as harmful as some big gaff and there was no big gaff.
And on temperament, yeah, he flared up a couple of times, but overall, under the circumstances, I think he did very well on temperament. So yeah, he could have ended the race last night conclusively, missed that opportunity. Frustrating. But if the definition of winning or losing the debate is whether you are now on track to win the presidency, well
she lost. She lost. And so as we sit here right now, As we sit here right now and we look at that election interference we saw last night from ABC, please keep in mind that that is an enormous favor I'd say long term, but long term now is over two or three weeks. That's an enormous favor to the Trump campaign because by ABC rigging this thing last night, for Harris. What they did was create the best night
possible for her, right the best night possible. She looked as good as she could possibly look because she was so thoroughly and dishonestly protected by ABC. So if the move, if the needle does not move decisively in her favor right now, if she doesn't open up a big lead that she sustains over the next three weeks or so, that's disastrous for the Democrats because what that means is when she has her best night possible because ABC created
it for the people just aren't buying it. If she doesn't have a big move in the polls now after last night's charade, it just means the people don't buy what she's selling. And that is the reality I believe as we sit in America today and listen, you know it and I know it, we are going to see some polls come out over the next few days that show this big shift and Harris opening up this lead, etc. And two things on that. First, the media lies for
her all the time exhibit a last night. And one of the ways the media sometimes lies for her and other Democrats is through polling. So take those with the grain of salt. But second, see what sustains over time, because when you really get into the polling that's been done since last night, almost every indication right now is
that she swung and missed. She came up short. Yeah, she looked a lot better than people thought she would because the bar was so low for good reason, just looking at her past performance, and ABC protected her the way they did. But the fact she looked better than she was expected to doesn't mean she gave those undecided voters what they wanted. And all indications from the polling overnight is that she didn't. Because I know you're seeing some topline polls that say sixty percent say Harris won
the debate. Who cares? That's not what matters. Did it change their vote? Who are they supporting for president? And in almost every poll I've seen in these many of them are poles conducted by the left, the answer is no. Most people think she quote won the debate for the reasons I just mentioned. I disagree with that, but in the end, that's not changing the arc of the race. It hasn't changed where the race stood before the debate. But then it gets even better for Trump. And when
we come back and I do it right now. I'm not just trying to do a cheap tease. But when we come back about four to twenty one, I will give you a profound truth that nobody else is told talking about, nobody in the country is talking about. In the second you hear it, you're going to say, yeah, that's true, and it's a profound truth about this race, about what happened last night. And I'll give you Exhibit A. I'll play it for you proof that Kamala Harris lost
this debate in the first two minutes. You're on the Dankplas Show.
And now back to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Good Morning America.
I'm Charles Gibson, I'm Diane Sorry, and it's Tuesday, September eleventh, two thousand and one.
It is lunchtime in London, five am in Los Angeles and.
Eight am here in New York.
Live from the CNN Financial News headquarters.
It is beautiful outside, perfect September day with lots of sunshine.
Oh would you look at Washington.
Huh, I'm going outside today.
Other than that, it's kind of quiet around the country.
We like quiet because it's quiet. It's too quiet too.
Yeah, this justin you were looking at.
Obviously a very disturbing live shot there that is the World Trade Center.
Plus better the majoris in form.
Apparently a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center, New York.
We'll play more of that. But you know, I think it's really good that debate happened on September ten because one of the areas where I thought Trump just shined last night. What was talking about foreign policy, talking about war versus peace, and the contrast there is so clear, and and I don't think there are a handful of undecided voters who really believe that that Kamala Harris has the gravitas to stand up to our enemies or even the inclination to including radical Islam eight five five for
zero five eight two five five of the number. Hey, if you missed the first segment, the down and dirty on it is. I think the people saying Harris won the debate are wrong because win means that it increased her chance to win the presidency, it changed the arc of the race, and all indications are that it did not. So how can you say she won the debate when
it's her last best chance? And I want your take on whether you think Trump should debate her again eight five to five four zero five eight two five five text d an five seven seventh three nine. But here's the profound truth, okay, And this is, in my opinion, the proper lens to analyze last night's debate and whether Harris won again defining winning as changing the arc because she's arcing tour to defeat at this point. Did she change that arc last night? And I think the answers
clearly know. But here's why. Because you haven't heard this anywhere. As soon as you hear it, I think you're going to agree it's true. What you hear right now is oh, Harris won because she was on the offensive. She took the debate to him, she walked across the stage, he missed opportunities, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But again, if winning, if winning is winning with the people who will decide this race, which means changing their mind, moving them,
getting them to decide in your direction. No, and here's why. Here's why she lost. Here's why she lost. And I'm going to play you the sound. She lost this debate and her best chance to turn this race around in the first two minutes of the debate when they were talking about the economy, which is what matters most to people on the border. As Trump pointed out, very well, you know, intersects with that perfectly. But here's the point.
There's so much talk about this candidate lies, that candidate lies. Hey, the reality is these handful of swing voters in six states who are going to decide the race. They're swing voters for a reason. They're not married to either camp. They're out there going race to raise, voting their self interest, in voting their instincts. So you can fairly compare them to jurors.
Right.
They're jurors in this case that's being tried in the six swing states, and they're jurors who are going to decide the case of Trump v. Harris. And there is a direct, perfect analogy now between not you and me, or not your friends who are Democrats, we don't matter, but there's a direct analogy between these undecided swing state voters and jurors. And this I can tell you from forty years of trying cases and hopefully forty more to come. Jurors like these swing state voters above all, they want
direct answers to important questions. I'll tell you every case I've ever tried, the second to witness I'm cross examining and will not answer a key, legitimate, important question directly. I win. It's better for me if they don't answer the question, if they're obviously evasive, then if they give me the answer I want. Because when you are a juror in a trial, and everybody listening to who's been
one knows this is true. Just like if you are an undecided swing state voter, somebody wants something from you. Somebody wants something from that voter, they darn well better answer the key questions directly. And what hurts Kamala Harris far more than any lie is when she refuses to answer the questions when she obviously evades the core question. And the core question which the debate opened with last
night was are you better off? You know, Kamala Harris, do you think people are better off today than they were four years ago? And Kamala Harris blatantly, unequivocally dodged the question. That's where she lost the debate. That's the ultimate insult to these swing state voters, and it was part of a pattern over the course of the evening. And now you hear it turning up and the focus groups that are being done afterwork by focus groups of
independent voters being done by lefting networks. When she decided to avoid that fair question and dodge it, that's where she lost you know who? She also lost there. I mean, he'll still vote for Jake Tapper. This is just a short time ago on CNN.
Going right to my point, Vice President Harris began the debate by punting the first question on the economy.
Do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?
So I was raised as a middle class kid, and I am actually the only person.
She lost it right there. Fair question deserves an answer. She knew it was coming, and she profoundly disrespected the swing state voters by refusing to answer it and then launching off into these talking points and.
On the stage, who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America?
They went on from there. Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country, the sitting Vice president generally reverted to talking points about a few of her policy proposals. Even harris allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans.
Yeah, drop the mic. That's Jake Tepper on CNN, And there were multiple examples of that, and of course ABC didn't follow up with her because they were protecting her, But ironically, you know, they ended up helping Trump because I'm telling you, nothing's going to offend a jur more than the witness refusing to answer a fair, direct question. So I think she really hurt herself profoundly. I think what you just heard from Tapper, and that was just
a short time ago, I think confirms that. So bottom line, a win for her had to mean changing the arc of this race. I think clearly she lost, and that's why she immediately wanted a second debate. Should Donald Trump debate her again. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
You're listening to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast.
Here's the key point I touched on in the last segment. Voters assumed that candidates on both sides lie, right, So what hurt Harris so badly last night were not her lies. What hurt her so badly was doing something that I think offends many swing state voters, just like many jurors much more, and that is refusing to answer a direct question dodging and important direct questions, such as Vice President Harris, do you think that people are better off now than
they were four years ago? It goes beyond even that, the terrible, terrible reaction to a lie when somebody will not even show you the courtesy the respect of answering an important question. I think she really hurt herself that way, and the sound I played from Jake Tapper at the beginning proved it. He went off on her on it, Cindy in beautiful Fremont County, you're on the dan Kaplas show.
Welcome, Hello, thanks for taking my call. I understand the debate was definitely biased and that was unfortunate, But I also felt like Trump was not prepared. I was disappointed that he couldn't be succinct and go on the attack on his answers and for those people that only, oh, only Trump can win this election, nobody else. I just felt like, you know, somebody younger up there may have been a little bit more humble and willing to really prep and to know how to go on the attack.
So I was disappointed.
Cindy, what a brilliant call. It gets into two very important things in my opinion. First, you're absolutely right. If President Trump had done traditional debate prep, he would have been so much better last night, taking advantages, taking advantage of openings, etc. Very frustrating to me, and it has been since sixteen that he won't do traditional debate prep.
But I think you know from your life. I know from mine that whether it's you, Cindy or me, Dan or Ryan or Kelly or Donald Trump, that many of the same things that can make us great in the ways that we're all great, you know, can can also be a liability in another area. President Trump is stubborn. That stubbornness can be as great as strength when it comes to debate prep. I think it bit him in the butt. But at that point, Cindy conclude that we'd
be better off with another candidate. Here's why I respectfully disagree. Okay, and I've said before I would have been thrilled with Ron DeSantis as a nominee. But here's why Trump, in my opinion, gives us the best chance to win. Because it's only Donald Trump who can get this massive turnout from people who normally don't vote because they see him as the opposite of a normal politician. That's how he won in sixteen, That's how I think he's going to
win this time. In the New York Times poll that came out over the weekend, it showed him with an enormous advantage over folks who don't vote very often. So that's why I think he still gives us the best chance to win. Hey, appreciate the call, Cindy. What a great question, great way to start. Let's go to Mike in Denver. You're on the Dan Kapolo Show. Lines are full.
Welcome Mike, mister caplis. Thank you for taking Mike halg scraight to be with you again. So just a couple of quick things here. First of all, you know about Kamala Harris falsely claiming she never said that she would she said she would never ban fracking. She's clearly on camera seeing multiple times in the past she was banned fracking. But ABC David Murr, they did not fact check that, but they fact checked Trump. Second one, Mike.
May have stopped you on that, real quick stop you on that because no criticism of you. You're using the term. Everybody does fact check. But I just want to make the point that what is being labeled fact checking quote unquote by ABC is actually election interference. It's ABC participating in the debate. When they did their quote fact checks, they were actually jumping into the ring and debating Trump themselves. So go ahead, my friend.
Well that's a really good point, Dan, And as Ryan pointed out earlier, if they're going to do it for Kamala or if they're going to do it for Trump, they need to do it for Kamala. It needs to be unbiased and fair. And they definitely did not do that. I think that they fact checked Trump seven times. They factored my Brotherma zero times.
My brother. How old are you, Mike?
I am twenty.
Awesome, So glad of you, So glad you're listening. Here's my point. They weren't trying to hide it. These Harris staffers who were moderating the debate weren't trying to hide their bias. They're proud of it. They wanted the world to see it. They are the king and queen of their profession today because most of their profession have just become political activists. They're heroes. They weren't trying to hide it.
Yeah. Absolutely, And I think I think that ties into you know, Kamala havy ties with you know, upper level executives, ABC and whatnot. I mean, that could be speculation. I think that's part of it. Another thing, really quick, I just wanted to mention when they were talking about Obamacare, they tried to point out that Trump, you know, tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act almost sixty times during his presidency without a replacement. And they tried to keep
bringing up, well, what's your plan, what's your plan? Well he's not, you know, he still needs time to make up a plan. But I guess the point they were trying to point out is, well, they tried to he tried to repeel it without a Medicare country.
Can we do this, Mike, because you're hitting on such an important point even before we get to the policy weeds. This is another example of how if President Trump had done traditional debate prep, he would have been better, right, absolutely, because then you would have been ready for a relatively
obscure question. But Mike, that question put a smile on my face when I heard it last night, because you know that Harris's team in this case, mirror, they were not going to a question like that unless they thought Trump was on track to win the race, right, because who sits around the water cooler these days talking about Obamacare. I mean, they know at this point, on the core issues in this race that matter to people, Trump is on track to win this election.
Yeah, exactly, and they know that, you know, all Kamala wants to do is improve the Obamacare plan we already have in place. They know that she doesn't want to make something better. That's why they asked the question because they know obviously Trump doesn't have a plan in place, because Obamacare is the law of the land right now. So it clearly is a bias question in a gotcha question in a way.
I think, Oh, I think it was a gotcha Mike, appreciate the call. And again this is where listen, President Trump should have been better prepared for the debate. He should have done excuse me not getting emotional, it's peanut butter, should have done traditional debate prep and with his great mind, and he showed a great mind and great presence and great temperament in that incredibly challenging scenario multiple times last night.
If he had done traditional debate prep, then a gotcha surprise question like that probably would have anticipated and done away with as it was it made him look bad that he could just talk about the concept of a plan, but that wasn't going to have any long term impact. You know, he was great on the areas that are going to have long term impact. He did a great, great job of circling back to the border over and over and over again.
We have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums, and they're coming in and they're taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics, and also unions. Unions are going to be affected.
When he went on and on, but he did a great job of repeatedly coming back to that. Yeah, very frustrating. He missed so many openings, but in the end, keep in mind that's not going to hurt him a fraction of what a big gaff would have, and there were no big gaffes. Scott and Littleton, you're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Welcome, Hi, Dan. I kind of disagree with you. First of all, I support TRUMPO vote for him, My wife supports him, and I'll vote for him. But I think he was disgusting last night and I'll just give you three question sures. First of all, he has a real grungey, ugly face all night. He has that monotone voice. He's a lousy speaker. Really for someone that uh that rich. He he really turns off women. My wife got turned off several times.
Why she vote them things?
They said, Well, because.
You know Kamala is sure enough, I get it, and I interrupted you. So we've got grungey face, lousy speaker, what else?
And and he's not very clever when uh Kamala went and started in on you know, some of the Republicans that have turned against him, for instance, like McCain. He needs to have some good comeback. Can't be that dumb. And he kind of come back and said, you know, first of all, I'll take her not supporting me as a badge of honor. I mean, this lady got voted out of Wyoming and her seat in Wyoming actually had for many years.
And if you could do me a favorite, as Scott, I'm not pausing you because you disagree with me. I'm hoping you come back after the break. We've got to hit this hard break. But you're absolutely right. There were so many obvious openings for the president last night that he missed on balance, though I still believe she did not win for the reasons I opened the show with. He avoided any major gaps. He did very well in
certain categories. But to Scott's good point, when it comes to saying, oh, Dick Cheney's endorsing me, Trump should have been very, very prepared to just turn to her and say, you know, from Trump's perspective, yeah, because you're both warmongers. Yeah, but yeah, just miss so many of those opportunities. All I'm suggesting is when we step back and we look at this in the scope of did she do what she needed to do to change the arc of this race,
which is our conturor Trump victory? Clearly she didn't, or she wouldn't have asked immediately afterwards for the second debate. You're on the Dankpla Show.
And now back to the dan Kapla Show podcast.
Breaking down last night's event. You can see why I've refused to call debate for weeks leading up to it, because you could tell it was going to be rigged, and it was now no surprise, right, and Trump needed to be prepared for that under the circumstances. I think in a lot of ways. He did very well, obviously missed a lot of opportunities. I wish he would do traditional debate prep if he's going to do another one of these debates, which I think would be a mistake
because I think he's our contured victory right now. I think that he should do traditional debate prep eight five to five for zero five eight two five five text d an five seven, seven thirty nine. But I think he he was a brilliant at different points during this three on one last night. One of the things I think he did best and then I'll get back and we have great text as well as calls, is the way he flipped the J six question. I think it
was one one of his strongest individual moments. Is there anything you regret about what you did on that day?
You just said a thing that isn't covered peacefully and patriotically, I said during my speech, not later on, peacefully and patriotically. And nobody on the other side was killed. Ashley Babbitt was shot by an out of control police officer that should have never ever shot her. It's a disgrace, but we didn't do this group of people that have been treated so badly.
And here comes the pivot that I thought was so effective.
I ask, what about all the people that are pouring into our country and killing people that she allowed to poort in? She was the boatis are? Remember that she was the borders are. She doesn't want to be called the boordosar because she's embarrassed by the voter efact. She said at the beginning, Oh, I'm surprised you're not talking about the boarder yet. That's because she knows what a bad job they've done. What about those people? What are
they going to be prosecuted? One of these people from countries all over the world, not just South America.
And then he went on on that. I thought it was a very very effective pivot because it's a great point. It's absolutely a great point that goes to something fundamentally un American and dangerous to the foundation of this nation, which is having a two tier justice system. Different justice system if you're a lefty and lefties are in power, and then conservatives not that they just don't get the
same kind of justice. And I'm not defending anything that happened on j six, I'm just talking about Trump making a very fair point there. Eight five to five for zero five A two five five text d an five seven seven three nine. If you just joined us, thank you. But I think Jake Tapper, what he said this afternoon confirms my core belief that Kamala Harris did not win that debate. And winning means doing what you have to
do to change the arc of the race. Anything short of that, how could that be a win for her? And she lost it in the first two minutes and then repeated this pattern throughout where she would to answer important direct questions. And I think when it comes to jurors, which is my world, and I think swing state voters, that's the same mentality. I think when you refuse to answer a direct question, you lose them.
Vice President Harris began the debate by punting the first question on the economy.
Do you believe Americans are better off than they were four years ago?
So I was raised as a middle class kid, and I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan that is about lifting up the middle class and working people of America.
It went on from there. Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country, the sitting Vice president generally reverted to talking points about a few of her policy proposals. Even Harris allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans if elected. Senator Bernie Sanders will be here in a second.
Yeah, And then he went on on that. See, even Jake Tepper in the left are making that point. And that's why she came out right afterwards, right minutes afterwards, and offered a second debate. Was taunting Trump to agree to second debate. If she really thought she had done what she needed to do to change the arc of the race, she wouldn't do that, right, But listen, the cabal. The cabal is sophisticated, and you can be sure that they had legitimately screened focus group members working dials in
all of the swing states during that debate. And you know how dials work, right, So rather than writing down notes or being interviewed later, they are real time turning dials up or down depending upon how they're reacting to what's being said on the screen. And so you can be certain that the Harris camp knew second by second as it moved through this event whether they were accomplishing what they needed to in the debate, and they clearly saw that they were not. That's why they offered the
second one. That's why I think he'd be crazy to agree to a second debate. I know I have a lot of very kind Texters asking whether I think he should agree to a second debate. If I'm right and he's tracking toward victory right now, then there's no way he should agree to a second event like this in my opinion, even if it's on Fox. But I'd love
to get your take. It's all about winning, right, It's all about saving the country by winning, So why would you take that chance if you're tracking toward victory here? And it's clearly why she wants another one.
Dan.
We may not agree with how the fact checking and mattering went, but it's not Harris's fault, so I think you should stop blaming her. But I'm not blaming Harris for ABC deciding to rig this event, engage in election interference and disgrace journalism. I'm not blaming Harris for that. What I'm saying is it's going to hurt Harris because they created a situation where she had the best night possible because she was thoroughly protected. And if the numbers
don't move dramatically in her favor. Right now, it's a clear message America ain't buying what she's selling.