Moderating a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is the political version of extreme sports. Honestly, they should get hazard pay. From the start, Trump was on brand—interrupting, deflecting and taking wild detours through his personal greatest hits, like rally crowds and “rigged elections.” Harris tried to be the adult in the room, sticking to the issues, but with Trump at full volume, she may as well have been giving a TED Talk in the middle of a rock concert.
The moderators, bless their hearts, tried everything short of tranquilizer darts to maintain order. Every time they asked a straightforward question—on the economy, immigration, healthcare—Trump took it as an invitation to run an improv set. Harris managed to keep it together, delivering polished responses when she could get a word in edgewise, but her penchant for dodging questions by bringing up her middle-class childhood just seemed like a desperate attempt to connect with viewers. Seriously though, moderating this debate? No thanks, I’ll pass.
By the end, you could see the moderators aging in real-time, like a president in one of those “before and after” photos. At some point, it felt like they gave up and just let the chaos unfold. Honestly, who could blame them? The mute button was probably glowing with heat by the end of the night, and it still wasn’t enough to contain Trump’s tangents about 2020. If there’s a next debate, they might need to invest in a gong.
Harris did what she could. She stayed on message, laid out policy points and tried to appear unfazed by Trump’s stream of consciousness. Her best moments came when she addressed issues like abortion, but let’s be real—how much of that really landed when Trump was doing his best impression of an unfiltered podcast host? The moderators did occasionally get Trump to simmer down for a few seconds, but it was more like a timeout for a hyperactive toddler than a victory for debate civility.
For viewers who actually wanted substance, it was a rough night. If this was supposed to clarify the candidates’ visions for America, it felt more like a reality television reunion special. Harris definitely looked more composed, but the real story was how the moderators held on for dear life, trying to guide two very different debaters through a policy minefield. And while Harris tried to answer, Trump just wanted to bulldoze everything and talk about, well, everything else.
At this point, it feels like debates are more about surviving the spectacle than about learning anything new. The moderators deserve a standing ovation for making it out in one piece. It’s unlikely that this debate will change many minds, but it sure made for good TV—if you’re into political roller coasters.
For the next one, maybe the moderators should be allowed to tag in a wrestling referee for backup. Seriously, they’ve earned it.