Donald Trump says his 'greatest debate performance' got overshadowed by Joe Biden's 'poor' show

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Former President Donald Trump celebrated his debate performance, claiming it was overshadowed by President Joe Biden's poor showing.

Trump took to Truth Social to share his thoughts, asserting that his own performance was "fantastic."

Donald Trump claims victory over Joe Biden's 'poor' debate performance

Donald Trump said that despite the positive feedback he received, the focus shifted to Joe Biden's performance. He expressed disappointment but noted that the overall result remained the same.

"As I walked off the stage on Thursday night, at the end of the highly anticipated 'Debate,' anchors, political reporters and all screamed that I had had the greatest debate performance in the long and storied history of Presidential Debates,” Trump wrote.

“They all said, effectively, 'Trump was fantastic!' This theme was universal, even at CNN & MSDNC, but by Friday evening it was all about the poor performance of Crooked Joe, and not so much about how well I did,” he added in the post.

The former president continued, "Oh well, that’s the way it is but, importantly, the result is the same!!!" His comments came after a rally in Virginia, where he criticized Biden, calling him a “stupid, stupid, stupid man.”

Donald Trump feels CNN debate moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, treated him fairly

Donald Trump, who has often criticized CNN, acknowledged the network's moderators, Dana Bash, and Jake Tapper, for their fair treatment during the debate, reported The Hill. 

However, the debate sparked widespread criticism of Biden's performance, which was marked by blank stares, stumbling over words, and a lack of energy.

This has led to concerns about his ability to compete with Trump in November, with some voices from both parties calling for Biden to step aside.

Biden’s campaign and the White House have pushed back against these calls. Meanwhile, Trump’s former communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, commented on Trump’s performance, saying, "He lied every 100 seconds in the debate but it’s normal because that’s Trump’s brand."

CNN debate moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper face criticism over lack of fact-checking

Dana Bash and Jake Tapper also faced criticism for not fact-checking the candidates' false statements in real time.

“CNN’s performance was dreadful. It did nothing journalistic. They might as well have had Vanna White pointing to the next question and the next,” Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor at CUNY, told The Wrap.

“They opened the door for Donald Trump to lie again and again, as we knew he would, and then did nothing. They questioned Joe Biden’s record but didn’t question Trump’s,” he said further.

“Journalists love to talk about who wins and loses debates. CNN lost, profoundly. This leaves me terribly disturbed for the state of American journalism,” Jarvis added.

Musician and writer Mikel Jollett wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "I wonder if Jake Tapper and Dana Bash realize how much — through their silence and unwillingness to correct lie after lie spewed by a narcissistic felon on stage — they have just become the faces of the collapse of American media."

Political commentator Keith Olbermann remarked, “Not fact-checking Trump’s 'firehose of lies' was 'unforgivable,' reflecting 'CNN’s utter failure as a news organization.'"

CNN counters criticisms on Biden-Trump debate moderation

Amidst the backlash, CNN defended its approach. "We are very proud of Jake and Dana. Our job was to make sure candidates were heard so voters can make informed decisions and we are pleased we were able to do that," a CNN spokesperson said as per the outlet.

Political director David Chalian told The New York Times that the debate was “not the ideal arena for live fact-checking.”

CNN’s chairman, Mark Thompson, said Biden and Trump were “the stars of the show.”

The network has insisted it was Biden’s job to fact-check Trump.

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